Chittagong University (CU) Vice-chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Al-Forkan, has said that the more advanced a nation is in science, the more prosperous it becomes. He emphasized the importance of motivating young students towards science.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at the Chattogram Regional Biology Olympiad Festival 2026 held on Saturday at the auditorium of Saider International School in Chattogram city.
CU Vice-Chancellor said that biology is a significant branch of science with vast opportunities for learning and discovery. He encouraged students to be curious and to ask themselves fundamental questions such as “Who am I?”, suggesting that seeking answers to such questions can uncover many unknown aspects of life.
He said, main objective of organizing the Biology Olympiad is to develop a scientific mindset among students and inspire them towards science education. Addressing parents, he advised keeping children away from excessive mobile phone use, noting that social media is often creating social distance in relationships.
Among others, Principal of Marine City Medical College and Hospital Dr. Sujat Pal and Professor Dr. A.M. Masudul Azad Chowdhury of the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Chittagong spoke as special guests. The event was chaired by Professor Dr. Laila Khaleda (Ankhi), Chairperson of the same department, while Lecturer Fahmida Binte Wali from Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University delivered the welcome speech.
Professor Laila Khaleda (Ankhi) stressed that students should not remain confined to textbook learning but also engage in practical and extracurricular activities.
The program included a question-answer session, medal distribution, and a photo session. The Olympiad examination was conducted by Assistant Professor Md. Jibran Alam of the University of Chittagong.
In this year’s competition, Mondip Roy became champion in the higher secondary category, Siddhartha Dev in the secondary category, and Nabonita Chowdhury in the junior category. The selected participants from the Chattogram region will compete in the national Biology Olympiad.
More than 400 students from 115 educational institutions in Chattogram participated in this year’s event.
