Bangladeshi robotics team faces visa denial ahead of FIRST Global Challenge in Greece

The visa applications of the Bangladesh robotics team, set to represent the country at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Global Challenge 2024 in Athens, Greece, has been denied according to an official letter by The Embassy of Greece in the New Delhi Consular Office. The team's applications were rejected due to what the Greek authorities cited as "unreliable" information concerning the purpose of their stay.

According to the Bangladesh team, their visa application was denied on September 13. However, they only learned about the rejection on September 17, as the reply came through courier from New Delhi. Despite applying on September 4 through VFS Global, a private organisation which helps with visa requirements, the team was informed of the rejection only a few days ahead of their scheduled departure, set on September 24.

This year's team comprises seven high school students and four adult mentors from Tech Academy, a Bangladeshi academy and innovation lab. The Embassy of Greece in New Delhi, which handles visa processing for Bangladesh, provided no further explanation for the rejection, according to Tech Academy.

However, this is not the first time Bangladesh was scheduled to participate in the FIRST Global Challenge. Under the guidance of Tech Academy, the Bangladesh team has been a constant participant of the competition since 2017. They have represented Bangladesh in international competitions held in Washington D.C., Mexico, Switzerland, and Dubai. In 2020, the team was crowned world champions in the event. This would be the first time the team intends to travel to Greece for the 2024 edition of the FIRST Global Challenge.

In a conversation with The Daily Star, Shams Jaber, who founded Tech Academy in 2013, said, "We have no idea why our visa was rejected. We have been participating in this event every year since 2017. I was also with the team in every edition of the competition. It is very disappointing to see the visa rejection."

According to Jaber, FIRST Global has already reached out to the Greek Embassy on behalf of the Bangladesh team, but responses have been limited so far. Tech Academy has also contacted the relevant authorities of the foreign ministry of Bangladesh as well as the Greek Embassy, and is currently awaiting updates.

Robot in development by the team.

This year, the team from Bangladesh consists of Areebah Nawar Anwar, 18 (South Breeze), Ishmam Shahrooz Chowdhury, 13 (Sunnydale), Rashad Rauf Chowdhury, 18 (Sunbeams), Rownak Reza Haque, 15 (Bangladesh International School and College), Sabera Zainab Chaudhury, 17 (Sunbeams), Samir Hossain-Judd, 17 (Sunbeams), and Syed Quafshat Taiyush Hamd, 16 (Scholastica).

They are also joined by mentors Mohammed Shams Jabber (Founder & CEO, The Tech Academy), Bhuban Mazumder (Brac University), Abdullah Al Sharfat (BUP), and Adrian Dip Mohanta (NSU).

The FIRST Global Challenge is an international robotics competition that unites students from around 190 nations from around the globe to solve problems using STEM skills, as per information from the competition's official website. The 2024 edition of the FIRST Global Challenge is scheduled to be held in Athens, Greece from September 26 to 29.