EO Bangladesh launches 10th Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
“This platform gives student entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their ventures, receive mentorship, and build connections with global business leaders,” said Mostafa Quamrus Sobhan, chair of GSEA Bangladesh and managing director of Dragon Group, who inaugurated the event
EO Bangladesh has launched the 10th edition of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) 2025-26, the world's leading competition for student entrepreneurs.
The announcement was made at a press meet held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The event, titled "Meet the Press – GSEA Bangladesh Launch 2025-26", brought together media representatives, EO Bangladesh members, academics and key stakeholders to discuss the role of student entrepreneurship and the opportunities provided through the GSEA platform.
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The launch ceremony was inaugurated by Mostafa Quamrus Sobhan, chair of GSEA Bangladesh and managing director of Dragon Group.
Introduced in Bangladesh in 2016, GSEA recognises university and college students who operate businesses while continuing their studies. The competition offers mentorship, networking opportunities and a platform to showcase entrepreneurial ventures.
The national champion of GSEA Bangladesh will go on to represent the country at the GSEA Global Finals 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, where participants will compete for a prize package of $100,000, including $50,000 for the first-place winner.
In addition, the Bangladesh national winner will receive Tk10 lakh as seed support.
Applications are now open at gsea.org/apply until 15 November 2025.
Screening will begin in mid-October, with semi-finals scheduled for December and the Grand Finale in January 2026. Before the global finals, regional winners will compete in the South Asia Regional Finals/Global Quarter Finals in India.
Speaking at the launch, EO Bangladesh leaders underlined the importance of youth empowerment through entrepreneurship, describing GSEA as a platform that nurtures innovation, leadership, resilience and global connectivity among young entrepreneurs.
Distinguished guests included Tanazzul Ayman, founder of Spark Infrastructure Ltd and co-chair of GSEA Bangladesh; Amer Salim, director of Knit Asia Ltd; Kazi Inam Ahmed, director of Gemcon Group; Dr Salina, deputy director of RISE at BUET; and Dr Nazmul Hasan, assistant professor of Information Systems at BRAC University.
