Umaiza Ramin Umama from Govt Agrogami School and College, Sylhet, won Group A (Classes IX and X), and Jaima Chowdhury from Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka, won Group B (Classes XI and XII) at the Grand Finale of the English Speech Competition 2026. The event was held at Le Méridien Dhaka recently with 20 finalists representing schools from Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
The competition brought together students from 40 national curriculum schools. It was conducted in three stages- a Preliminary Round organised by participating schools, Divisional Rounds organised by the British Council across Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet, and the Grand Finale, where the top 20 finalists competed. Dhaka was represented by 10 finalists, with Chattogram and Sylhet providing five each, said a press release on Wednesday.
Each participant delivered a two-minute speech on a random topic, assessed out of 50 points across five equally weighted criteria: content, clear structure, logical development of ideas, relevance, and examples and understanding of the topic. Judging was conducted by British Council Master Trainers and Toastmasters International judges.
The other finalists represented Border Guard Public School and College, Chittagong Grammar School National Curriculum, Scholarshome Majortila, Navy Anchorage School and College, Jolshiri Cantonment School and College, Cantonment Public School and College, Dhaka Residential Model College, Shaheed Police Smrity College, Halishahar Cantonment Public School and College, Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary School, St Joseph Higher Secondary School, Milestone College, Udayan Uchcha Madhyamik Bidyalaya, Engineering University School and College, and Jalalabad English School and College.
British Council Bangladesh Country Director Stephen Forbes said: “The aspect of communication is very important. What we do at the British Council is not only about academic excellence; it’s about how you communicate and learning to communicate.”
British Council Bangladesh Head of Market Zunayed Ahmed said: “A short speech is not a smaller version of a longer one; rather, it’s the harder one, and that’s what history remembers.”
British Council Bangladesh Director, Business Development, English and Exams, Tahnee Yeasmin said the Council has been working with national curriculum schools for a long time and started the English Speaking Competition last year to get closer to those students.
