Team Bangladesh has recently brought glory to the country by winning five medals at the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2025, held at Jining Confucius School in China.

This year, about 1,500 students from across Bangladesh took part in competitive regional and national rounds of the National Earth Olympiad (NEO). From these, four top scorers earned their place on the international stage.

The team consisted of Mohammad Tahmid Rahman (Dinajpur Government College), Omar Bin Arif and Sheikh Fahim Mahmud (Notre Dame College), and Faaris Ahmed Aayan (Summerfield International School), under the mentorship of Professor Younus Ahmed Khan of Rajshahi University’s Geology Department.

Tahmid Rahman emerged as the top performer with one Gold and two Silver medals across different categories, while Fahim Mahmud secured a Bronze in the individual test and Aayan bagged a Bronze in the Earth System Project.

The Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI), a youth-led nonprofit, has been organising the NEO since 2012 to promote earth and environmental science education nationwide. This year’s Olympiad was supported by Prime Bank as Training Partner, while the Dhaka University, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), and the Bangladesh Geological Society served as Strategic and Knowledge Partners.

Professor Younus Ahmed Khan, mentor of the Bangladesh team, said the achievement reflects the importance of preparing young leaders for environmental challenges.

“Studying the Earth is not for the Earth itself but for the greater safeguards of human beings. Let our youngs be ready for environmental leadership through a coordinated approach nationwide,” he said.

Shamir Shehab, executive director of BYEI, said the success highlights Bangladesh’s growing pool of environmental stewards. “For Bangladesh to thrive as a climate-resilient nation, we need a new generation of environmental stewards who can serve as practitioners, scholars, and policymakers. Their success at the 18th IESO is a proud testament to this vision,” he added.