Bangladesh clinched two silver and two bronze medals at the inaugural International Artificial Intelligence (AI) Olympiad held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over 100 students from 25 countries competed in the event, with results announced on September 12.
Silver medals were awarded to Arefin Anwar from St. Joseph Higher Secondary School and Misbah Uddin Inan from Notre Dame College. Abrar Shahid from Notre Dame College and Rafid Ahmed from Academia secured bronze medals. The Olympiad’s scientific and practical phases took place on September 9 and 11, determining the final results.
Professor BM Mainul Hossain, the team leader and Director of the Institute of Information Technology at Dhaka University, noted that Bangladesh's success in the Olympics is drawing international attention. He emphasised the need for regular training and camps to further enhance student performance.
Silver medalist Misbah Uddin Inan expressed pride in winning Bangladesh’s first silver medal in the AI Olympiad, calling it a significant achievement for the country. Arefin Anwar also shared his
pride, saying it was an honour to hear Bangladesh's name on the victory stage.
The selection for the AI Olympiad began with online and offline rounds in May. Four students were chosen during a national camp organized by the Information Technology Institute of Dhaka University. The Bangladesh Artificial Intelligence Olympiad was hosted by the Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN) with support from Reeve Chat, Brain Station 23, E-Generation, and Intelligent Machines. Other partners included Prothom Alo, the ICT Department’s A2I, the Bangla Language Project, Kishore Alo, Bigganchinta, and various organisations promoting robotics and technology.
