Bangladeshi Tech Talents Bound for Beijing for Second International AI Olympiad

Four young tech prodigies from Bangladesh are set to represent the nation at the second edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), scheduled to take place in Beijing, China. The national team includes Abrar Shahid and Misbah Uddin Inan from Notre Dame College Dhaka, Arefin Anwar from Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School, and Md. Riasat Islam from RAJUK Uttara Model College.

These students will compete with participants from over 50 countries in this AI-centric global contest, which is scheduled to begin on August 2 and conclude on August 9 with the closing ceremony in Beijing.

On Friday, August 1, the Bangladesh AI Olympiad Committee organized a press briefing at the Tawfiq Aziz Khan Seminar Hall of The Daily Star Centre, where the team leader, Professor Dr. B. M. Mainul Hossain, introduced the national team members to the press. He also announced that the team would depart for China on the night of August 2 and sought prayers for the team’s success on this prestigious international platform.

Present at the press conference were Munshi Mahbubur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT); Dr. Mohammad Azam Khan, Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at Daffodil International University; M. Manjur Mahmud, President of DataSoft Systems Bangladesh; and Munir Hasan, President of Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN), among others.

Munir Hasan remarked, “This experience has inspired us to undertake more significant and constructive initiatives in the future. We are hopeful that our future events will be broader in scope and even more successful.”

Munshi Mahbubur Rahman added, “We are proud to be a part of their journey. We would be delighted to host more such events in the future.”

It was also disclosed during the press meet that the national round of the “Bangladesh Artificial Intelligence Olympiad 2025” was successfully held on May 17 at the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT). The national-level competition featured two distinct segments—a “Programming and Machine Learning Competition” and an “AI Quiz Contest.”

The regional rounds for the programming segment took place on May 2 and 3, allowing participants to present machine learning projects, apply algorithms to solve problems, and demonstrate real-world technological applications. The AI Quiz Contest was conducted online on May 10 as a preliminary round. A total of 171 students competed in the programming category, while 235 participated in the quiz segment at the national level. Participants hailed from a diverse range of institutions, including public and private schools, colleges, technical education boards, and British curriculum-based institutions across Bangladesh.

In 2024, the team participated in the inaugural edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in Bulgaria, achieving an honorable position despite not winning any medals. However, in a subsequent edition held in Saudi Arabia under the title International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IAIO), Bangladesh secured two silver and two bronze medals. Notably, excluding Hungary, all four Bangladeshi participants earned medals in that first edition.

Prior to being selected for the international stage, the current team underwent several rounds of domestic competitions and training activities. The entire initiative was organized by Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN), with Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) and Rivchat serving as sponsors and supporters.