DHAKA : The British Council hosted the Grand Finale of the
English Speech Competition 2026 was held at Le Méridien Dhaka, bringing
together 20 outstanding young speakers representing schools from Dhaka,
Chattogram and Sylhet.
After impressive performances by the finalists, Umaiza
Ramin Umama from Govt. Agrogami School & College, Sylhet, clinched the
winner’s trophy in Group A (Classes 9 and 10), while Jaima Chowdhury from
Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka, was crowned the winner of Group B (Classes
11 and 12).
The schools represented by the other finalists at the
Grand Finale were Border Guard Public School and College, Chittagong Grammar
School National Curriculum, Scholarshome Majortila, Navy Anchorage School and
College, Jolshiri Cantonment School & College, Cantonment Public School and
College, Dhaka Residential Model College, Shaheed Police Smrity College,
Halishahar Cantonment Public School & College, Mohammadpur Preparatory
Higher Secondary School, St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Milestone College,
Udayan Uchcha Madhyamik Bidyalaya, Engineering University School and College,
and Jalalabad English School & College.
Designed to encourage young people to develop confidence,
communication skills and the ability to express ideas effectively in English,
the competition brought together students from 40 national curriculum schools
across Bangladesh. The initiative provided students with a platform to develop
their public speaking abilities, engage with meaningful topics and showcase
their creativity, critical thinking and individuality.
Stephen Forbes, Country Director, British Council
Bangladesh, said, “The aspect of communication is very important. And what we
do at the British Council is not only about academic excellence; it’s about how
you communicate and learning to communicate. We work with schools, universities
and other educational institutions to look at education holistically and look
at successful communications which will produce successful students.”
The competition was conducted through three stages: a
Preliminary Round organised by the participating schools; Divisional Rounds
organised by the British Council and held across Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet;
and the Grand Finale, where the top 20 finalists from the Divisional Rounds
competed for the title. Dhaka was represented by 10 finalists, while Chattogram
and Sylhet each had five.
For the Grand Finale, each participant delivered a
two-minute speech on a random topic. Speeches were assessed out of a total of
50 points across five equally weighted criteria: Content, Clear structure,
Logical development of ideas, Relevance, and Examples and understanding of the
topic.
The participants were evaluated by British Council Master
Trainers and Toastmasters International judges, bringing together expertise in
English language proficiency, public speaking and effective communication.
Zunayed Ahmed, Head of Market, British Council Bangladesh,
said, “A short speech is not a smaller version of a longer one; rather, it’s
the harder one, and that’s what history remembers. In just two minutes, the
finalists today presented their ideas, which showcased their ability of public
speaking. The British Council always aims to provide such platforms and
opportunities to nurture our youngsters for their future.”
Tahnee Yeasmin, Director, Business Development, English
& Exams, British Council Bangladesh, said, “The British Council has been
working with the national curriculum schools for a long time now, and we always
noticed the students from these schools perform at the highest level. We have
started the English Speaking Competition last year to get closer to our
national curriculum students and be a part of the global exposure they have
been achieving all these years.”
The Grand Finale brought together school leaders, teachers,
students, parents and guardians, Toastmasters and public-speaking
professionals, along with British Council representatives and invited guests to
celebrate the achievements of the participating students.
