Bangladesh wins 8 medals at 15th Int’l Earth Science Olympiad

Bangladesh has won 8 medals in the 15th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2022, hosted virtually by Italy from 25 Aug to 31 Aug 2022.

The achievement marks Bangladesh's best performance at the international competition since its debut in 2012, according to a press statement on Thursday.

Initially, 1000 students from across the country participated in a number of regional and national rounds of the competition, with the top 8 students winning a place on the national team.

Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative, a youth-led environmental non-profit organisation, selected the Bangladesh team through a nationwide competitive selection process called the National Earth Olympiad (NEO).

Professor Younus Ahmed Khan of Rajshahi University and Aryan Andaleeb Azim, a former NEO national winner, served as mentors and advisors for the team.

This year, the Science Olympiad was supported by the British High Commission in Dhaka, through the UK Government's roles as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson congratulated the winners in person at the British High Commission.

"Climate change is an ever-escalating global crisis and Bangladesh is one of the worst-affected countries in the world. I am delighted to see young Bangladeshi students leading the way in tackling climate change and building awareness," he said on the occasion.

Shamir Shehab, founder of Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative, said, "For Bangladesh to become a climate-resilient nation, we would need a generation of environmental stewards who will act as practitioners, scholars, and policymakers to generate knowledge and provide thought leadership."

Among the members of the Bangladesh team, Soumya Saha from Notre Dame College, Sabit Ibtisam Anan from Dhaka Residential Model College, Mottaquin Tashin from Dhaka Imperial College, and Syed Iftekhar Salam Dipto from Dhaka College – each of them earned a bronze medal in the individual category of the competition.

Besides, another team consisting of Muntasir Rahman from Adamjee Cantonment College, Ilhamul Azam from Govt Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, Soumya Saha, and SM Mottaquin Tashin earned a silver medal for a presentation on the causes of recent landslides in Rangamati.

Another Bangladesh team consisting of Abrar Azim Hrittek from Cantonment Public School & College, Faiza Islam from Rajshahi College, and Syed Iftekhar Salam Dipto earned a bronze medal for their presentation on groundwater contamination and soil nutrient depletion in different riverine cities in Bangladesh.