Students recognised for their brilliant results in O- and A-level were buzzing with excitement yesterday, and wanted to become good human beings working for the betterment of the country.

The Daily Star yesterday honoured 2,617 students for their extraordinary results in O- and A-level exams. Thirty-six students were recognised for achieving the best results in O-levels at the ceremony held at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium.

Their faces lit up when their names were called to receive the honours. They ran to get in line in front of the stage, where others were already standing to receive the awards.

Jannatul Bushra Sabah from ABC International School was one of the awardees, who achieved nine A-stars and one A in her O-level exams.

"This is a precious moment of achievement that I want to cherish for the rest of my life," she told this correspondent.

She thanked her family for providing her with tremendous support and ensuring that she received a quality education.

Bushra said she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, with her ultimate goal to become a neurologist.

"I believe that to build my nation, I need to develop myself first. So, my first goal is to become a good human being, with a focus on kindness and compassion to help people. It will ultimately lead me to contribute to building a better nation in the future."

Zawad Zaman, who achieved 10 A-stars from Academia School, said, "I did not imagine that I would receive an award from such a valuable platform. It was a long cherished dream come true for me."

He expressed his wish to go abroad to study physics and computer science. "But I don't wish to remain abroad. I aspire to become a computer scientist and work for my country, utilising my foreign degrees and work experiences, once I return to Bangladesh."

Tirtha Kumar Dey, a student of Changes School, who earned 8 A-stars and 2 A grades, shared his ambition to become a neurologist specialising in the field of ICT.

Partha Sharma, one of the highest achievers in the O-level examinations from Willes Little Flower School, said he wants to be a bioeconomist.

He expressed concern about the negative environmental impacts of Bangladesh's development works, causing pollution, health issues, and a decline in life expectancy.

"I want to work towards reducing this damage by ensuring smooth development, so that we can benefit from progress without harming the environment."

Towsif Rahman, one of the highest scorers in physics in A-levels from HEED International School, aims to become a software engineer. But at the same time, he wants to devote himself to children's education.