The third edition of CTO Forum Innovation Hackathon has started to take the creativity of youth to the international level in inventing sustainable technology for the national interest. On Saturday (October 22), the screen of the idea round came up on the permanent campus of the Canadian University of Bangladesh in the capital. In the opening ceremony, CTO Forum President Tapan Kanti Sarker reminded that the government of Bangladesh is in the golden dividend era; if these young people can be properly utilized and their innovative ideas can be properly nursed, then digital Bangladesh will be coming in true, he said. Therefore, he urged to the university students to bring forward their ideas without delay and ensure their implementation.
The best initiatives from this hackathon will be highlighted at the international level to face more open challenges including "hunger free world, good health, quality education, e-commerce, emerging technology, virtual assistance, online certificate verification", the organizer said.
Hi Tech Park Managing Director Dr. Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, who was present at the event as a special guest, highly praised this innovative arrangement for the students and said that creating a digital developed Bangladesh is not only about textbook-based knowledge, but also this arrangement will develop innovative thinking and spirit.
Dr. HM Zahirul Haque, Vice-Chancellor of Canadian University, was also present as a special guest in the event. He highlighted how this hackathon is contributing to the government's goal of building Digital Bangladesh and expressed that it will play a special role in the development of students.
In his welcome speech, Professor Dr. Syed Akhtar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Engineering, Canadian University Bangladesh, said, "If we do not use the students of the university to solve innovative and real problems, the country will go backward. However, the number of talented youth in the country is large. So they should be given proper opportunity. And this hackathon is playing a role in creating those opportunities and ideas.
In the opening ceremony, Dr. Deep Nandi, Director of Science and Engineering Department of American International University Bangladesh, expressed hope that this year's hackathon will be a milestone. Meanwhile, the professor of the same department, Dr. Kamruddin Noor emphasized on ensuring the participation of young people in this event. He said that this innovation hackathon will play an important role in making Bangladesh a digital hub to the world and their technology-based ideas will help Bangladesh move towards development.
The title sponsor of Innovation Hackathon 2022 is Hyundai brand of Fair Technologies. Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and Aspire to Innovate (A2I) and BASIS have partnered in the hackathon.