University Grants Commission (UGC), the statutory apex body in the field of university education, accorded the reception to Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Professor Rafiqul Islam and Professor Anisuzzaman as newly appointed national professors at its auditorium on July 10, 2018. Honorable Education Minister Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid MP attended the program as chief guest.

Earlier, the government has appointed them as national professors for next five years. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education of the Ministry of Education issued a notification in this regard on June 19, 2018.

 A civil engineer, professor, researcher, and education advocate, Jamilur Reza Choudhury is the vice chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) and Chairman to the board of trustees of Bangladesh Freedom foundation (BFF). He is a former adviser to a caretaker government. He got many opportunities to live abroad. Even the globally renowned structural engineer Dr Fazlur Rahman Khan insisted Prof. Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury several times to come and stay in Chicago as the former was familiar with his work and reviewed many of his publications on structural designing. The offers came at a time when FR Khan was working on the design of Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world until 1998, and the 100-storey John Hancock Centre. Prof Choudhury, however, opted to stay in Bangladesh.

 “What my country has given me, I would not have had that sense of accomplishment in any other country of the world,” He said at the reception.

It is noteworthy, Honorable members of the board of trustees along with the executive director of BFF greet the chairman on behalf of staffs, partners and well-wishers.

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The two-day long Grand finale of BFF-SAMAKAL National Science Debate 2017 was held at Dhaka Government Laboratory High School auditorium on July 27-28, 2017.  This is the biggest school debate competition where schools from all 64 districts of Bangladesh have their participation. Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF) and the popular bangle Daily newspaper SAMAKAL have been jointly organizing this competition every year since 2013. The major objective of this contest is to promote and popularize science through the participation of higher secondary students at a debate contest across the country.

A number of 520 high schools of 64 districts participated in this contest. After the district and divisional level contest, Champions of divisional level and Dhaka metropolitan city contested at the final round. This year there were 7 girls school among the 16 participating schools and the finalists were all girls.

Rajshahi Government Girls’ High School team won the championship defeating Sylhet Agrogami Government girls High School Team in the final. Meftaur Zannat Rifat, team leader of Rajshahi Government Girls’ High School was awarded as the best debater. Other semifinalist teams were Jirabo cantonment Public School and College and Karim Uddin Public Pilot High School, Lalmonirhat. The champion team was awarded with a champion trophy, Books and individual laptop.

Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid MP, Honourable Minister of Education attended the closing and prize giving ceremony as a chief guest. Eminent Journalist and The Editor of SAMAKAL Mr. Golam Sarwar, Eminent Biologist and Trustee of BFF Dr. Rezaur Rahman Chowdhury, Executive Director of BFF Mr. Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury and Feature Editor of Samakal Mr. Mahbub Aziz gave speeches at the program. Head Master of Dhaka Government Laboratory School Mr. Abdul Khaleque chaired the session.

Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid MP emphasized both on promoting science education along with century old Bengali culture to stop communalism and extremism in the country. He thanked to BFF and Samakal for arranging this competition that already earned recognition as a biggest platform for high school debaters. He informed the audience about the initiatives taken by the government to improve education quality of the nation.

Mr. Golam Sarwar said it is sad that our political parties sometimes make ties with politicians who use communalism in politics for votes. Only the youth can prevent communalism and extremism and make a beautiful country for all community.

Honorable Trustee to BFF Dr Rezaur Rahman urged to the debaters to lead the nation for creating a developed and secular state. He stressed on studying science and technologies along with history and literature.

Education Minister awarded the prize to the winners. BFF Executive Director Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury Thanked to the partners and sponsors for their contribution and cooperation to the program. He expressed his eagerness to organize this competition at a large and more organized way in future.

Teachers, guardians, Journalists and GO-NGO personals attended the two day program.

A team of six Bangladeshi students won three silver and three bronze medals in the 13th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) held in Bali, Indonesia from 2-11 December.

Tahmid Mosaddek of Notre Dame College and Fardim Munir of Sir John Wilson School in Dhaka and AKM Sadman Mahmud Abir of Pabna Zilla School won the silver medals.

The bronze medalists are Ahmed Nafis Farhan of Nasirabad Govt High School, Chittagong, Nihal Zuhaer Parosh Miaji of Comilla Zilla School, and Miraz Ahmed Saadi of BAF Shaheen School, Dhaka.

A total of 276 students of 48 countries took part in the IJSO this year. It was the second time Bangladesh participated in the event, says a press release.

Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF) and Society for Popularization of Science, Bangladesh (SPSB) jointly organised the Bangladesh Junior Science Olympiad to select the six through a countrywide competition. Al-Arafah Islami Bank sponsored the team.

Prof Farseem Mannan Mohammedy of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology led the Bangladesh team along with two other leader Morshed Alam, programme officer of BFF, and Junaidul Islam, assistant academic coordinator of SPSB.
Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury, vice-chancellor of University of Asia Pacific and chairman of BFF’s board of trustees, and Prof Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Dr. Rezaur Rahman, Tressurer, BFF and Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury, Executive Director, BFF congratulated the winners.

The 4th ‘BFF-SPSP Children Science Congress 2016’ held at University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka on September 23 and 24, 2016 jointly organized jointly by Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF) and Society for the Popularization of Science, Bangladesh (SPSB).

Presided over by BFF Treasurer and former chief scientist of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Dr Rezaur Rahman, BFF Chairman and Vice Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific Professor Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury formally inaugurated the congress as the chief guest. Associate Professor at NSU Dr Arshad Chowdhury, Executive Director of BFF Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury also spoke at the opening.

The speakers advised the young scientists to follow the scientific methodology while carrying research work on. Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury told the story of Bangladeshi scientists who are working in global arena with fame. He recalled the contributions of some Bangladeshi scientists in the development of science and technology and encouraged the students to be engaged more in scientific activities. He expressed satisfaction over the regenerated interest of students in science.

Mentioned that 1200 students registered for the congress 2016. Among them 450 young scientists were selected for the final congress. They presented 240 projects, 100 papers and 110 posters in the Congress. Finally, 50 young scientists were awarded in Primary, Junior and Senior categories for scientific papers, posters and projects.

Paper of the Congress was awarded to Istiak Hossain from Notre Dame College, Dhaka. His paper on ‘Empemba Effect’ showed that when same quantity of hot and normal water are kept into a refrigerator the hot water becomes freeze into ice earlier than normal water.

Best Poster on Primary category was awarded to Arisha Chowdhury of Sun Beam School for her poster on ‘Taste of Tongue’. She presented different parts of our tongue that take different taste like sweet, sour, chilies etc. In senior category, Riazul Jannat and Sadia Sultana’s Poster was awarded as the best poster.

Eminent scientist and writer Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal moderated the joint congress on 24 September. A panel comprising of Dr. Khondkar Siddique-e-Rabbani, former faculty of Department of Physics of Dhaka University, Microbiologist Dr. Zeba Islam Seraj of Dhaka University, Dr. Mohammed Arshad Momen, Chairman of Theoretical Physics of Dhaka University, and Dr. Arshad Chowdhury of North South University responded the queries of the young scientists. Associate Editor of Prothom Alo Abdul Qayyum Md. Yasin, Vice President of SPSB Munir Hasan and Executive Director of BFF Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury were present at the joint congress. At the end, the prize giving ceremony held.

To activate the students and institutions, 11 Summer Science camps named Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose camp held earlier in 8 districts. A science workshop with the students also held on 25 August at Dhaka University.

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BFF, in collaboration with The Society for the Popularization of Science, Bangladesh (SPSB) organized Junior Science Olympiad on August 27, 2016 at Dhaka Teachers’ Training College Auditorium. This is the 2nd Olympiad in Bangladesh and is a part of International Junior science Olympiad (IJSO). A team consist of the winners will attend the 13th IJSO to be held in Bali, Indonesia.  One of the major aims of this Olympiad was to encourage children and teenagers of our country in science education.

Principal of Dhaka teachers Training college Mr. Swapon Kumar Dhali attended the closing session and awarded 15 students of junior category, 25 of Secondary category and 20 of special category. In Olympiad and question session,  BFF Trustee Eminent Biologist Dr. Rezaur Rahaman, SPSB Vice president Mr. munir Hasan and Executive Director of BFF Mr. Sazzadur Rahman Chowdhury  attended and answered questions from the participants.

A grooming camp will be held in September this year with participation of the winners.

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