Mathematical proficiency will be crucial to advancing artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, medical science and engineering, DUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Iqbal said as more than 1,000 students gathered for the National Mathematics Carnival 2026 in Gazipur on Saturday.
Students from around 150 schools, colleges and universities across Bangladesh joined the day-long event at Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, competing in a Mathematics Olympiad, poster presentations, essay writing and mathematics games. The Department of Mathematics and the DUET Math Club jointly organised the carnival to promote mathematical learning and develop creative, logical and analytical thinking, the university said in a press release.
“Today’s carnival is not merely a competition; it is one of the key platforms for developing logical and analytical thinking among our younger generation,” Iqbal said at the closing ceremony on 25 July.
He said mathematics was not only an academic discipline but also the driving force behind modern science and technology.
The progress of artificial intelligence and machine learning is based on statistics, calculus and linear algebra, while number theory and cryptography underpin information security and cybersecurity, he said.
Mathematical modelling also plays a central role in space exploration, climate-change forecasting, genome sequencing in medical science and complex engineering design, he added.
“The role of mathematics in the advancement of human civilisation is undeniable,” Iqbal said. “It can confidently be said that a nation’s scientific and technological progress largely depends on its competence in mathematics.”
Iqbal said DUET had consistently encouraged the study of fundamental sciences and mathematics alongside engineering education.
He said the carnival should be held annually to make mathematics more popular and foster creative thinking among students amid rapid scientific and technological change.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked the Department of Mathematics and the DUET Math Club for organising the programme. He expressed hope that participating students would eventually lead Bangladesh’s science and technology sectors and enhance the country’s reputation internationally.
The carnival opened in the morning at DUET’s Shaheed Shakil Parvez Auditorium, where Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Arefin Kowser formally inaugurated the event.
“Mathematics is the language of science,” Kowser said. “Whether it is artificial intelligence or robotics, every modern technological advancement is rooted in mathematical modelling and logical reasoning.”
He said developing an interest in mathematics during school would give students the confidence to solve complex problems in the future. Carnivals of this kind could play an important role in creating that foundation, he added.
Professor Md Abu Naim Sheikh of DUET’s Department of Mathematics chaired the programme.
The special guests were Professor Salma Akhtar, Director of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology; Professor Md Shafiqul Islam, President of the Bangladesh Mathematical Society; Professor Md Sahab Uddin, Associate Director of DUET’s Student Welfare Office; Professor Md Mostakur Rahman, DUET Registrar in additional charge; Professor Md Ajmal Hossain of the Department of Mathematics; Professor Most Nasrin Akhter, Adviser to the DUET Math Club; and Brigadier General Mohammad Shafiqul Haque, Director of Finance at Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory.
Professor Mohammad Kaykobad, President of the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee, and Anisul Hoque, Associate Editor of Prothom Alo, delivered keynote speeches.
DUET Math Club President Abdul Wadud Ratan and General Secretary Md Rafiuzzaman also addressed the programme.
Heads of different departments, directors, teachers and students of the Department of Mathematics, and university officials and employees attended the event.
The carnival ended in the afternoon with the distribution of certificates, crests and prizes.
