Students from 7 public universities to join a 320-hour premium entrepreneurship & mentoring program
DU Launches Inter-University Idea Competition Under 'Creative Bangladesh' Project
The Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Center of Dhaka University has officially launched the 'Inter-University Idea Competition' under its 'Creative Bangladesh' project. The announcement was made by DU Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam at the closing ceremony of the CEL Summit. Applications remain open from July 1 to July 14. Selected startup teams will get access to a 320-hour intensive entrepreneurial education module to turn their core ideas into sustainable bus
Tech & Startup Desk, Dhaka, July 1, 2026: In a bid to transform university students from job seekers into job creators, a massive national initiative has been rolled out. The Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Center of Dhaka University (DU) has officially launched the 'Inter-University Idea Competition' under the framework of the 'Creative Bangladesh' project, targeting current students and alumni of seven major public universities.
The formal declaration was made yesterday during the closing ceremony of the 'Strategic and Entrepreneurship Leadership (CEL) Summit' held at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium, marking the glorious 10th anniversary of the Department of Organization Strategy and Leadership (OSL), DU.
Chaired by Associate Professor Md. Rashedur Rahman, Chairman of the OSL Department, the summit was graced by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam as the Chief Guest. Professor Mahmud Osman Imam, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, attended the flagship event as the Special Guest.
The 'Creative Bangladesh' project is being implemented under a Government-to-Government (G2G) collaboration between the Government of Bangladesh and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The competition explicitly aims to foster a sustainable culture of grassroots innovation, creativity, and robust youth entrepreneurship across the country's premium public universities.
Current students and alumni from seven designated universities are eligible to register for this national boot camp. The institutions include Dhaka University (DU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Medical University, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Rajshahi University (RU), Chittagong University (CU), and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET).
The digital application window opens today, July 1, and will close on July 14. Following the primary screening, the highly anticipated idea pitching sessions will take place on July 22 and 23. Organizers have invited revolutionary tech and social business models across multiple verticals including Agriculture, Healthcare, IT, EdTech, Climate Action, Renewable Energy.
The selected teams will secure an exclusive entry into a rigorous 320-hour 'Entrepreneurship Education Program' designed by the ICE Center. Through structured corporate training, elite clinical mentoring, and deep-tech technical assistance, the program will handhold the young innovators to refine and transition their raw business concepts into scalable, investment-ready commercial ventures.
Delivering the chief guest's address, Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam stated, "The cOxxurrent administration is working relentlessly to restructure Dhaka University into a research-driven, innovation-led, and globally recognized seat of higher education." He underscored the absolute necessity of nurturing disruptive leadership, creative thinking, and dynamic entrepreneurial skill sets among general students, inspiring them to become employer icons rather than job hunting graduates.
He also congratulated the faculty and students of the OSL department on its decennial anniversary, praising its distinct contribution to corporate strategy, management research, and leadership cultivation in Bangladesh.
//DB Tech/ pmb//
