The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education in Bangladesh is organising a nationwide online art competition—Art Bangladesh—for secondary school students in 2026, aiming to promote creativity, cultural learning and intellectual development among young learners.
The competition, arranged by Talent Sports Limited will invite students from classes six to ten to take part in a structured national programme of artistic expression and training.
Students will create paintings based on four selected themes: Bangladesh, historical and national landmarks, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, and Martyred President Ziaur Rahman.
Through these themes, the organisers hope to encourage students to explore the country’s heritage, history and important national figures through art.
Online registration for the competition began on April 13 and continue until April 30, 2026. Students will be able to register either individually or through their schools by submitting their details on the competition website.
After registration, participants must download their admit card, entry ticket and participation certificate from the online dashboard. They will then upload a photograph of their artwork using their registered mobile number before the deadline.
After the registration process is complete, schools will prepare a list of registered participants and send it to the local secondary education office by May 3. The local offices will then forward the information to district offices by May 4, district offices will send the reports to regional offices by May 5, and regional offices will submit the final compiled lists to Art Bangladesh by May 6.
This step-by-step process is designed to ensure that participation records are organised from school level to national level.
The submitted artworks will be judged in three stages: district, regional and national. In each class from six to ten, 20 students will qualify at each level, making 100 successful participants per district, per region and at the national level. This means 6,400 students from 64 districts will qualify at district level, followed by 900 students from nine regions, before 100 finalists are selected nationwide.
The results of the online competition will be announced on May 10, 2026 through the official website. Prize distribution at district level will be completed on May 12, followed by regional prize giving on May 13. The national prize ceremony will take place on May 15 at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, where the top 100 national winners will receive awards.
The organisers will also recognise the schools of the 100 students who win prizes at the national stage. These schools will be honoured at the same national ceremony, highlighting the role of educational institutions in encouraging artistic talent among students.
Beyond the awards, the competition will also provide advanced art training for students who qualify at district level. A total of 6,400 students will receive eight online training sessions, held once a week, to improve their artistic skills. Training schedules will be shared with participants through mobile text messages, ensuring that students can attend the classes on time.
The online training and judging will be carried out by a panel of 16 teachers from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Dhaka. These teachers, representing departments such as Oriental Art, Crafts, Graphic Design, Printmaking, Sculpture and Art History, will evaluate the entries and guide the selected students in their artistic development.
By combining competition, recognition and professional training, the nationwide online art contest aims to create opportunities for thousands of secondary school students to develop their artistic talent while engaging with the cultural and historical identity of Bangladesh.
