The world is changing. Neuralink is reading human minds, and machines are integrating into the human body through neural networks modeled after the brain’s neuronal system. Machines are alleviating pain by serving as human companions, while artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed machines into trustworthy assistants. From ChatGPT to DeepSeek, AI is sparking discussions worldwide. Against this backdrop, the AI Hackathon 2025 was held in Banani, Dhaka, planting the seeds of a transformative future. Vivasoft AI Hackathon 2025 prepared the ground for this innovation. Participants used generative AI for SIEM security intelligence, created virtual workspaces for remote jobs, and developed AI-powered security monitoring tools.
The Beginning
The idea of an AI Hackathon in Bangladesh emerged in November last year during the Web Summit, one of the world’s largest technology conferences, held in Lisbon, Portugal. Each pavilion at the summit was abuzz with discussions on using artificial intelligence for human welfare. Upon returning home, Shafkat Asif, co-founder of Vivasoft Limited, envisioned making AI more accessible to Bangladeshi youth.
Sharing his inspiration, he said, “The Web Summit was an incredible event, bringing together professionals from the IT sector worldwide. The Brazil and Germany pavilions were entirely AI-focused, as were those from India, Pakistan, and even Cape Verde in Africa. However, Bangladesh had no presence. That’s when my co-founder and I decided to organize an AI Hackathon in Bangladesh.”
Registration for the AI Hackathon ran from November to December. Initially, responses were slow, but on the final day, 200 applications were submitted at once, bringing the total to 378. Hackathon coordinator Hossain Al Muhi explained, “Initially, we selected 35 teams for the second round with the help of the judging panel, which included Kripa Hossain, Monirul Islam Russell, and Ahsanul Haque Talha. Ultimately, 10 teams comprising 32 participants advanced to the finals.”
The panel of judges included Imtiaz Ilahi, Managing Director of Hogarth Worldwide (Bangladesh); Nabil Ahmed Lipon, Vice President (Software Development) at bKash Limited; Shubhro Sarkar, Vice President (Research & Engineering) at bKash Limited; and Aminul Islam, Machine Learning Consultant at Vivasoft Limited.
The 10 AI Tigers
In 2014, the movie Interstellar depicted a team of scientists solving complex gravitational equations to ensure humanity’s survival. Similarly, in this 36-hour AI challenge, young innovators worked tirelessly to develop cutting-edge AI solutions. The hackathon ran from January 25 at 10:00 AM to January 26 at 10:00 PM, during which ten groundbreaking AI solutions—termed “AI Tigers”—emerged. These included Virtual Intelligent Voice Assistant VIVA, Barta AI, Meta Hive, Code Mentor, Market Flick AI, FrameWise, Cyber Guard GPT, eBPF AI Agent, AI Speaking Evaluator, and AI Assist Pro.
Despite sleepless nights, participants took breaks to play the card game “29” and table tennis, and even enjoyed playing guitar and singing late at night. By the end of the event, they had presented solutions designed to simplify life and enhance efficiency. Among these, Team Paridhi emerged as the champion with its eBPF-powered AI agent system, winning BDT 200,000. The runner-up, Team Define Coders, received BDT 100,000 for its Market Flick AI, a tool designed to provide rapid and accurate market analysis. Additionally, Team Code Mentor earned an honorable mention for its Personalized Teaching Assistant for Coding. The awards were presented by Imtiaz Ilahi, Managing Director of Hogarth Worldwide (Bangladesh).
Team Poridhi: The Champions
Team Poridhi developed an innovative AI solution capable of automated debugging during website and application hosting. The eBPF-powered AI agent system enables real-time error detection and immediate corrective recommendations. The team consisted of three professional engineers and one student, none of whom held a formal degree in computer science or engineering.
The team leader, Tahnik Ahmed Raiyan, completed his postgraduate studies in Management Information Systems (MIS) at Dhaka University and now works at a software company, where he designed the AI system and integrated the eBPF telemetry pipeline. His colleague, Raihan Islam, a graduate of Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET) in Mechatronics and Industrial Engineering, handled backend engineering and DevOps. Abdullah Al Asif, an Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) graduate from Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, worked on the reasoning engine for the AI system. Abdur Rahman, a third-year student at CUET, developed the system’s front-end interface.
This AI solution can quickly detect system flaws and provide real-time security alerts using eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology. It enhances software security by predicting potential network threats, reducing debugging time from four hours to just one hour. Team leader Tahnik Ahmed Raiyan stated, “Our AI agent streamlines the software development process, making it faster, more efficient, and highly secure.” His teammate Raihan Islam added, “Just like tasting food while cooking, debugging is essential when uploading applications to the cloud. Our solution logs network data in real-time and detects malicious activities, ensuring proactive security measures.”
The Future of AI in Bangladesh
The organizers expressed optimism that Bangladeshi AI innovators, like Team Paridhi, will soon establish a global presence in AI solutions. Industry experts emphasized the need for more frequent and large-scale AI hackathons, given AI’s potential to revolutionize education, healthcare, agriculture, crime prevention, and policymaking. They urged the government to prioritize AI expertise development to ensure Bangladesh remains competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
