[🇧🇩] Bangladeshi Achievers

[Saif]

65 Bangladeshi students win Top in World award

Sixty-five Bangladeshi students have been honoured with ‘Top in the World’ awards at the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards 2024, a prestigious event co-hosted by the British Council and Cambridge International Education at a hotel in the capital on Saturday...

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65 Bangladeshi students win Top in World award
Staff Correspondent 30 November, 2024, 23:08

Sixty-five Bangladeshi students have been honoured with ‘Top in the World’ awards at the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards 2024, a prestigious event co-hosted by the British Council and Cambridge International Education at a hotel in the capital on Saturday.

The students were recognised for exceptional achievements in the June 2024 Cambridge examination series, said a press release.

A total of 98 Bangladeshi students received 121 awards at the 2024 OCLA. These global accolades celebrate the highest achievers in Cambridge International exams, with over a million students worldwide taking part in Cambridge’s internationally recognised courses each year.

Cambridge International Education has been holding global examinations for more than 160 years.

The awards recognise achievement in four categories: Top in the World, High Achievement, Top in Country, and Best Across.

Among the 121 awards presented, sixty-five Bangladeshi students were honoured with the prestigious ‘Top in the World’ awards, given to those who have achieved the highest marks worldwide for a particular subject.

Of these winners, 98 students received this accolade across Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS & A Level, and Cambridge IGCSE subjects.

Professor SMA Faiz, chairman of the University Grants Commission, and James Goldman, acting British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Shahin Reza, Country Manager for Cambridge International Education in Bangladesh and Rod Smith, group managing Director of International Education at Cambridge, also spoke, among others.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladeshi founders raise $2.6M to launch world’s first self-driving AI CRM

Bangladeshi-led startup Octolane secures $2.6M to launch the world’s first self-driving AI CRM, transforming how sales teams engage with customers.

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Bangladeshi founders raise $2.6M to launch world’s first self-driving AI CRM

Photo: Octolane AI founders. Image collected from Octolane AI.

Octolane, a San Francisco-based startup founded by two Bangladeshi immigrants, has raised USD 2.6 million in a seed funding round to launch what it calls the world's first self-driving AI-powered CRM platform. The round was led by prominent investors including Brian Shin (early investor in HubSpot and Drift), Kulveer Taggar, Cindy Bi (CapitalX), Lan Xuezhao (Basis Set Ventures), Dave Messina (Pioneer Fund), and Arash Ferdowsi. General Catalyst Apex, the new early-stage initiative from General Catalyst, also participated.

Founded by Md Abdul Halim Rafi and One Chowdhury, Octolane aims to automate and streamline the CRM process using large language models (LLMs) and proprietary AI tools. The platform is designed to eliminate manual data entry, analyze customer interactions in real time, and recommend next steps for sales teams. The system automatically extracts key details from emails, meetings, and documents to update customer records. It can also generate personalised follow-up emails, and detect buyer intent, reducing the need for manual input by sales representatives. This brings down the administrative burden on sales teams, allowing them to focus on engaging with prospects rather than updating databases. The platform also offers predictive task generation, and automated meeting analysis — all of which are critical in high-volume B2B sales environments.

In its early rollout, Octolane is targeting businesses currently using platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. According to the company, more than 200 businesses have already joined the platform, with over 5000 on the waitlist. Early adopters have cited increased productivity, fewer missed follow-ups, and reduced dependence on multiple standalone sales tools as key benefits of the platform. The idea for the company took shape after the founders, who both grew up in Bangladesh and later moved to the United States., saw the limitations of traditional CRM systems firsthand. Chowdhury dropped out of Duke University to pursue the startup full-time, joining Rafi to build a product aimed at replacing older, more complex systems with something lightweight and AI-native.

Investors were drawn to the founders' technical capabilities and their focus on solving a persistent pain point in the sales tech space. With this funding, Octolane plans to scale its engineering team, accelerate product development, and refine its AI engine to serve a broader range of sales environments. The company will also invest in expanding its integration ecosystem, ensuring that Octolane can operate alongside, or eventually replace, existing tools in the sales tech stack.

The global CRM software market, valued at over USD 100 billion in 2024, is expected to surpass USD 300 billion by 2030, driven largely by demand for automation, data-driven decision-making, and integrated sales solutions. Octolane's entry into this market comes at a time when companies are increasingly seeking tools that require less upkeep and offer more intelligent insights, especially as remote work and digital-first sales channels become the norm.​

 

[Bilal9]

Highlighting a Bangladeshi Illustrator. love her work. Some of these were made into and published as book cover illustrations.

Dhakayeah from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Some of the work concerns Old Dhaka neighborhoods.

“Down came the rain, Dhaka 1997”

"Dhaka Gothic"
As the moon shines against the darkness of the night, something even darker awakens in the alleys of Nawabpur. As the night gets darker, these sinister men preys on women that live on the fringes of society, the ones who have no one to stand up for them and no one to come look for them, once they disappear from the face of the earth. Their wealth, power, and might allow them to roam freely after dusk looking for victims to quench their insatiable bloodlust. The authorities turn a blind eye to their wicked exploits and have been for centuries but little did they know that their days of hunting are numbered. It all started when Rupa escaped the den of the "Devilish Five" in the fall of 1929, she was bitten and weak and her heart stopped beating. She was very much alive but couldn't feel her pulse, she couldn't realize what happened to her but she felt she possessed a strange power. It was perhaps too late to save her sister from those "monsters" but she vowed to take revenge and she knew no one could stop her. No one.

“It happened one winter evening”

 

[Saif]

Bangladeshi Shomy Hasan Chowdhury named World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2025

Shomy Hasan Chowdhury, an award-winning WASH Activist and development professional from Bangladesh, has been named to the prestigious World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2025.

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Bangladeshi Shomy Hasan Chowdhury named World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2025

Shomy Hasan Chowdhury, an award-winning WASH Activist and development professional from Bangladesh, has been named to the prestigious World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2025. She is one of only 116 outstanding individuals under the age of 40 selected globally through a highly selective process recognising exceptional leadership and impact.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, recognises trailblazers from diverse sectors including business, government, academia, civil society, and the arts, who are committed to improving the state of the world. The 2025 cohort features heads of state, Grammy-winning artists, and globally impactful innovators. Among them is Bangladesh's Shomy Hasan Chowdhury.

This year's class includes prominent figures such as Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand; Simon Harris, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) of Ireland; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO, a multinational hospitality chain; and environmental artist Von Wong. Shomy joins the ranks of leaders that have previously included Nobel Laureates, Fortune 500 executives, and public servants leading transformational change.

As co-founder of the global nonprofit Awareness 360, Shomy has led initiatives in over 70 countries, mobilising young people to drive progress on clean water access, sanitation, gender equity, climate action, and youth empowerment, directly impacting over three million people through grassroots action and international advocacy.

Shomy's work has been internationally recognised with numerous prestigious accolades. She received the President's Volunteer Service Award (Gold) from the former US President Barack Obama, was one of just 20 recipients globally of the Diana Legacy Award, and was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her contributions to social impact. She is also a globally renowned public speaker and has been invited to high-level events around the world, including at the White House, the United Nations Headquarters, and, most recently, Buckingham Palace, inspiring audiences across six continents and in over 50 countries.

"I am truly honoured to be part of the 2025 Young Global Leaders cohort," said Shomy. "At a time when the world is in turmoil, facing compounding crises from climate change to conflict, I hope to meaningfully engage with fellow leaders to advance bold, inclusive, and collaborative solutions that uplift communities and catalyse systemic change."

The YGL Programme is a curated three-year leadership development journey that equips leaders with the tools, networks, and insights to navigate global complexity and lead with confidence. It includes opportunities to attend the Annual YGL Summit and World Economic Forum meetings, and contribute to insights and research that shape global conversations.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladeshi researcher invents drone-based disaster communication system

A. F. M. Shahen Shah, a Bangladeshi researcher based in Turkey, has developed drone-based technology that could significantly improve emergency communication during natural disasters. His work, which has gained notable coverage in Turkish media, addresses the critical problem of the collapse of...

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Bangladeshi researcher invents drone-based disaster communication system

A. F. M. Shahen Shah, a Bangladeshi researcher based in Turkey, has developed drone-based technology that could significantly improve emergency communication during natural disasters. Photos: Courtesy

A. F. M. Shahen Shah, a Bangladeshi researcher based in Turkey, has developed drone-based technology that could significantly improve emergency communication during natural disasters. His work, which has gained notable coverage in Turkish media, addresses the critical problem of the collapse of communication networks following disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

Currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, Turkey, Shah is leading a project aimed at creating a resilient mobile communication network. He and a team of researchers have designed a drone-based system to keep networks operational when traditional infrastructure fails.

"Communication networks can be severely damaged in natural events such as earthquakes and floods. However, communication is vital for rapid and effective aid interventions after a disaster," Shah explained in a conversation with The Daily Star. "The system I am working on aims to provide an emergency communication system that will assist rescue operations in such situations and save many people's lives."

"A few drones are connected together and create a network that works like a base station. At the point where the base station cannot perform its function, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) will make it possible for communication to continue," he further explained.

This system would allow people to reach emergency services and stay connected, much like a generator provides backup electricity during a power outage. His team also plans on optimising the performance of the system with AI (artificial intelligence), intending to make it fully autonomous.

The project, published in the 'Drones' journal in January 2023, has received funding from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and the Scientific Research Projects Coordination of Yildiz Technical University. "In my journal publication, I presented simulation results. We conducted simulations and real-world tests in the lab after the project started. We also considered different environments," Shah shared.

"We currently use six UAVs in the lab, which are made by us," Shah added, "I have been working on this since 2022. The project started in August 2023 and is for three years. So, we have time until August 2026, but it will be ready for real-world use by the end of this year."

The drone-based emergency network stands out for its immediate humanitarian application. In regions like Bangladesh and Turkey, where natural disasters frequently disrupt basic infrastructure, such a system could potentially save countless lives by enabling faster, better-coordinated emergency responses.​

 

[Saif]

17-year-old Bangladeshi hacks NASA; receives appreciation letter

Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, a 17-year-old self-taught ethical hacker from Bangladesh, has discovered a critical security flaw in NASA's cybersecurity infrastructure. The US space agency acknowledged his findings with an official letter of appreciation.

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17-year-old Bangladeshi hacks NASA; receives appreciation letter

Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon with an official letter of appreciation from NASA, for discovering a critical security flaw in its systems. Photo: Courtesy

Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, a 17-year-old self-taught ethical hacker from Bangladesh, has discovered a critical security flaw in NASA's cybersecurity infrastructure. The US space agency acknowledged his findings with an official letter of appreciation.

Born and raised in Jhenaigati, Sherpur, Shuvon passed his SSC from Jhinaigati Govt Model Pilot High School. He then enrolled at Malaysia's University of Cyberjaya, where he is currently pursuing a diploma in Information Technology. Alongside his studies, he works as an Information Security Analyst at ERTH (Blue Bee Technologies Sdn. Bhd.), a technology solutions provider specialising in cybersecurity services.

Shuvon's journey into cybersecurity began in Class 7 when he first started learning programming. "I explored free courses, YouTube tutorials, books, and PDFs," Shovon recalls. By Class 8, he was deep into cybersecurity, bug hunting, and hackathons. "I worked in different tech sectors, like SEO, graphic design, and video editing. But cybersecurity is my true passion," he shares.

On June 11, 2024, Shuvon uncovered a privacy-related bug in NASA's system. He explains his process of finding the NASA bug: "First, I studied recent vulnerabilities that others had found and tested them, but none worked. Then, I combined several vulnerabilities and tried an IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) technique with SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery)."

He further explains, "By chaining these together, I discovered a bug that gave me access to Earth data containing personal information. With this access, someone could have done phishing attacks, sold the data, or used it unethically. I reported it to NASA, and they fixed it."

He adds, "Before finding NASA's vulnerability, I researched many public reports about bugs. I practised with those methods but couldn't use them properly at first. Eventually, I found NASA's domain where their Earth data was stored, which led to the discovery."

He responsibly reported the system flaw through the Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP), which is a program by NASA that allows security researchers to legally report system vulnerabilities. By February 2025, NASA acknowledged his contribution with an official appreciation letter, recognising him as an independent security researcher who adhered to ethical guidelines.

But NASA wasn't his only high-profile success. Shuvon has also found vulnerabilities in major companies like Sony and Meta. At Sony, he discovered an 'IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) bug' that allowed self-access to unauthorised data, while at Meta, he identified a privacy flaw where hidden reactions in profiles could still be viewed through code manipulation. "I mainly focus on two types of bugs - IDOR and information disclosure bugs. These are my specialities," he explains.

Shuvon also achieved the top 1 global rank on TryHackMe, a leading online platform for cybersecurity training and penetration testing challenges, hosting over 2 million users worldwide.

When asked about his technical approach to bug-finding, Shuvon explained that he commonly uses tools like Burp Suite, Nuclei, Google Dorks, and platforms such as HackerOne and Bugcrowd to find vulnerable systems. "Tools help, but success comes from a hacker's mindset - thinking logically and spotting what others miss," he adds.

Despite global opportunities, Shuvon dreams of contributing to Bangladesh's cybersecurity landscape. According to him, most organisations in Bangladesh don't take digital threats seriously, and there is no proper bug reporting system; as such, he feels that companies need to recruit qualified personnel to read bugs and submit them using a bug reporter.

Shuvon shares, "I want to spread awareness in Bangladesh of the damage bugs can cause. I also want to help develop a bug reporting system for major tech-dependent companies."

His long-term goals are bigger. "I want to keep learning, help others, and maybe build tools or a company someday," he reveals. "Bug hunting is just the beginning."​

 

[Saif]

Team from Bangladesh wins Gold Medal at WSEEC 2025

A team from Bangladesh named ‘System Error’ has achieved a Gold Medal and a Special Award at the World Science, Environment, and Engineering Competition (WSEEC) 2025. The competition was held at Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta, Indonesia, from May 19-22, 2025.

www.thedailystar.net

Team from Bangladesh wins Gold Medal at WSEEC 2025

Team 'System Error' won the Gold Medal in the 'Environment' category and received a Special Award for 'Innovation in Sustainable Environmental Impact'. Photos: Courtesy

A team from Bangladesh named 'System Error' has achieved a Gold Medal and a Special Award at the World Science, Environment, and Engineering Competition (WSEEC) 2025. The competition was held at Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta, Indonesia, from May 19-22, 2025.

This year, 293 teams competed at the WSEEC from 14 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. WSEEC 2025 was organised by the Indonesian Young Scientist Association (IYSA) in collaboration with Universitas Pancasila. At the event, 234 teams competed online and 59 teams competed onsite in Indonesia.

Team 'System Error' won the Gold Medal in the 'Environment' category and received a Special Award for 'Innovation in Sustainable Environmental Impact'. The team consisted of Md Tanjir Arafat (American International University Bangladesh), Mohammad Mehran Islam Mahim (BAF Shaheen College, Dhaka), Md Reain Shahrior Prottoy (South Point School and College), and Nur Hossen Asif (American International University Bangladesh).

The competition was judged on criteria of innovation and originality of the idea, technical execution (hardware and software implementation), functionality and real-world impact, presentation and communication skills, documentation and research support, and poster content and design.

The team received the awards for 'Green Rover', an AI-powered autonomous waste management bot created by them, with capabilities including detecting smart bins using IR and ultrasonic sensors, collecting waste automatically using servo-controlled mechanisms, sorting waste into recyclable and non-recyclable categories with internal logic, spraying water when it detects dusty environments using air quality sensors, sending live sensor data such as temperature, humidity, gas levels to cloud, and displaying live readings on an LCD screen during operations.

This was team System Error's first international competition. Regarding the achievement, team leader Tanjir said, "Such an achievement in our debut will remain a source of great inspiration for us." In explaining their approach, team member Mahim shared, "Making the robot was not just about circuits and code, but it was about hope and innovation that would have a real-world impact." Asif and Prottoy echoed the same sentiment and shared that the team wants to continue their work beyond borders.​

 

[Saif]

From Sea to Summit: Shakil walks from Cox’s Bazar to Everest

Ikramul Hasan Shakil hoisted the Bangladesh flag on the Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, after walking all the way from Cox’s Bazar.

en.prothomalo.com

From Sea to Summit: Shakil walks from Cox’s Bazar to Everest
Sozib Mia
Published: 20 May 2025, 09: 35

Ikramul Hasan Shakil is at base camp.Facebook/Ikramul Hasan Shakil

Ikramul Hasan Shakil hoisted the flag of Bangladesh on the Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, after walking all the way from Cox’s Bazar. He reached the summit at 6:30 am Nepal time on Monday, 19 May.

Shakil’s Nepali travel agency 8K Expeditions confirmed the news to Prothom Alo.

In the meantime, expedition coordinators said in a post on Ikramul Hasan’s Facebook page at 2:10 pm today, “We just received news that Shakil has summited and is in good health. He has descended to Camp 4. Details is unavailable at the moment due to network issues.”

Ikramul Hasan named his journey “Sea to Summit.” He began his trek toward Everest on 25 February at noon from Inani Beach in Cox’s Bazar. He walked through Chattogram, Feni, Cumilla, and Munshiganj, reaching Dhaka after 12 days.

After a short break, he resumed his walk through Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, and arrived in Panchagarh on 28 March. The next day, he crossed into India, passing through Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, and entered Nepal on 31 March. After walking nearly 1,400 kilometres, he reached the Everest Base Camp on 29 April.

Since then, Ikramul stayed at the base camp. On 6 May, he began a rotation climb, reaching up to Camp 3 before returning to base camp on 10 May.

This rotation was a vital part of acclimatisation before the final summit attempt. For the main expedition, he left base camp and reached Camp 2 on 16 May, arrived at Camp 3 on 17 May, and Camp 4 on 18 May. From Camp 4, he made his final summit push today, Monday.

In 1990, Australian mountaineer Tim Macartney-Snape planned his second ascent of Everest and called the sole expedition “Sea to Summit,” intending to walk from sea level to the top of the world.

He started from Ganga Sagar in India and walked 1,200 kilometres in 96 days to reach the summit.

Inspired by Macartney-Snape, Ikramul Hasan named his own journey “Sea to Summit,” and began the expedition from Cox’s Bazar, the most popular tourist destination in Bangladesh, and walked all the way to conquer Everest.

Ikramul Hasan Shakil.Facebook/Ikramul Hasan Shakil

PRAN sponsored the “Sea to Summit” expedition in association with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Noodles, Makalu E-Traders in Nepal, and Systema Toothbrush.

Mount Everest saw its first successful summit over a hundred years after the first expedition attempts. New Zealander Edmund Hillary, along with Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953.

Musa Ibrahim became the first Bangladeshi to conquer the Everest peak on 23 May 2010. MA Muhit summited the peak in 2011 and again in 2012. On 19 May 2012, Nishat Majumder became the first Bangladeshi woman to summit Everest. On May 26 of the same year, Wasfia Nazreen also summited Everest. On 20 May 2013, Sajal Khaled became the fifth Bangladeshi to summit Everest, but he died on the descent.

After that, there was a long gap in Everest expeditions by Bangladeshis. After 11 years, on 19 May last year, Babar Ali raised the red and green flag atop Everest. This year, Ikramul Hasan continued that legacy.

Ikramul Hasan Shakil.Facebook/Ikramul Hasan Shakil

Ikramul Hasan received his basic and advanced mountaineering training from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in India.

He has successfully summited Himalayan peaks such as Kyajo Ri, Draupadi Ka Danda II, Himlung, and Dolma Khang. He gained fame when he trekked the 1,700-kilometer-long Great Himalaya Trail, which spans east to west across Nepal through the Himalayan range, in 2023.​