British Council honours 64 outstanding students at Scholars’ Award

The British Council honoured 64 outstanding students from 30 English-medium schools across Bangladesh at its Scholars’ Award 2026 ceremony held at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on Saturday.

The awards recognise students who secured the highest distinction grades in nine or more subjects in their May/June 2026 Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel O Level, IGCSE and International GCSE examinations, and five or more subjects at A Level.

The examinations are administered by the British Council on behalf of UK examination boards.

Of the 64 awardees, 57 O Level and IGCSE/International GCSE students received scholarships of Tk25,000 each, sponsored by City Bank PLC. The seven A Level awardees received gift vouchers from GoZayaan, the event's travel partner.

Welcoming the guests, Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director of the British Council in Bangladesh, said the Scholars’ Award had grown from recognising 22 students in its initial year to 64 this year, reflecting the ambition of young people and the strength of the council's partner schools.

The British Council aimed not only to conduct examinations with integrity and care but also to build a community that celebrates excellence and opens doors to opportunities worldwide, she added.

Md Arup Haider, deputy managing director and head of retail banking at City Bank PLC, said the bank was proud to recognise the achievements of the young scholars and hoped the initiative would inspire them to realise their potential and contribute to the country's future.

Farjana Absar Jeba, assistant manager (commercial) at GoZayaan Limited, congratulated the students and encouraged them to dream big, saying their efforts would take them places.

Zunayed Ahmed, managing director and head of market at British Council Bangladesh, said achieving the highest grades in nine or more subjects was an extraordinary accomplishment reflecting students' hard work, discipline and curiosity.

He encouraged the awardees to remain curious and use their knowledge to make a difference in Bangladesh and beyond.

More than 200 school leaders, educators, parents and representatives from the British Council's network of 200 partner schools attended the event.

All 64 awardees received crests and certificates in recognition of their academic achievements. The top achiever also shared reflections on their learning journey, challenges and future aspirations.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Tahnee Yeasmin, director of business development at British Council Bangladesh.

Representatives from leading UK examination boards also attended the event, including Sarwat Reza and Md Nakib Haider of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Abdullah Al Mamun and Jannatul Ferdous Sigma of Pearson Edexcel, and Shahin Reza of Oxford AQA.

The annual award reflects the British Council's commitment to promoting academic excellence, creativity and leadership among young people in Bangladesh.