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Sunday | September 27, 2026 | Dhaka

100,000 candidates vie for 1,600 AI training places

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 27 September 2026

More than 100,000 candidates sat a nationwide written selection test on Monday for 1,600 places in a government-backed artificial intelligence (AI) training programme aimed at developing young people’s technology skills.

The examination was held simultaneously at designated centres in all 64 districts under the project “Skill Development of ICT-Knowledgeable Youth through Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology”, implemented by the Department of Youth Development under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

According to project officials, 103,996 applications were submitted for the nationwide training programme. After an initial screening, 102,928 applicants were found eligible to sit the written test.

Under the second phase of the project, 1,600 trainees will be selected, with 25 candidates allocated to each of the country’s 64 districts.

Based on the number of eligible applicants, more than 64 candidates are competing for each available training place on average.

Competition was particularly intense in Dhaka, where 17,552 applicants applied for only 25 training places.

This means around 702 candidates are competing for each available place in the district.

Youth and Sports Secretary Md Mahbub-Ul-Alam, Department of Youth Development Director General Md Motahar Hossain, Project Director Md Atikur Rahman and Dhaka District Deputy Director AKM Shahriar visited an examination centre in Kallyanpur, Dhaka.

They inspected the examination environment, seating arrangements and question paper management.
After visiting the centre, Mahbub-Ul-Alam said candidates who qualify in the written test would take part in practical and oral examinations on September 27.

The final results are scheduled to be published on September 30, he said.
The selected 1,600 candidates will begin training simultaneously across the country on October 1, with selection based on merit and qualifications. Department of Youth Development Director General Md Motaher Hossain said the two-year project aims to train a total of 11,200 young people in AI technology.

Of them, 9,600 will receive basic-level training and 1,600 will receive advanced-level training, he said. The programme will be conducted in 448 batches, with 25 trainees in each batch.

Each course will run for two months and include 50 classes, totalling 300 hours of instruction.
Trainees will receive hands-on instruction in a range of AI tools and technology platforms, including ChatGPT, Copilot, DeepSeek, Gemini, Midjourney, Runway, Synthesia, Tableau, ClickUp and Adobe Sensei.