British Council hosted the grand finale of the English Speech Competition 2026 at Le Méridien Dhaka, bringing together 20 young speakers representing schools from Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
Umaiza Ramin Umama of Govt Agrogami School and College, Sylhet, won Group A, comprising students from classes nine and 10, while Jaima Chowdhury of Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka, won Group B, comprising students from classes 11 and 12, according to the press release.
Other finalists represented Border Guard Public School and College, Chittagong Grammar School National Curriculum, Scholarshome Majortila, Navy Anchorage School and College, Jolshiri Cantonment School and College, Cantonment Public School and College, Dhaka Residential Model College and Shaheed Police Smrity College.
Finalists also represented Halishahar Cantonment Public School and 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 and 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 of 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 comprised three stages: preliminary rounds organised by participating schools; divisional rounds organised by the British Council in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet; and the grand finale, where the top 20 divisional finalists competed for the titles.
Dhaka was represented by 10 finalists, while Chattogram and Sylhet each had five.
At the grand finale, each participant delivered a two-minute speech on a randomly selected topic. Speeches were assessed out of 50 points across five equally weighted criteria: content, clear structure, logical development of ideas, relevance, and examples and understanding of the topic.
British Council master trainers and Toastmasters International judges evaluated the participants, combining expertise in English language proficiency, public speaking and effective communication.
Zunayed Ahmed, head of market at 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 of business development, English and exams, at 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, British Council representatives and invited guests to celebrate the achievements of the participating students.