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Bangladesh Biology Olympiad (BdBO): Official Outline of the Path to IBO

Bangladesh sends students to the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) through the Bangladesh Biology Olympiad (BdBO), which the IBO lists as established in 2012.1 A Bangladeshi newspaper reports that three Bangladeshi students won bronze medals at the 36th IBO in the Philippines in 2025.4 This page outlines how the path works according to the sources we could read. It is a map of the structure, not an insider’s account of what the exams feel like.

Programme
Bangladesh Biology Olympiad (BdBO)1
Organiser
BdBO, Panthapath, Dhaka; the IBO lists Dr. Saumitra Chakravarty as country coordinator1
Who can enter
School and college students in junior, secondary and higher secondary categories; the IBO team route is not stated2
Stages
Regional olympiads, National Biology Olympiad, National BioCamp, IBO team
Official website
bdbo.org
Language
The site is in Bengali and English; the exam language is not stated in what we read

The path at a glance

Stage What happens How sure we are
Regional Biology Olympiad One of about ten regional contests a year; true or false multiple response questions Good for the structure; the 2026 locations are listed on the official site
National Biology Olympiad One contest a year for regional champions and runners-up; written in two sessions according to the IBO Medium: the IBO page is undated
National BioCamp A residential camp for about 20 top students, with a practical exam Medium: the figures come from the IBO page
IBO team Chosen after the BioCamp Low: no source we read describes the selection

Stage 1: the regional olympiads

The IBO says there are ten Regional Biology Olympiads a year, with true or false multiple response questions.1 The official site lists the 2026 regional venues as Khulna, Sylhet, Chattogram, Dhaka South, Rajshahi, Dhaka North, Rangpur, Barishal, Bogura and Mymensingh.2 The Dhaka South page reports a contest held at BUET on 17 April 2026 with 1,205 students at that venue.3 The official site says regional papers are easier than the national paper and draw on the national curriculum textbooks.2 Regional champions and the first and second runners-up are invited to register for the National Biology Olympiad.5

Stage 2: the National Biology Olympiad

The national paper uses multiple response true or false items, with four statements per item and at least 30 items. Per item, four correct statements score 5 points, three score 3, two score 1, and fewer score 0, with no negative marking.2 The IBO adds that the national contest has a true or false session and a short answer session.1 The official site lists the 12th National Biology Olympiad as a 2026 event.6

Stage 3: the National BioCamp

The IBO describes a residential camp of about three to four days at the National Institute of Biotechnology, attended by about 20 top students, with assessment mostly by a practical exam.1 The official site lists a Twelfth National BioCamp for 2026.6

Stage 4: the IBO team

The official site says the programme helps select Bangladesh’s IBO representatives.6 A 2018 page on the same site says that year’s team came from a multistep talent hunt that included the National Biology Olympiad and the BioCamp, without further detail.7 The sources we could read do not say how many students go from the BioCamp to the IBO or how they are ranked.

Points for an Author

If you went through this programme yourself, these are the points we most need you to settle. They are grouped here so that nothing uncertain is buried in the text above.

Where the sources disagree

  • Selection season. The IBO page says selection runs from October to February,1 but the official site shows the 2026 regional olympiads in April and a national olympiad and BioCamp listed for 2026.6 We could not settle which timing is current.
  • Participation figures. The IBO page gives about 10,000 first round students,1 while the Dhaka South page gives 1,205 at one venue and a figure of about 5,000 from 500 institutions whose scope is unclear.3
  • The year on the Dhaka South page. Its title says 2026 while one summary heading says 2025.3

Gaps a firsthand author could fill

  • How the IBO team is chosen after the BioCamp, and how many students it has each year.
  • Which categories (junior, secondary or higher secondary) can reach the IBO team, and the age or grade limits.
  • The language of each exam, the registration windows and the fees now.
  • What the regional and national papers and the BioCamp are actually like, and what students wish they had known.

A firsthand author can settle every one of these points. If that could be you, email us or read how it works.

BiOGuide tips for students aiming at this path

These are general tips from BiOGuide, not advice from a Bangladeshi participant, and they apply to any student aiming at an IBO team.

  • Train for the international format early. The IBO papers are in English and test reasoning on data and experiments, not only recall. The IBO preparation guide explains the format, and past IBO papers are in our practice papers.
  • Practise the practical side. The BioCamp assessment is mostly practical, and so is much of the IBO, so learn lab techniques as well as theory. Our notes on practical skills are a start.
  • Build the core theory. Work through cell and molecular biology, genetics and ecology.
  • Learn the English terms. Even if you study in Bengali, learn the English names of structures, processes and methods, because the IBO papers are written in English.
  • Use the official channels for anything dated. Exam dates, fees and eligibility change every year. BdBO at bdbo.org decides, not us.

Official links and sources

  1. International Biology Olympiad, country page for the Bangladesh Biology Olympiad. ibo-info.org. The page is undated, so we use it for the structure only.
  2. BdBO, syllabus and format page (in English). bdbo.org/syllabus
  3. BdBO, Dhaka South Regional Biology Olympiad 2026 page (in English, undated). bdbo.org
  4. The Financial Express, 14 September 2025, on Bangladeshi achievers at the 36th IBO (in English). thefinancialexpress.com.bd
  5. BdBO, registration page (in English). bdbo.org/reg
  6. BdBO, home page (in English and Bengali). bdbo.org
  7. BdBO, page on the 29th IBO in 2018 (in English). bdbo.org

A Dhaka Tribune report on the 2026 National Biology Olympiad at AIUB appeared in search results but returned an error when we tried to open it, so nothing here relies on it. We read no Bengali pages, so no fact in this guide depends on our translation.

This outline was last checked on 8 October 2026 and will age. Spotted an error or out-of-date detail? Email r6394175@gmail.com.