Bangladesh has won eight medals in the 15th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2022, hosted virtually by Italy from August 25 to 31.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson greeted all the winners and medalists in person at the British High Commission.

"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," he said.

"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, Dickson said.

Founder of BYEI, Shamir Shehab, said for Bangladesh to become a climate-resilient nation, they 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.”

IESO is an annual global competition on earth and environmental sciences for secondary and higher secondary school students.

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.

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This year, the Bangladesh team had its best performance since its debut in 2012, securing a total of 8 medals in the prestigious global competition.

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.

Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI), a youth-led environmental nonprofit, selected the Bangladesh team through a nationwide competitive selection process called the National Earth Olympiad (NEO).

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, 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.

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.”