Selection round of Math Olympiad 2019 ends

The selection round of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad 2019 ended yesterday through the last three regional competitions in Dhaka, Sylhet and Barishal.

A total of 388 young mathematicians from different schools and colleges were selected during the competitions. They will participate in the final round of the Olympiad next month.

With them, about 1,350 students were selected for the final event through 12 regional competitions held across the country, said the organisers.

Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee (BdMOC), in association with the Bangla daily Prothom Alo and Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited, has been organising the event since 2001 to make math more popular among students.

This year's Olympiad is scheduled to be held at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School in Dhaka on March 1 and 2, said Munir Hasan, general secretary of BdMOC.

“The number of participants has exceeded our expectation. Students were more enthusiastic than the previous years,” Munir said.

More than 50,000 students participated in the primary level of the competition; around 14,000 of them were finalised for the regional selection, he added.

Munir also said that the competition was held in all 64 districts of the country for the first time this year.

At the regional competition in Dhaka, a total of 1,723 students from schools and colleges in six districts -- Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj and Narsingdi -- took part, and 257 of them passed through the selection round. The event was held at Ideal School and College in the capital's Banasree from 9am to 3:30pm.

In Sylhet, the competition was held at Sylhet Government Women's College and about 700 students from Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj and Moulvibazar took part. Of them, 62 were selected for the final round, the organisers told The Daily Star.

In Barishal, 474 students from Barishal, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola and Jhalakathi participated in the competition held at Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Govt Secondary School. A total of 69 participants were selected, organisers said.