Bangladesh Bags Big at Manila Robotics Meet
Bangladeshi students have earned remarkable success at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Asia–Pacific Open Championship, securing second place in the Future Engineers category along with two special honorary awards. This year’s championship, held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, featured 160 teams from 25 countries.
In the Future Engineers Senior division, the team “Playditron,” comprising Anas Bin Azim of Adamjee Cantonment College and Syed Md. Mohiuddin Sami of Rajuk Uttara Model College, achieved second place. The team also won the Design Innovation Award. Reflecting on the achievement, Anas Bin Azim said, “After practicing through the night in the hotel lobby, this achievement feels truly special for us. Every moment of effort seems worthwhile today. This award is not only ours but also a symbol of the dreams and possibilities of Bangladesh’s young generation.”
Meanwhile, in the Future Innovators Senior division, the team “SAF AI,” consisting of Abrar Abir of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and A. J. M. Imtenan Kabir of Dhaka Residential Model College, won the Startup Idea Award.
Professor Dr. Asif Iqbal, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at Chittagong Independent University and Coordinator of WRO Bangladesh’s Chittagong Division, led the national team. Congratulating the participants, he said, “Despite the travel troubles, our students’ victory is extraordinary. Especially considering the shortage of robotic equipment compared to other countries, they showed strong determination. Even after leaving batteries behind in China during transit, they reassembled everything anew and fought with resilience.”
The national round of the competition was held in Bangladesh on June 14, where 26 teams participated. From this, nine students were selected to represent the country on the world stage. Along with the competitors, the 13-member Bangladesh delegation reached Manila on September 17, with the championship running from September 18 to 21.
The international championship featured eight categories, with Bangladesh competing in four. These included one team in the Future Innovators Junior division, one in the Future Innovators Senior division, one in the Future Engineers division, and one in the Robosports division. In Robosports, the three-member team “Autocrats,” comprising Rubaiyat H. Rahman, An-Nafiu, and Muaz Ibn Bashar from Dhaka Residential Model College, reached the quarterfinals. Additionally, the team “Roboclean,” with Akid Iqbal Haque from Chittagong Cantonment Public College and Akib Siraji from Forest Research Institute High School, represented Bangladesh in the Future Innovators Junior division.
The Asia–Pacific Open officially began on September 18 with a welcoming tour for participants. On September 19, the registration, technical rehearsals, and judges’ meetings concluded with a colorful opening ceremony and dinner at Manila Ocean Park. The main competition took place on September 20 and 21, featuring robotics challenges, presentations from future innovators, exhibitions, and public activities. The championship concluded successfully with the awards ceremony on the evening of September 21.
Earlier, to inspire students toward robotics, WRO Bangladesh organized 14 activation programs in June across five districts, hosted by several public and private universities. Around 2,000 students participated in these workshops.
The initiative was jointly organized by Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) and WRO Bangladesh, with Creative IT and Brain Station 23 as supporting partners.
