Bangladesh returned from the World Mathematics Invitational (WMI) 2026, held in Chiba, Japan, with an achievement matched by few nations at the competition: every single member of its 27-member national team won an award. Competing against roughly 2,300 students from more than 30 countries, the Bangladeshi contingent secured two diamond awards, two gold medals, six silver medals, 14 bronze medals, and three merit Awards.

That achievement alone speaks to excellent coaching and leadership around the squad. And here we must commend the management, training and international coordination of Banglar Math.

Among the many young mathematicians who represented the country, four names stand out: Ahbab Zulkifal Zahin of Rajshahi Collegiate School, who won a diamond award; Jeet Bala of Swarnakali High School in Gopalganj, also a diamond medallist and the country's top-3 second-place finisher; Sajidul Haq of St Joseph International School, a sixth grade student who won gold and was named "Star of the World" for posting the highest score among all Bangladeshi participants; and Rahid Azad Ahan, a ninth grader from Khulna Public College, gold medalist.

Drawn to numbers

For many of the medalists, the pull toward mathematics began long before the WMI ever entered the picture, and the invitation to compete in Japan simply became the natural next step in a much longer relationship with the subject.

Jeet Bala, competing among the strongest performers in the entire contingent, described a similarly deep-rooted attachment to the subject, sharpened further by the chance to test himself against peers from around the world. He says, "My deep-seated passion for mathematical problem-solving, abstract thinking, and exploring core disciplines, like number theory, Euclidean geometry, combinatorics, and inequalities, pushed me to enter the olympiad scene. I have always derived immense joy from testing my analytical limits against complex, non-routine problems that stretch far beyond the standard school curricula."

For Bala, beyond the personal intellectual thrill, the drive to represent Bangladesh on an international platform and benchmark his skills against the brightest young mathematical minds around the world was a massive motivation.

Behind the medals lay months, and in some cases years, of structured preparation. Zahin drew on lessons from his earlier appearance at WMI Thailand 2025, building a study routine around his own strengths and weaknesses, and credited the organisation's trainers with helping the wider Bangladeshi contingent cut a figure on the international stage.

Bala's route was more formal and academic. He immersed himself in advanced problem-solving techniques, functional equations, and rigorous proof-writing, trained alongside other hopefuls at national BdMO camps and selection tests, and supplemented that structured work with independent study of classical contest literature.

For Ahan, the step up from national to international competition initially felt disorienting. His BdMO preparation had already given him a strong foundation, which meant BMEC felt like a natural progression, but WMI level left him unsure whether his existing methods would be enough.

Haq's route to the podium began earlier still, through the BMEC advertised at his school, which led to his selection for the WMI 2026 team trial. His preparation included independent practice on previous years' papers - a formula that, by his own account, was less about elaborate strategy than sustained effort.

Representing a country at an international competition carries a weight that differs from student to student, and the two youngest medallists among the group described handling it in markedly different registers.

Coach aims to build ecosystem

Ahmed Shahriar, co-founder of Banglar Math, acted as the coach of the Bangladesh Mathematics Team at WMI. He views the results as validation of a broader project. Looking beyond the next olympiad cycle, he outlined a calendar built around two flagship national competitions: the Banglar Math Team Championship (BMTC), held between August and September, and the Bangladeshi Math Excellence Championship (BMEC), held between March and April, both open to students from grades 3-12.

Asked what they would tell the next generation of hopeful Olympiad participants. Here's what they said:

Sajidul said: "If you have a good understanding of the topic of the olympiad or any competition and try hard enough, Inshallah you can easily get an award."

This is Jeet Bala: "Cultivate a genuine curiosity for understanding mathematical concepts from first principles rather than relying on rote memorisation or shortcuts. Never be intimidated by difficult problems or initial failures. Resilience in mathematics is forged precisely by wrestling with complex proofs, making mistakes, and rigorously analysing where you went wrong. Stay consistent with your daily practice, embrace the intrinsic elegance of problem-solving."

From Rahid: "Can't solve math in 10 minutes? Try an hour. Still, no? Try two. Still, no? Try three! And before you grind, take a moment to reflect. Reflection isn't hesitation. It's reconnaissance. Look at the battlefield before you charge."

And finally Zahin: "Participating in the olympiad would help them to work with their fear of mathematics and develop their problem-solving skills to a very high level. We should remember that at the end it is not over when they lose; it is only over when they give up."