Chemistry Olympiad regional round held at 14 centres, final on November 28 at Jagannath University

The regional primary round of the Bangladesh Chemistry Olympiad 2027 was held on Saturday at 14 centres across the country, including Dhaka. Higher secondary and A-level students took part in the competition.

The competition was organised jointly by the Chemistry Department of Jagannath University and the Bangladesh Chemical Society.

In the morning, Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Rais Uddin inaugurated the Dhaka region round on the Jagannath University campus as the chief patron of the Olympiad.

In his inaugural speech, the vice-chancellor said such an event was a matter of great pride and achievement for the university. The university's Chemistry Department had played an important role in taking the university forward by securing first or second place in various rankings, he said, adding that such competitions would help develop students' merit, creativity and scientific mindset.

After the inauguration, a colourful rally led by the vice-chancellor was brought out on campus and paraded around it.

The organisers said that in the Dhaka region, 240 of the 287 registered students took part in the primary round. They were HSC students from Bangla and English medium colleges and A-level students from English medium schools. The examination was held in multiple-choice (MCQ) format.

After evaluation, certificates and medals were handed to the top 10 winners at each centre. All participating students received certificates.

At each centre, the first 10 students in order of merit in the primary round were awarded. Those students will take part in the final round to be held on November 28 at the Chemistry Department of Jagannath University.

In the final round, four students selected in order of merit will have the opportunity to represent Bangladesh at the International Chemistry Olympiad to be held in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2027. That international competition is scheduled to be held from July 19 to 28 next year.

University Treasurer Professor Sabina Sharmin attended the prize-giving ceremony as a special guest. She said such events smooth the way for spreading knowledge of chemistry among students and that the competition would play an important role in encouraging students about the application of chemistry in developing knowledge and innovative power.

Also present as special guests were Bangladesh Chemical Society President Professor Md Emran Kayyum, General Secretary Professor AKM Lutfor Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Jagannath University Professor Mohammad Syed Alam, and the society's former president and former chief secretary Md Abdul Karim. The ceremony was chaired by the Olympiad convener and Chemistry Department Chairman Professor Md Aminul Haque. Other speakers emphasised building a science-minded generation to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.