Students soar to states: Bangladesh champions head to Microsoft World finals
NN Online :
Three Bangladeshi university students are set to represent the nation at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Orlando, Florida, this July. The finalists were crowned national champions in their respective categories during a month-long competition across six leading universities in Bangladesh, organized by VTutor.
Aminul Islam from North South University won in the Microsoft Word category, Samin Al Fattah from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) triumphed in Excel, and Tasin Ahmed from American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) secured the top spot in PowerPoint.
At a ceremony held Saturday at the AIUB campus in Dhaka, the champions received laptops and symbolic checks amounting to a total prize package of BDT 2 million, including expenses for the U.S. trip. Dummy checks representing the global prizes—Tk 8,000 for first place, Tk 4,000 for second, and Tk 2,000 for third—were also presented.
Kazi Moshtaq Zaher, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, handed over the honors to the winners. Distinguished guests included AIUB Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Saiful Islam; BUP Chairman Wing Commander Mahmudul Hasan; Jaijaidin Joint Editor Mohammad Mahmuduzzaman; Baraka Shikal Bahar Managing Director Naeem Ahmed Chowdhury; AI Systems CEO Ariful Islam; and VTutor co-founders Kazi Shamim, Chief Learning Officer, and Muttaki Faruq, Chief Academic Officer.
The championship, modeled after the Olympiad format, began on May 10 and was hosted at the campuses of Dhaka University, University of Business and Technology, East West University, AIUB, Independent University, and United International University. Each campus could nominate up to 300 participants, and from these, 55 were awarded across various rounds.
“The champions of today will raise the red and green flag on the world stage,” said Kazi Moshtaq Zaher during the prize-giving ceremony moderated by VTutor’s Manager Shahriar Sifat. “There was a time when population was considered a burden, but today it’s a source of power. The Ministry of Youth and Sports is committed to nationwide skill development initiatives to turn young people into national assets.”
Mohammad Mahmuduzzaman emphasized the importance of courage and innovation, urging students to take on challenges with the goal of contributing to the welfare of society. “Youth must be bold, take risks, and dedicate every endeavor to human welfare,” he said.
Kazi Shamim, VTutor’s Chief Learning Officer, noted, “This competition is not just a test—it’s a continued effort to lead Bangladesh to the top of the global technology arena through the hands of our future leaders.”
Muttaki Faruq, Chief Academic Officer of VTutor, added, “We intend to make this a yearly event, to elevate the youth and the nation to greater heights.”
Over 400 students from across the country took part in the university round at six venues in Dhaka. Among 97 qualifiers, 89 were awarded the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification following the final competition.