Students outside capital Dhaka dominate talent hunt

Students outside Dhaka have dominated the recently concluded national creative talent hunt competition.

Nine of the 12 students, who topped the competition, are from outside the capital.

Altogether 96 students were selected for the creative talent hunt competition held at the Residential Model College on Saturday.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the competition aimed at bringing out talented ones and help them flourish.

They were divided in three groups – grade VI to VIII, grade IX to X, and higher secondary -- to compete in language and literature, daily science, mathematics and computer, and Bangladesh studies and Liberation War.

The results were published on Monday.

Ibnul Muhtadi Shah of Moulvibazar’s the Flowers KG and High School, Dinajpur Zilla School’s Shakila Reja Ifti, and Rajshahi College’s Anika Bushra topped the language and literature category respectively.

In daily science, Sylhet Government Pilot High School’s Ishtiaq Mahmood Siyam, Khulna Zilla School’s Sadman Nasif and Sunamganj Government College’s Jayanta Pal were the winners.

Rajshahi University School’s Rubaiyat Jalal, Dhaka’s St Joseph High School’s Tanjeem Azwad Jaman and Jessore’s Noapara College’s Shakil Ahmed stood first in the maths and computer education section.

In the Bangladesh studies and Liberation War category, Habiganj’s BKGC Government Girls High School’s Sheikh Khatun-e Jannat Shamima, Dhaka’s Viquarunnisa Noon School and College’s Ishmam Tasnim and Dhaka Holy Cross College’s Raida Karim came out on top.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will give them certificates and Tk 100,000 each. But the date of the programme is yet to be fixed, education ministry officials say.

Prof Mohammad Shamsul Huda, member secretary of the organising committee of the competition, said: “The results showed that students from rural areas are doing well.”

About the dominance of students outside Dhaka, Huda, also director at the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, said it would inspire other sub-urban students to do well.

The education ministry has been organising the talent hunt since 2013 and this year’s competition started on Mar 1.

Ministry officials said 36 competitors who topped at Upazila, district and divisional levels will get Tk 1,000, Tk 1,500 and Tk 2,000 each besides certificates.