Renowned computer scientist and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at BRAC University, Professor Dr Mohammad Kaykobad, has called on the youth to embrace innovation and technological self-reliance to build a knowledge-based Bangladesh.
“We can no longer afford to remain asleep. There is still time to awaken. Instead of depending on the outside world, we must become self-reliant in technology through our own innovations, establish new enterprises, and create employment opportunities,” he said while inaugurating CSE Fest 2026 (Version 3.0) at Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology (SMUCT) on Saturday.
The annual technology festival was organised by the university’s Departments of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) at its permanent campus. Commencing at 9am, the day-long event brought together over 500 students from 45 universities and colleges across the country, serving as a platform for students, academics, and industry professionals to exchange ideas and showcase innovations.
The inaugural session was chaired by Associate Professor Faisal Imran, Head of the Department of CSE and Chairman of the Organising Committee. Distinguished guests in attendance included Professor Mostafizul Haque, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SMUCT and eminent artist; Professor Dr Md Shah-i-Alam, Vice-Chancellor of the university; Professor Syed Azizul Haque, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr Par Mashiyur Rahman, Registrar of SMUCT; Md Mahbub Alam, Additional Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer of Southeast Bank PLC; and Professor Dr Md Robiul Islam, Director of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT) and Professor of the Department of CSE at RUET.
This year’s festival featured 10 competitive segments, including national inter-university contests such as Capture the Flag (CTF), IoT and Robotics Project Showcase, and Software Project Showcase. An Idea Showcase Contest was also held for college students. For SMUCT students, the competitions included a Programming Contest, Data Science Datathon, Robo Soccer, Line Follower Robot (LFR), and a Gaming Tournament featuring Valorant and EA Sports FC 26.
The festival concluded at 3pm with a prize-giving ceremony where winners received awards from a pool exceeding Tk 100,000. The event was sponsored by Pubali Bank PLC and Southeast Bank PLC. Senior officials from the banks interacted with participants, stressing the need for stronger academia-industry collaboration.
Speakers noted that the CSE Fest is an effective platform for nurturing research and technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges, helping students gain industry-relevant skills. Reaffirming SMUCT’s commitment to technological education, they expressed optimism that the university would continue such initiatives to foster leadership and excellence among students.
