DU hosts first-ever robotronics fest

The Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University recently hosted the first-ever two-day Robotronics Fest, marking a milestone in the university's Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering (RME) Department's ten-year journey. The event, held on August 9 and 10, drew around 800 enthusiastic participants from across the country, eager to showcase their skills and creativity in robotics competitions such as soccer robots, line followers, and artificial intelligence challenges.
The fest concluded on Sunday evening with Team Durbar from Maulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology emerging as champions in both the Soccer Bot and Line Follower Robot competitions, a testament to their technical prowess and innovative spirit.
At the closing ceremony, Professor M Jahangir Alam, Treasurer of Dhaka University and the event's chief guest, reflected on the rapid evolution of technology. "In our time, Google arrived. Now, AI has come. It will not take away jobs but will reduce work time and create new opportunities. It will simplify our paths. That is why every school should have a laboratory," he said, emphasising the importance of early exposure to technology.
ICT Division Joint Secretary Murtaza Julkar Nain Noman, another special guest, highlighted government efforts to foster innovation through financial support to 41 startups and encouraged students to apply for funding to bring their ideas to life. He also warned about the declining trend in human intelligence in the digital age and urged greater focus on nurturing it.
Upoma Kabir, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Electronics, reassured attendees that technology does not diminish humanity but instead enhances it, dispelling fears that automation could erode compassion.
In her presidential remarks, Dr Senjuti Rahman, Chairperson of the RME Department, drew on the story of Kai-Fu Lee, who despite reaching professional success, experienced profound grief at his inability to care for his parents in their final days. This motivated him to envision robots as companions for everyday tasks, freeing humans to engage in creative and empathetic work. "In the future, humans will engage only in creative work. They will be compassionate," she said, adding that the festival sought to build a robust robotics platform with plans to double participation in the coming years.
The competition was fierce across categories. Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College's Team Black won the Soccer Bot challenge, while Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology's team took the runner-up spot. The main robotics contest saw Maulana Bhasani University's Durbar team claim victory, with Leading University's Team Indur as runner-up. In the university project showcase, Dhaka University's Kachhop Bot topped the event, followed by the DU team's EhaBot. At the school level, Rajshahi Cantonment School and College emerged champions. The line follower robot competition was again dominated by Durbar, with University of Scholars' Dynamic Spark team as runner-up. In the AI challenge focused on data analysis, modelling, and prediction using machine learning, CUET_RSCube from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology was crowned champion, while Dhaka University's Neural Nexus team secured second place.
Beyond the contests, the festival served as a dynamic platform for young innovators to connect and collaborate, exploring the potential of robots not just as machines but as partners in tackling real-world challenges-from precision agriculture to healthcare diagnostics powered by artificial intelligence. Speeches from Professor Kamruzzaman, Director of the Institute of Leather Technology, Dr Mehedi Hasan, President of the RME-DU Student Club, and Secretary Junayed Ahmed, praised the participants' creativity and determination, reflecting the growing momentum behind robotics education in Bangladesh.
As the first Robotronics Fest drew to a close, it left an inspiring impression of a new generation prepared to embrace technology with heart and imagination. The future, it seems, will be shaped by these young minds-where innovation and empathy walk hand in hand, one robot at a time.