AAUB ranks 12th globally in first phase of DBF competition
Aviation and Aerospace University, Bangladesh (AAUB), the country's only specialised public university in the aviation and aerospace sector, has secured 12th place out of 175 global institutions in the first phase of the Design–Build–Fly (DBF) competition held from 10–13 April 2025 in Arizona, USA.
The competition is organised annually by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
This marks a significant leap for AAUB, which made its debut at the DBF competition last year and achieved Bangladesh's highest-ever ranking—36th overall and 18th in design out of 159 participating universities.
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Supervised by Group Captain Dr Saifur Rahman Bakaul, and led by student team leader Abdullah Al Aziz, this year's AAUB team entered the field better prepared and technically stronger. The 2025 edition saw a larger pool of participants, with 175 universities attempting to solve the UAV design challenge, while the qualifying slots for subsequent phases were reduced to 100, compared with 110 last year.
Despite the tougher competition, AAUB surpassed many of the world's leading aerospace universities. According to the organisers' published list, the team's performance reflects strong engineering capabilities, advanced laboratory facilities, dedicated faculty guidance and robust institutional support.
Team members said they are confident heading into the next two phases of the competition and aim to establish a lasting international footprint for the university through their performance.
AAUB's Vice-Chancellor, Air Vice Marshal A K M Manirul Bahar, OSP, BSP, ndc, hdmc, afwc, psc, ADWC, congratulated the team on its achievement, noting that students have demonstrated outstanding creativity and innovation despite the university's relatively young age.
He assured the team of continued support as they progress to the next stages, emphasising that the university's dynamic leadership—along with the contribution of officers, teachers and staff—has played a crucial role in enabling AAUB's UAV design success.
