6th Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad on

The Sixth Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad 2008 began at St Joseph's Higher Secondary School in the capital yesterday with high hopes for innovations and building a prosperous Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee organised the two-day programme to form a team for the 49th International Mathematical Olympiad to be held this July in Spain and promote exercise of mathematics among students.
St Joseph's Principal Brother Leo Pereira inaugurated the Olympiad amid excitement of over 860 students and their guardians.
Winners among over 15,000 students at the divisional Olympiads held in 14 cities and towns since December 2007 are participating in the national level event sponsored by the Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd and the daily Prothom Alo.
They participated in the key part of the Olympiad in primary, junior, secondary and higher secondary categories yesterday.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee Chairman Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury said the students would surely achieve their goals as they have been really pursuing this through hard work and talent.
Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman said the Bangalees established their mother tongue as the medium of education through a language movement 56 years ago and the country's independence 37 years ago, but all the dreams of the nation are not fulfilled yet.
"You are the ones who will fulfil those dreams," he said, urging the students to practise mathematics and reasoning more.
Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd Managing Director Mohammad Yeasin Ali said the participants are very talented and would surely succeed in the International Mathematics Olympiad and brighten the image of Bangladesh.
He hoped that through exercise of mathematics the future generation would be able to develop the country's science and technology, thus bringing true welfare for the people.
The programme also featured cultural and other functions.
Today's programme will include friendship debates, an open seminar titled "Our rice, our pride", mathematics parliament, and concluding and prize giving ceremonies.