Rajshahi: The programming segment of the ‘AI for BD Tech Carnival 2026’ was held at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), drawing participants from various educational institutions in Rajshahi. The event, organized by ‘Artificial Intelligence Bangladesh’, took place on Thursday and featured a day-long competition focused on nurturing young talent in programming.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the carnival comprised three segments, with the robotics segment having been completed earlier on April 17. This year’s programming competition included Scratch programming for Grades 1 to 5 and problem-solving in C/Python for Grades 5 to 12. More than 60 students participated in the competition, where they were challenged to solve five programming problems within an hour.
Mazharul Islam Tushar, a lecturer from RUET’s Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department, served as a judge for the event. He noted the positive shift in introducing programming contests at a school level, which previously took place only at the university level. Tushar expressed his encouragement at the participants’ performance, highlighting that every student managed to solve at least one problem. He advocated for more such competitions to be organized in the future.
Susmit Jahan, a lecturer from the CSE Department at Varendra University, emphasized the growing importance of AI-related technology as the world approaches the Fifth Industrial Revolution. She highlighted the importance of learning coding from a young age, pointing out that today’s students are exposed to Scratch programming as early as first or second grade, marking a significant advancement compared to previous generations.
Shahida Afrin, the founder of ‘Artificial Intelligence Bangladesh’, shared insights into the organization’s efforts to promote STEM education at the school level over the past six years. She noted that while STEM is part of the core curriculum in developed countries, it remains a co-curricular activity in Bangladesh. The event at RUET aimed to familiarize students with an engineering university environment.
The day’s events concluded with a closing ceremony held in RUET’s CSE Seminar Room, attended by special guests including Prof Dr. Shahiduzzaman, head of RUET’s CSE Department, and a consultant from the ICT Division’s EDGE Project. Certificates were distributed to the participating students, and organizers announced that the top winning teams from the carnival would have the opportunity to travel to Nepal.
The event was supported by organizing partners American Corner Rajshahi and the Career Guidelines and Alumni Placement Center, with the RUET Computing Society collaborating as the club partner.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha