Bangladeshi Teams Shine at Global Blockchain & AI Olympiads

Bangladesh’s young innovators once again demonstrated their growing strength in emerging technologies as teams nominated through the Blockchain & AI Olympiad Bangladesh (BCOLBD) 2025 achieved notable success at two prestigious global competitions the International Blockchain Olympiad (IBCOL) and the International Data Science Olympiad (IDSOL) 2025 held in Hong Kong from October 29 to 31.

The achievements were celebrated at the BCOLBD 2025 Prize Giving Ceremony on December 28, marking the successful conclusion of the sixth edition of the national Olympiad. A total of 22 Bangladeshi teams, selected through BCOLBD, competed with participants from around the world and returned home with several international awards, highlighting the country’s growing capabilities in blockchain, artificial intelligence, and distributed technologies.

The ceremony began with a welcome address by Prof Dr Md Kaykobad, Convener of BCOLBD and Distinguished Professor at BRAC University, who said the Olympiad has played a key role in nurturing innovation, research orientation, and global exposure among Bangladeshi students.

The chief guest, Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division, said BCOLBD has been instrumental in preparing young talents for future technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and distributed systems, and assured continued cooperation from the ICT Division.

Special guests included Prof Alan Edelman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Prof Syed Ferhat Anwar, Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University, and Paul Frost, Commercial Counselor at the US Embassy in Dhaka, who praised the quality and organization of the Olympiad. In his concluding remarks, Habibullah N Karim, Coordinator of BCOLBD and Founder and CEO of Technohaven Company Limited, said the sixth edition reflected BCOLBD’s growing national and international impact in fostering innovation and technological leadership. The programme ended with the chief guest distributing prizes among the winners.

Guests of Honour at the event included Kamran T Rahman, President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI); Dr Sam G Samdani, Senior Adviser at McKinsey & Company; and Prof Sheikh Morshed Jahan. They highlighted the importance of youth-led innovation and Bangladesh’s growing presence in global technology competitions.

At the national level, in the Blockchain category, the Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury Championship Award went to Team GreyDevs (BUET), while Team Sad Mango (IUT) and Team SoloFighter (East West University) won the Silver and Bronze awards respectively. In the Artificial Intelligence category, Team HashWizards (University of Rajshahi) secured the Gold Award, followed by Team BizLedger AI (BUP) and Team CUET_R2S4 (CUET). Sixteen teams also received Honourable Mentions.

Internationally, seven Bangladeshi teams competed among 71 finalist teams from 33 countries. At IBCOL 2025, Bangladeshi teams won a Gold Award in the Engineering Division (Team The Pitchers, IUT) and Silver Awards in the Engineering and Architecture divisions (Team BIKchain and Team Powerpuff Girls). At IDSOL 2025, teams earned Awards of Distinction (Team SenseCore and Team HashWizards) and Awards of Merit (Team NeuroChain and Team NeuroFlux).

Founded in 2020 under the visionary guidance of the late Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury, BCOLBD has become the national gateway for Bangladeshi students to participate in global blockchain and AI competitions, reflecting Bangladesh’s rising presence on the global innovation stage.