17th National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad held at Islamic University with Khulna-region students

The 17th National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad 2026 was held on Friday morning (November 6) at the central football field of Islamic University (IU), with undergraduate students from the Khulna region taking part. The event was organised by the university's Department of Mathematics.

Held under the supervision of the Bangladesh Mathematical Society and the A F Mujibur Rahman Foundation, the olympiad drew students from four universities and 11 colleges of the Khulna region.

Participating institutions included Khulna University, Khulna Science and Technology University, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Rabindra Maitree University, and students from seven departments of Islamic University, alongside students from various colleges across the Khulna region.

The olympiad was convened by Professor Dr Md Asaduzzaman, Dean of IU's Faculty of Science. IU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A K M Motinur Rahman attended as chief guest.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Emtaz Hossain and Treasurer Professor Dr Idris Ali attended as special guests. Professor Dr Md Monirul Alam Sarkar of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), a member of the National Mathematics Olympiad Committee, was present as an invited guest.

The organisers said every competitor would receive a T-shirt and a certificate, while the winners would receive crests and certificates.

In the final round, attractive cash prizes await the top 10 competitors. The A F Mujibur Rahman Foundation will provide financial support and the Bangladesh Mathematical Society overall cooperation to ensure the participation of the country's top three competitors, the organisers said.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Emtaz Hossain said the mathematics olympiad journey that began in 1994 through Kaykobad has now become widely popular among ordinary students in the country. The olympiad is organised to make mathematics easy and understandable for students, he added.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A K M Motinur Rahman said that in the age of digitalisation and AI, the presence of students from different universities was truly remarkable and important. Mathematics is not just an academic subject or calculus; it is the core foundation of science, technology and logical reasoning. Creating a love of mathematics is essential to build a knowledge-based society, he said.