Bangladesh's mathematical odyssey to the international stage
From humble beginnings, Bangladesh has made an impressive headway in the International Math Olympiads, becoming a South Asian power house in the process. This is the story of how we got here
Stepping into the national mathematical camp in Lalmatia, we saw some of the brightest young minds in Bangladesh, all vying for a coveted spot on the International Mathematical Olympiad team. With an intense schedule of math-focused activities from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM daily, the students dedicated themselves to a pursuit that many find daunting.
From over 45,000 initial registrants, only 34 were chosen to attend the national camp. After a rigorous two-phase selection process, a team of six will be selected to compete at the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad in Chiba, Japan, from 2-13 July.
"I first got into the 2020 national camp, but I didn't learn how to justify solutions, and as a result, I didn't perform well that year. Then in 2021, I couldn't even make it into the national camp," shared Debapriya Saha Roy. His indomitable spirit, however, kept him going, and this year he came prepared.
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This year's camp also features two returning participants, Nujhat Ahmed Disha and SMA Nahian, who underwent the rigorous selection process once again. The camp not only prepares students for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), but also for half a dozen other international competitions. For students like Disha, "The camp is an opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded individuals and have fun learning maths."
Many had a difficult road to the national camp. But despite facing many challenges, they remained unfazed in pursuit of their dreams.
As Arifa Alam explained, "My family initially had little knowledge of math olympiads and was hesitant to support me." She wished for strong ties with the math community from this experience, and the national camp has opened up new opportunities for her.
Some participants, like Raiyan Binte Mustafa, faced difficulties balancing their college studies and math pursuits. Jitendra Barua also echoed similar issues.
Everyone had their own story, but they all had their eyes on the same prize, the IMO team. Monamy Zaman was crowned the champion of the champions in the Junior category this year and is determined to make it to the team.
Where Bangladesh stands in the race
In 2001, Munir Hasan, Head of Youth Programme and Events at Prothom Alo, along with Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Dr. Moniruzzaman, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, and Mohammad Kaykobad, wanted to make maths less intimidating among Bangladeshi students. This is how the olympiad committee came to be.
The committee had two objectives: make maths more appealing to students and to form a team for IMO. When Hasan and his team started, they found out that the students had a lot of room for improvement. So they had to test them with very easy questions.
"Now students solve much more complex problems," explained Hasan, who is now serving as the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee.
In 2005, Bangladesh made its debut in the IMO competition, after conducting its first math olympiad in 2002 at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. However, renowned mathematics professors were initially sceptical about the abilities of Bangladeshi students to solve complex math problems. In fact, Bangladesh received a mere 3 out of 252 points in their first appearance.
But the scenario has changed since. In 2015, Bangladesh's total score was an impressive 97. The nation presently fares better than all other South Asian countries, coming second only to India. However, Bangladesh even outperformed India twice, in 2015 and 2017, with rankings of 33rd and 26th, respectively, while India stood at 37th and 28th.
Over the last five years, Bangladesh has won one gold medal, while India has won three. It is still a noteworthy accomplishment because India has been participating since 1989, whereas Bangladesh started only in 2005.
China, US, and Russia occupy the top three positions with 174, 141, and 106 gold medals, respectively.
For Bangladesh, Samin Riasat won the first bronze medal in 2009. Then, in 2012, Dhananjoy Biswas brought home the first silver medal, and in 2018, Ahmed Zawad Chowdhury added the first gold medal to the tally.
"A few years back, I could predict who would attend the IMO from Bangladesh that year, but now the competition is intense, and I don't know who will outshine whom," said Hasan.
According to Hasan, Bangladesh now scores, on average, 100+ points and ranks within the top 40 every year. He thinks our students can do even better "if their creativity is recognised and they are encouraged to ask questions."
A lack of resources
Hasan also spoke about the challenges faced by Bangladeshi students. A major issue continues to be the lack of resources available to them. "They only had their academic books as a resource."
"Students also have to strictly follow the way of teachers at schools to solve a problem, who do not allow them to explore other approaches," he added.
To address these issues, Hasan and his team decided to organise an olympiad, to gather some of the best math students together, provide them with a camp and qualified coach, and help them hone their skills.
This initiative aimed to provide students with more resources and support to improve their understanding and confidence regarding mathematics. Now the committee has a well-equipped team under the guidance of coach Mahbub Majumder. The team can handle the intensive camp curriculum, including preparing syllabus, conducting classes, and setting problems.
"The math olympiad not only prepares contestants but also creates coaches," said Turab Haque Payel, Academic Coordinator.
However, even with these efforts, there remains a disparity between the educational curriculum and the type of math faced in the olympiad. Although, the new curriculum is set to include some olympiad-like problems, creating opportunities for more students to get involved.
"The way of teaching is also not that effective," said Hasan. "For example, students are not taught to justify their solutions, but in the IMO, students not only solve a problem but also justify the answer."
By teaching students to justify their solutions, it is possible to help them overcome their fear and excel.
For Debapriya and Aritra, they absolutely love the thrill of solving problems and justifying their own answers.
In 2002, total participants in the National Math Olympiad was merely 213 students, which reached an all time high of 69,190 in 2020. With the best and brightest minds in Bangladesh vying for a chance to compete on the international stage, the future looks good for the country's math community.
How to prepare for IMO
To prepare for IMO, one should have a strong grasp of academic math books and solve previous year's math olympiad questions to get familiar with the types of problems asked. New problems are presented every year, so it's unlikely to get the exact same problems again. By solving them, however, one can get a sense of the type of questions that are asked.
Khan Academy is a great source for fundamental knowledge. If a student serially goes through their videos, it will make it easier for them to solve math problems. Finally, there is also an extensive list of books on the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad website.
Apart from these, It is also recommended that students get used to it from an early age and continue attending as many national olympiads as possible, they will eventually be prepared for IMO. For example, Zawad, who won the gold medal, attended math olympiads from class 4.
- What is International Mathematical Olympiad
Started in 1959 in Romania, the IMO is a highly prestigious and challenging annual competition for young students from all over the world. Held in July or August, the competition is known for its difficulty. The IMO questions are designed to challenge students in various areas of mathematics, including algebra, geometry, number theory, and combinatorics, and are set by a panel of international experts. The olympiad is organised by the International Mathematical Union with a goal to promote mathematics and encourage the study of mathematics at an early age. Each country can send a team of up to six students to the competition, and there are usually around 600 participants from over 100 countries.
- What participants get out of IMO
Students attend the IMO to challenge themselves in mathematical problem solving, showcase their abilities, and learn from other talented students from different countries. Top-performing students and teams receive medals and prizes, which can lead to personal, academic, and career benefits such as scholarships, research internships, and access to other competitions. Additionally, participating in the IMO can lead to a greater appreciation for mathematics and its underlying principles.
- Who can participate
Bangladesh math olympiad encourages students to participate from an early age. Students from class three to class 12 can participate in four categories: Primary (Class 3 to 5), Junior (6 to 8), Secondary (9 to SSC candidate) and Higher Secondary (Class 11 to HSC candidate). The maximum age for participation is 20.
- How the final team is selected
Through an online qualifying round, candidates for the regional round are selected. The best participants from the previous rounds participate in the national competition. The entire national competition starts in December and ends in February each year. After that, around 40 top scorers are called for a 15-day national camp where they go through rigorous practice and testing. The goal is to find the top six for that year's IMO team.
