BUTEX holds Hult Prize 2025

The Hult Prize, the Nobel Prize for Students, empowers youth to address social challenges through sustainable business ideas aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On January 18, 2025, Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) successfully concluded its journey of the Hult Prize at BUTEX 2025, embracing the theme "Unlimited Impact," supported by Partex Clean Tissue as the silver sponsor and Otithee Group as the bronze sponsor.

Right from the beginning, the organising committee put in immense effort to deliver a remarkable event under the direction of visionary leaders:Campus Director Mohammad Muntasir Al Maruf, Deputy Campus Director Muntaha Rahman Raha and Head of Operations Imon Das. The first milestone was achieved through the overwhelming responses from the participating students. Unrivalled promotional activities such as "Promo Video", "Game Events", "Champion Pathways", "Startup Stories" and "Connectivity Camp" played a pivotal role in making the event a grand success.

Renowned professionals conducted a series of five engaging and instructive sessions, both online and offline, to walk participants through key phases such as understanding the limitless challenges, ideation, solution development, crafting pitch decks, and entrepreneurship essential skills for success. Team registration for the on-campus round closed on January 3, 2025, with around 70 teams and more than 250 participants. Teams submitted their ideas by January 9, 2025, and based on evaluations from expert judges, Younib Mridha and MD Sajid Hossain, 12 teams advanced to the semifinal round.

The Semifinal and Grand Final rounds were held on the same day, January 18, 2025, at the premises of BUTEX campus. Semifinalist teams started to arrive in the morning and soon began pitching their business ventures to a panel of eminent judges: Jawad Araf Khan, Founder of Trio Business Cubers Ltd; Hasan Mahmud Samrut, Executive – HR, US Bangla Group; MD Monjur, Director, Mahtabs Academy and Faysal Ahmmad, Project Co-ordinator, Textile Today Innovation Hub & Textile Talent Hunt. Six teams were selected and announced for the Final round after the lunch and prayer break. The finalist teams then began refining their business models based on the valuable feedback provided by the judges.

The Grand Final round officially commenced in the afternoon at the BUTEX auditorium. Three esteemed judges from diverse fields added significant value to the presentations of the finalist teams with their extensive expertise and insights. The judges brought knowledge from various industries, enhancing the event with their distinguished presence. The panel included Engr. Nazmul Alam, CEO, Munshi Bangladesh Ltd. (Munshi Group); Riasat Zaman, Co-founder & CTO, Ecovia and A.B.M Faqrul Alam, Group Sustainability Lead, Urmi Group. The finalist teams had the opportunity to showcase their creative business ventures to these respected judges, who evaluated each proposal thoroughly.

In the closing ceremony, the distinguished Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Textiles, Prof. Dr. Engr. Md. Zulhash Uddin also gave an enlightening speech as the chief guest. The judges of the final round shared their insights on the initiative of Hult Prize at BUTEX. The Director board and the Associate Director panel from the organising committee were awarded for their unbeatable determination and continuous perseverance. Lastly, the Campus Director, Mohammad Muntasir Al Maruf and the Deputy Campus Director, Muntaha Rahman Raha and the Head of Operations, Imon Das, recalled their memorable journey with Hult Prize at BUTEX.

The revelation of the top three teams representing Bangladesh University of Textiles at the International Hult Prize stage marked the conclusion of the exciting Grand Final of the Hult Prize at BUTEX 2025. TEAM PROTTASHA was crowned the champion, while THE TRAILBLAZERS secured the position of first runner-up, and SAVIOR placed second runner-up. The top three teams are now preparing for the upcoming regional summits.

The Hult Prize at BUTEX 2025 concluded its unprecedented journey, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and impact. This year's event was made possible with the dedicated support of Partex Clean Tissue as the Silver Sponsor and Otithee Group as the Bronze Sponsor. Additional partners included Brightskills as the E-learning Partner, YSSE (The Youth School for Social Entrepreneurs) as the Strategic Partner, and BUTEX Business Club as the Club Partner. The event was further amplified by its Media Partners: The Business Standard, Tex Media, Textile Today, and Publician Today, with Jai Jai Din as the Print Media Partner and Ecovia as the Packaging Partner.