The hallmark of excellence

The Daily Star’s flagship event the O and A level Awards was hosted on July 25 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, Purbachal, in collaboration with Prime Bank. The award programme, titled “Saluting the nation builders of tomorrow”, is intended to honour the hard work, dedication, and excellence of English-medium students across the country.

This year, a total of 2,545 students from 121 schools received the award. Amongst them, 1,928 were O level students and 617 A level students. In addition, 84 students attained world highest marks, while 42 attained country highest marks.

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In attendance were Bobby Hajjaj, state minister for Primary and Mass Education; Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star; Faisal Rahman, CEO of Prime Bank PLC; and Razib Mahbubul, country director for IDP Education Ltd in Bangladesh amongst others.

When addressing the students, Bobby Hajjaj emphasised that the true stage of their accomplishments will be the entire world, where he hopes to see them carry Bangladesh’s name with pride. “You will brighten the name of our country across the world. The generations before you did so, but our expectations of you are much greater. We want those achievements to be put to use for our country,” he said.

Mahfuz Anam concurred, “Go anywhere in the world, to the highest universities, and go anywhere to get the greatest experience, but at the end of it, serve your country. Without your help, Bangladesh will not reach the level that it has the potential to reach.”

The O and A level Awards is no longer just a symbol of excellence; it also signifies the unbridled potential of the youth in Bangladesh. The award is a reminder of just how far they are capable of going; to help them strive for the grandest, most ambitious of goals, and to give back to the nation.