The Bangladesh Astronomical Association has officially launched the 20th edition of the country’s signature astronomy merit competition—Apex Astro-Olympiad 2025.

The announcement was made at a press conference held on Thursday (3 July) at East West University, Aftabnagar, Dhaka.

Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of East West University, attended the event as the chief guest. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Shams Rahman and Raihan Kabir, Assistant General Manager (Marketing), Apex Footwear Ltd., were also present as special guests. Mashhurul Amin, Chairman of the Bangladesh Astronomical Association, presented the keynote announcement.

Organised for secondary and higher secondary students aged 14 to 18, this national competition is structured in three rounds: regional selections, the national round, and a closed residential camp. From the final round, five top performers will be selected to represent Bangladesh at the 29th International Astronomy Olympiad and the Asia-Pacific Astronomy Olympiad, as well as the upcoming Open World Astronomy Olympiad in Russia from 20–27 September 2025.

Applications are open to students in two age-based groups:

• Junior Group: Students born between 2010 and 2011 (14–15 years)
• Senior Group: Students born between 2007 and 2009 (16–18 years)

The first round of selection tests will be held between July 11 and 21, 2025, in various cities and districts across Bangladesh.

The event is titled ‘Apex Astro-Olympiad’ in honour of the continued sponsorship by Apex, who return as the title sponsor for a second year. Other event partners include Guardian Life Insurance Ltd., Pioneer Insurance Company Ltd., Mutual Trust Bank Ltd., ADN Telecom, Watches World, and Kedarpur T State. The initiative is also supported by First Light, Channel i, Brilliant TV, bdnews24.com, The Business Standard, and the Russian House in Dhaka.

Apex Astro-Olympiad 2025 aims to nurture young scientific minds and encourage excellence in astronomy across Bangladesh.