44 innovative projects receive ICT and Innovation Award

A total of 44 information technology and innovation projects out of 355 entries across the country have been recognized with awards. At the Bangladesh ICT and Innovation Awards 2026, organized by the Bangladesh ICT and Innovation Network (BIIN), 9 projects were crowned Champions, 10 were named Winners, and 25 projects received Merit awards.

The award ceremony took place on Saturday (October 03) at the BRAC University Auditorium in Dhaka under the theme "Recognizing Innovation, Inspiring Transformation." Winners were presented with crests, certificates, and gift vouchers.

Fakir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology, attended as the Chief Guest. Special Guests included State Minister for Planning Md. Jonaed Abdur Rahim Saki (Jonaed Saki). Honored Guests were Md. Anwar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

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In his address, Fakir Mahbub Anam noted that while young people have many creative ideas, opportunities to bring them to reality remain limited. He highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an essential part of daily life and pointed out that around 700,000 students graduate in Bangladesh each year. He emphasized the need to connect this young population with technology and innovation, giving them opportunities to compete with global innovators and showcase their capabilities internationally.

Jonaed Saki stated that innovation requires long-term dedication. Encouraging those who did not win this year to continue their efforts, he stressed that driving economic development requires advancing science, ICT, and innovation together through joint collaboration among the government, private sector, and educational institutions.

Syed Almas Kabir, Chairman of BIIN, emphasized the need to formulate necessary policies to protect domestic innovations. He urged increased research funding and encouraged private institutions to invest in research and innovation while giving greater priority to research within the education system.

This year, 355 projects were submitted from various institutions, educational organizations, and individual or team categories across the country. Following initial screening, 118 projects were shortlisted for final evaluation.

On September 17, evaluations for institutional and individual/team categories took place at American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). On September 19, student-category projects were evaluated at East West University.

A 40-member judge panel comprising government officials, bank and corporate executives, academics, chamber representatives, startup experts, and tech journalists evaluated the submissions using a digital judging portal across four core criteria: originality of innovation, public utility, commercial potential, and technological quality.