Students getting interested in science

Guests and young participants release colourful balloons to inaugurate the "12th Bangladesh National Math-Olympiad and Dutch-Bangla Bank-Prothom Alo National Math-Utshab-2014" in the capital's Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School yesterday. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Vice Chancellor of University of Asia Pacific Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury yesterday hoped that Bangladeshi scientists would achieve Nobel Prize in science by 2030, as students were getting interested in science gradually.
“I had some dreams centring around Math Olympiad. Some of my dreams have come true. I believe someone from these participants would achieve Nobel Prize in science,” he told the "12th Bangladesh National Math-Olympiad and Dutch-Bangla Bank-Prothom Alo National Math-Utshab-2014" in the capital's Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School.
Some 1,055 participants who were selected from 22 regions of the country took part in the national round that will end today. Earlier, some 25,000 students under primary, junior, secondary and higher secondary categories contested in the regional rounds between January 17 and February 1.
After a brief inaugural ceremony on the Saint Joseph premises, the students sat for an- hour-and-a-quarter long exam to solve 10 problems.
Munir Hasan, general secretary of Bangladesh Math-Olympiad Committee, the organiser of the national event, said a team of best performers would be selected from secondary and higher secondary categories from the national round for the 55th International Math-Olympiad to be held in South Africa in July.
At the inaugural session, some participants said they were gaining confidence through participating in Math-Olympiad.  
Speaking on the occasion, renowned writer Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal encouraged the participants, saying there was no fear in learning mathematics.
Matiur Rahman, editor of Prothom Alo, hoped that the Bangladeshi youths would win gold in the international competition soon.
Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd Managing Director K Shamshi Tabrez also spoke.