AI Hackathon 2025 concluded with a surge of innovation, positioning Bangladesh as an emerging hub in the global AI landscape. 

Drawing 102 teams from 30 universities, the event showcased AI-driven solutions tackling challenges from healthcare to agriculture.

The top prize went to The Luminous Hypothesis, whose AI-powered ECG digitization tool promises real-time cardiac diagnostics in rural areas. First runner-up Team Hobe developed an AI-based system for early detection of diabetic retinopathy, aiming to curb preventable blindness. Second runner-up DU Sceptic introduced an OCR-NLP model improving access to bilingual medical records.

Other standout concepts - though not prototyped - included AI telemedicine bots, smart farming tools, and quantum encryption models, underscoring broad applications across industries.

The hackathon featured expert judges including Mohammad Oli Ahad, AI Practitioner; Tanvir Aumi, Principal Architect, Microsoft Office AI; Raisul Kabir, CEO, Brainstation-23; Minhajul Abedin, CTO, BRAC IT; and Dr. Kazi Irfan Subhan, neurosurgeon, Dhaka Medical College.

Organized by Canada-based AI trainer Sohan Haidear, DU professor Md Saimum Hossain, CFA, and US-based Tasriqul Islam, the event was backed by partners including The Daily Star, BRAC IT, Creative IT, and GEEKY Social.

"This wasn't just a competition," said Haidear. "It was a platform for real-world problem-solving with global implications."

Several projects are now under industry review for development. As Bangladesh asserts itself in the AI arena, the event affirmed one truth: innovation here is just getting started.