Two students from Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Shah Asif Hafiz (Accounting) and Dewan Md. Alif (Finance), are set to compete in the final round of Elon Musk’s “Not-a-Boring Competition” in Texas, USA. The event, organized annually by The Boring Company, challenges university teams to develop innovative tunneling technologies.
Asif and Alif are part of “Board Tunnelers,” a 19-member team formed in 2023, comprising students from various Bangladeshi universities. The team has engineered a Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM) capable of efficiently excavating underground tunnels using advanced robotics and multidisciplinary engineering solutions.
In the final round, teams must dig a 30-meter-long, 500 cm-wide tunnel, judged on speed, precision, and technological innovation. Competing against top universities like UPenn, Virginia Tech, and ETH Zurich, “Board Tunnelers” aims to showcase Bangladesh’s engineering talent on a global stage.
Asif shared, “Last year, we presented only our concept and still reached the finals, earning the Rookie Award. This year, we’ve refined our machine and are ready to compete.” Alif added, “This competition is not just about tunneling — it’s about shaping future infrastructure. We want to show the world that Bangladeshi students are capable of leading technological innovations.”
IUB’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M. Tamim, praised the achievement, highlighting how it proves Bangladeshi students’ global competitiveness in tech innovation. The team is receiving technical support from BITAC and sponsorship from Grameenphone, Gigabyte AORUS, Superstar Group, and the Ministry of Public Administration.
The final competition will take place from March 27-29, with testing and evaluations starting March 24. The event marks a significant step for Bangladesh’s youth in the global tech landscape, opening doors to future infrastructure and tunneling advancements.
