Regional Round Showcases 84 Tech Projects in Rajshahi

The regional round of the National ‘Skills and Innovation Competition’ was held on 11 April, Saturday at the Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute premises. In the competition, students from 28 technical education institutions in the Rajshahi region presented a total of 84 innovative projects. From these, the best 6 innovations were selected to participate in the national round scheduled to be held on 17 May in Dhaka. Among them, two projects each from Rajshahi Polytechnic and Pabna Polytechnic were selected for the national round.

The projects that secured tickets for the national round include Rajshahi Polytechnic’s IoT-based Smart Budget-Friendly Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for industrial automation and IoT-based home automation project; Chapainawabganj Polytechnic students’ Smart Human Health Monitoring System; Pabna Polytechnic Institute students’ Smart Railway project and Multi-Functional Robotic Car; and Bogura Polytechnic’s Automatic Fish Breeding project.

However, several projects narrowly missed selection due to low scores, including Bogura Polytechnic’s IoT-based school management system; Chapainawabganj Polytechnic students’ Hot and Cool Water Dispenser project; and Sirajganj Polytechnic’s TVET Blood Service and Clean Air project. Concepts such as Eco-Brick, earthquake-resistant buildings, and hydraulic bridges also could not make it through.

On the occasion of the competition, a colorful rally was held in the city, along with a seminar on the importance and necessity of technical education. In the open-to-visitors project exhibition, senior officials from the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, Directorate of Technical Education, and Rajshahi Division and District Administration, among other offices, were present.

In addition, teachers and students from technical, madrasah, and general education institutions in the region, representatives from industries, civil society members, media personnel, and guardians also participated.

Organized under the Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) project implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division of the Ministry of Education, the day-long competition was attended as chief guest by Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan. Special guest was Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division Md. Daud Mia.

The event was chaired by Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi Dr. A. N. M. Bazlur Rashid. The welcome speech was delivered by Director General of the Directorate of Technical Education Abu Khayer Md. Akkas Ali.

Others who spoke included Chairman of the Bangladesh Technical Education Directorate Engineer Md. Ruhul Amin and Principal of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute Md. Abu Hanif. In addition, papers were presented by ASSET Project Deputy Project Director Md. Manjurul Islam and Instructor of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute S. M. Tahmid Sadik.

At the beginning of the program, the Education Minister inquired about the current status of students and teachers present and sought information regarding steps needed to improve and expand the quality of technical education. He listened attentively to everyone and called for written submissions.

In his speech as chief guest, the Education Minister said, “Technical education is no longer an alternative stream; it is now the main driving force of our national development.” Emphasizing that “sustainable economic progress is not possible without skilled manpower,” he further said, “Just as countries like Japan and Germany have advanced, we must also move forward in the same way. Our goal is not just to issue certificates, but to develop skills that are directly linked to employment and capable of competing in the global labor market.”

Wishing success for the Skills and Innovation Competition, he said, “Transforming the youth into skilled, innovative, and technology-driven human resources is the priority of our government, and technical education is the main medium of that transformation. In this regard, the Skills Competition is not just a contest, but a national platform to showcase the skills, creativity, and confidence of our young people.” He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring inclusive technical education and creativity development for women, marginalized communities, and persons with special needs.

Earlier, the institutional round of the Skills and Innovation Competition was held simultaneously on 27 September 2025 across 211 technical education institutions nationwide. Around 10,000 students presented 3,209 innovative projects through their respective institutions. From these, 3 projects from each institution were selected to participate in the regional round.

After the regional competitions, the national round of the Skills and Innovation Competition will be held on 27 December in Dhaka. A total of 50 innovative projects selected from 8 regions will participate. The winners of the final national round will be awarded.

DBTech/KS/MUIM/OR