British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson greeted and congratulated all the Bangladeshi winners and medalists of the 15th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2022 at the chancery.
Bangladesh won eight medals in the IESO 2022, hosted by Italy from 25 Aug to 31 Aug virtually. This was the best performance ever by the Bangladesh team since its debut in 2012.
IESO is an annual global competition on earth and environmental sciences for secondary and higher secondary school students.
This year, the Olympiad was supported by the British High Commission in Dhaka, through the UK Government’s roles as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office and host of COP26.
Congratulating the winners, the High Commissioner said, 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. My heartiest congratulations to the Bangladesh team who won eight medals in this year’s International Earth Science Olympiad. The British High Commission is proud to partner with BYEI and support the team.”
BYEI or the Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative is a youth-led environmental non-profit that selected the Bangladesh team through a nationwide competitive selection process called the National Earth Olympiad (NEO).
The NEO is an education and knowledge movement that aims to mainstream earth and environmental science education across Bangladesh, with annual competitions since 2012.
This year, 1000 students from across Bangladesh participated in a number of highly competitive regional and national rounds, with the top 8 students winning a place on the national team.
Professor Younus Ahmed Khan of Rajshahi University and Aryan Andaleeb Azim, a former NEO national winner, served as Mentors and Advisors for the Bangladesh team.
Soumya Saha from Notre Dame College, Sabit Ibtisam Anan from Dhaka Residential Model college, M.S. 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.
Bangladesh Team 2 consisting of Muntasir Rahman from Adamjee Cantonment College, Ilhamul Azam from Govt. Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, Soumya Saha, and S.M. Mottaquin Tashin earned a silver medal for the National Team Field Investigation (NFTI) presentation on the causes of recent landslides in Rangamati, Bangladesh.
The other 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 NFTI presentation on groundwater contamination and soil nutrient depletion in different riverine cities in Bangladesh.
Founder of BYEI, Shamir Shehab, 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. NEO is one of the programs through which BYEI has been striving to develop these stewards since its founding in 2009.”
Professors Kazi Matin Ahmed and Younus Ahmed Khan, the Co-Convenors and Advisors of NEO 2022, said: “We are very pleased with Bangladesh’s performance this year and we hope to do better in the coming years. And we aim to spread the earth and environmental sciences education and consciousness among youth across Bangladesh through the NE”