How Shawon Mahmud creating new culture of science engagement

At an age when many young people are still exploring their paths, Shawon Mahmud was already working to reshape science education in Bangladesh.

The founder of BigyanPriyo and a passionate advocate for STEM learning, Shawon Mahmud, has received the prestigious Diana Award from the Royal Family of the United Kingdom, recognising his efforts to democratize science for people of colour and make quality education more accessible.

Shawon Mahmud has been a polymath in the making since childhood. A curious mind who constantly asked thousands of questions that would tire his parents and teachers. This habit of questioning from his early years eventually gave birth to a platform where more than three lakh intriguing science doubts have been discussed so far.

On the very first day of his university life, he noticed a painting on the classroom wall that read 'Physics is theoretical but the fun is real'. He decided it would be unfair not to bring this wonderful side of science to his generation.

He stepped into the field to understand the ground reality of science education in Bangladesh. Reports from BANBEIS over several years caught his attention. Every year, on average, nearly three lakh students in Bangladesh switch from the science stream to commerce or humanities.

This proved that the education system was not aligning with students' expectations. Shawon then began grassroots exploration. By collaborating with education-focused organisations and working directly within coaching centres, he conducted a 360-degree empirical study to understand the core challenges from the students' perspective.

In continuation of this, in 2017, Shawon Mahmud launched a web platform named Bigyanism, which, in December 2018, on the birth anniversary of Bengali scientist Dr Kudrat-e-Khuda, started its journey as BigyanPriyo. BigyanPriyo became Bangladesh's first social media-based large-scale science communication platform.

Shawon encouraged students in the group to bring forward all their spontaneous science-based doubts so that the fountain of their curiosity could flow freely. Within a year, his initiative earned praise. Two lakh science enthusiasts joined his platform. BigyanPriyo then had a team of over 30 enthusiastic members, half of whom were women. All from different communities, yet with the same mindset, a systematic shift in the education system.

In 2022, Shawon launched a dual-engine model for BigyanPriyos' journey. This ensured simultaneous transformation at both grassroots and institutional levels. At the grassroots level, BigyanPriyo is now the preferred platform for 15 lakh teachers and students. It features a rich digital library with QnA on nearly three lakh science topics, 30 thousand visual storytelling pieces and over 1000 video documentaries. Through this, it has evolved into the world's largest Bengali-language science network.

At the institutional level, Shawon's vision is to digitise every classroom. He is developing an AI-based digital operating suite named Classroot. It aims to make academic operations paperless, time-saving, and cost-efficient, reducing overall operational costs by 2.14%  per year for schools, EdTech platforms and tutors.

In 2023, after witnessing a preventable death caused by the lack of first aid, Shawon Mahmud launched Project Praachi. The program provides a three-day, 18-hour hands-on first aid training course for students in grades 7–12 across schools, colleges, and madrasas, with assessments conducted using VR technology.

Shawon Mahmud is also the first person in Bangladesh to speak out strongly against pseudoscience and superstition. He has run campaigns against pseudoscience both online and offline. Along with his team, he visits most parts of the country, advocating to local people against prevalent harmful health superstitions. At the same time, through grassroots outreach, he is creating awareness to remove taboos around women's education.

In recognition of democratizing science for people of colour, Shawon Mahmud received the prestigious Diana Award from the United Kingdom Royal Family in 2024. The same year, he received the Emerging Youth Award from BrightSkill, the sister organisation of Creative IT Institute. In 2026, he served as a judge for the Diana Award.

In 2025, BigyanPriyo secured a place in the list of top 100 EdTech startups in South Asia published by QS and Holon IQ.

In an interview with The Business Standard, Shawon said every child is a born researcher. But still, in our country, becoming a good researcher requires a fight. Because by the age of six, we bury children's curiosity. A racehorse never gets to see outside the track.

When asked about BigyanPriyos' future plans, Shawon said We want to create massive science-based employment within the country. We dream of a Bangladesh where for national projects like the Metro Rail, Padma Bridge or Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, we will not need to bring manpower from abroad. There will be enough 'know-how' manpower in Bangladesh who will not just rely on shadow engineering but will also be able to take technological liability risks.

Shawon Mahmud is developing a comprehensive science ecosystem designed to take STEM education beyond traditional textbooks. By leveraging edutainment, Shawon has built an engaging learning platform that bridges the gap between academic theory and practical understanding.