DU’s ICE Centre selects 41 entrepreneurs for development programme

Forty-one aspiring entrepreneurs have been selected from 577 applicants for the first batch of a 318-hour entrepreneurship development programme at the University of Dhaka.

The selections were announced at the closing and award ceremony of Idea Competition 2026, held at the auditorium of the CARASS Building at the university's Teacher-Student Centre on 23 July, according to a press release.

Following an evaluation by a panel of Bangladeshi and Korean experts, 110 applicants advanced to the pitching round. The final assessment was conducted on 22 and 23 July.

The competition was organised under the project titled "Capacity Building of Universities to Promote Youth Entrepreneurship", supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency Bangladesh.

The Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Center at the University of Dhaka is implementing the project in collaboration with the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Education.

Jihoon Kim, Country Director of KOICA Bangladesh, attended the ceremony as chief guest.

Referring to South Korea's contribution to the development of Bangladesh's ready-made garment sector since the early 1980s, Kim said the project would help universities strengthen their capacity to promote entrepreneurship.

Drawing on South Korea's experience in fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship, he stressed the importance of deepening cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea in innovation and entrepreneurship.

He also reaffirmed KOICA's commitment to strengthening people-to-people ties alongside its broader development cooperation initiatives.

Professor Mahmud Osman Imam, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies at the University of Dhaka, said building an innovation-driven entrepreneurial society was essential for Bangladesh's continued progress.

"We hope to see a strong entrepreneurial culture emerge across the country's public universities. I am also optimistic that the ICE Center will establish itself as a leading hub for entrepreneurship development in South Asia," he said.

Rashedur Rahman, Executive Director of the ICE Center, said the selected participants would receive training, mentorship, industry exposure, networking opportunities and business development support during the 318-hour programme. Those successfully completing the programme would compete for funding from a Tk55 lakh seed fund to turn their innovative ideas into sustainable businesses, he said. Rashedur also announced that applications for the programme's second batch would open in about three months. The centre also plans to organise hackathons, boot camps and other specialised training programmes.

Junsu Kim, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Bangladesh; Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, Director of the Planning and Development Division at the University Grants Commission; and Ratna Biswas, Additional Director of Bangladesh Bank, also attended the event.

Academics, industry experts, project officials and competition participants were present.

Project officials said the initiative aimed to strengthen entrepreneurship education and foster an innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem among university students and graduates in Bangladesh.

Besides the University of Dhaka, the project's partner institutions are Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh Medical University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, the University of Rajshahi, the University of Chittagong and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology.