Online Desk: The 13th Inter-School Bangla Olympiad will be held with the participation of English-medium and English-version curriculum schools on February 24.

The hosting authority, International Hope School Bangladesh (IHSB), informed the matter at a press conference at the Sagor-Runi auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Tuesday.

The programme is being organised every year to commemorate International Mother Language Day on February 21, while the International Mother Language Institute has joined this competition since last year.

More than 1,500 students from 100 different schools are expected to participate, while students will take part in the mega event through seven different categories: poem recitation, extempore speech, essay writing, drawing, group dance, singing and Bangla quiz said the organisers.

IHSB Principal Roksana Zarin said the school has been playing an important role in Bengali language and culture by organising such a big competition for more than a decade.

“In the meantime, Bangla Olympiad has become a national competition for English medium schools. Not only nationally, I would say, but Bengali Olympiad is spreading in the international arena as well.

“Through this competition, English medium and English version schools in the country pay tribute to language martyrs during the month of language. This is the country’s biggest event in English medium school programmes in Bengali during Language month. English medium students are also very advanced in learning Bengali language and culture; Bangla Olympiad proves this,” she added.

Kamrul Ahsan, co-ordinator of the Bangla Olympiad, said the Olympiad is the most significant event in the country during the month of February. The fear and aversion they had towards the Bengali language and culture have been overcome by the Bangla Olympiad.

“Now the prominent schools of the country wait for our Bengali Olympiad all year round. Being awarded in the Bengali Olympiad is considered an achievement of great honour in English medium schools,” he said.

Kamrul said students awarded in Bengali Olympiad are increasing their connection with Bengali language and culture in their personal lives as well.

“We believe that many of the participants in our competition will grow up to be great writers and artists and brighten the image of the country at home and abroad,” he hoped.

The online registration for the Olympiad, which will begin on February 1, will end on February 14, while the schools can register their participation at the Banglaolympiad.org website.

International Hope School Bangladesh was established in 1996. Apart from education since its inception, this school has been working relentlessly in cultural and intellectual activities.

Mizanur Rahman, a Bengali teacher at IHSB, moderated the conference, deputy head Alsher Rahimberdiev was also present in the programme.