Students of winning schools and guests at the Sylhet divisional round of English in Schools, a joint programme of The Daily Star and Robi, held in Scholarshome School and College in Sylhet city yesterday. Photo: Star

Blue Bird School and College won the Sylhet divisional round of English in Schools, a joint programme of The Daily Star and Robi, yesterday.    
Around 500 students of class VI to X from 25 schools of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts participated in the programme held at Scholarshome School and College in the city.
Sylhet Government Pilot High School was the runner-up, while Border Guard Public School and College took the third position. Each of the schools received certificates, bronze trophies, and English books worth Tk 10,000.  
Prof Md Aminul Haque Bhuiyan, vice chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, was present at the prize giving ceremony as chief guest and Md Abdul Mannan Khan, examination controller of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sylhet was present as special guest.
Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, managing editor at The Daily Star, and Syed Mohidul Hossain Moin, manager of Robi, Sylhet, also addressed the concluding function.     
The English language competition included questions on general grammar, sentence structure, word completion, and a listening test.
Syed Mohidul Hossain said it was due to sincere efforts of all that such an event was possible.
The future generation faces a competitive world where there is no alternative to learning English well, said the SUST vice chancellor, Prof Bhuiyan.
Mannan Khan of Sylhet board said a good number of SSC and HSC examinees suffer for their weakness in English and in mathematics.
“We need programmes like this to reach rural institutions to raise the standard of English of students and teachers there,” he added.
Salehuddin Ahmed said English is no longer a language rather it is a technology in today's world.