Bangladeshi student wins gold at Open World Astronomy Olympiad

Bangladesh has achieved international acclaim at the 4th Open World Astronomy Olympiad (OWAO), held in Sochi, Russia, with its six-member student team securing a total of five awards, including a coveted gold medal.

Md Mokhdum Amin Fahim, a Class 10 student of Police Line Secondary School in Jashore, clinched the gold, marking a significant milestone for the country in the field of international science competitions.

The Olympiad, jointly organised by the Russian Ministry of Education and the Sirius Educational Centre, ran from September 21 to 27 and brought together 90 participants from 20 countries, competing both in person and online.

In addition to Fahim’s gold, Bangladesh won two silver medals, awarded to Shoptorshi Rahman, an A-Level student at Heed International School in Dhaka, and Md Radit Raian, a Class 12 student at Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka.

Md Jubayer Hossain Jisan, a Class 8 student from Rajshahi Collegiate School, secured the bronze medal, while Sayantan Roy, a Class 9 student at South Herald English School in Khulna, received an honorary mention.

The award ceremony was held at the Sirius Conference Centre, attended by high-ranking Russian education officials and academic representatives, including Professor Oleg Malakhov.

Shahpar Alam, director of the Bangladesh Astro-Olympiad National Committee, congratulated the students on their outstanding performance.

The team will return to Dhaka tomorrow and will be received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:00pm, followed by an official reception in their honour, he confirmed.