The British Council honoured 64 students from 30 English-medium schools across Bangladesh at its Scholars’ Award 2026 ceremony at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in Dhaka on 14 November, recognising their outstanding results in international examinations.
The awards went to students who achieved the highest distinction grades in nine or more subjects in the May/June 2026 Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel O Level, IGCSE and International GCSE examinations, and in five or more subjects at A Level. The British Council administers the examinations on behalf of UK examination boards.
City Bank PLC sponsored scholarships of Tk25,000 each for the 57 O Level and IGCSE/International GCSE awardees to support their further studies. The seven A Level awardees each received a gift voucher from GoZayaan, the event’s travel partner.
Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director Bangladesh of the British Council, said the Scholars’ Award had grown from 22 students in its first edition to 64 this year, reflecting the ambition of young people and the strength of partner schools.
“At the British Council, we are proud to work alongside you. Our role is not only to deliver exams with integrity and care. It is to build a community that celebrates excellence and opens doors to the wider world,” she added.
Md Arup Haider, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Retail Banking at City Bank PLC, said the bank was proud to celebrate the scholars and hoped the recognition would inspire them to realise their potential and contribute to Bangladesh’s future.
Zunayed Ahmed, Managing Director and Head of Market of British Council Bangladesh, said achieving the highest grades in nine or more subjects was an extraordinary accomplishment, reflecting students’ hard work, discipline and curiosity.
“Scholars, today is a milestone, not a finish line. Stay curious, stay generous, and use what you have learned to make a difference, in Bangladesh and beyond,” he added.
A top-performing student also shared experiences from their learning journey, the challenges they had overcome and their aspirations for the future.
More than 200 school leaders, educators, parents and representatives of the British Council’s network of 200 partner schools attended the ceremony.
All 64 awardees received crests and certificates. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Tahnee Yeasmin, Director Business Development of British Council Bangladesh.
Representatives of UK examination boards attending the event included Sarwat Reza, Country Lead for Bangladesh, and Md Nakib Haider, Business Development Manager for Bangladesh, both from Cambridge University Press & Assessment; Abdullah Al Mamun, Regional Development Manager for Bangladesh and Nepal, and Jannatul Ferdous Sigma, Regional Development Manager, both from Pearson Edexcel; and Shahin Reza, Country Director for Bangladesh and Nepal at Oxford AQA.
