BAU Team Wins BUP Research Competition

A three-member research team from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has won the championship in the ‘A’ category of the fifth National Research Project Contest 2026 organised by Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).

The final round of the national competition was held on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at BUP’s Bijoy Auditorium in Dhaka. Organised by the BUP Research Society, the competition brought together researchers and students from public and private universities across Bangladesh.

The winning BAU team consisted of fourth-year Agriculture Faculty student Nashmin Ferdous and third-year students Chapal Kundu and Mushfikur Ibn Zahid from the same faculty.

According to the organisers, around 250 research abstracts were submitted by participants from nearly 50 public and private universities. Following preliminary screening, 32 research projects were selected for the final presentations.

During the final round, members of the selected teams presented their research before the judging panel. The BAU team was selected as the best in the ‘A’ category based on the scientific significance of the research, relevance of the subject, presentation quality and overall assessment of the research findings.

The competition featured two separate segments: Research Project Paper and Critical Essay Writing. The BAU team participated in the ‘Research in Science, Engineering and Technology’ category under the Research Project Paper segment.

In the final round, the team presented findings from its research titled ‘Activation of Autophagy Mitigated the Salt Stress Sensitivity in Rice Seedlings’.

The research was based on findings from the project ‘Effects of Autophagy Activator and Inhibitor on Salt Stress Sensitivity in Rice Seedlings’, funded by the BAU Research System (BAURES).

The principal investigator of the project was Dr. Md. Arif Shakil, associate professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at BAU. The three participating students were involved in the project as research assistants.

Nashmin Ferdous, a member of the winning team, said their interest in research led them to approach Dr. Md. Arif Shakil with a desire to become involved in research at the undergraduate level. He subsequently gave them the opportunity to work on his research project.

She said the teacher and members of the research team provided necessary guidance and support throughout the preparation for the competition and the final presentation. She added that the team was extremely happy and proud to win the national competition.

The research, focusing on salt stress in rice seedlings and the role of autophagy, highlights an important area of agricultural science related to plant stress tolerance and future research. The students’ success at the national competition also underscores the value of research-based learning at the undergraduate level.

//DBTech/DMO/SIM/