Bangladesh has won the Best Newcomer Award in the 42nd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) held in Thailand from July 11-17.
The country also received two Honourable Mention Awards for its maiden participation in the Olympiad, said a press release here yesterday.
Sanjid Halim and Abanti Basak of the five-member Bangladesh team received Honourable Mentions for their brilliant first-time performances. Abanti also got the Best Newcomer Award for Bangladesh.
The students were selected through the first Oxford-The Daily Star National Physics Olympiad, organised by Oxford International School, Dhaka.
All five students had attended a two-month training course after being selected to represent Bangladesh in IPhO.
In total, 86 countries participated in the 42nd IPhO at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
On July 11, Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn inaugurated the IPhO in the CU auditorium of the university. Sirindhorn also awarded the medals to the winning students at the closing ceremony of the event on July 17.
Altogether 54 gold medals, 68 silver medals, 93 bronze medals and 67 Honourable Mentions have been awarded to the winning students among 430 participants.
Singapore, Taiwan, China and the Republic of Korea have received five gold medals each.
Physicists from all over the world gathered in Thailand to judge the performances of the participants.
The 43rd IPhO will take place in Estonia in 2012.
-With BSS/The Daily Star input
