Bangladeshi student Shafi Bin Sultan has made the nation proud by clinching the Gold Award at the prestigious International Academic Research Competition 2024. His award-winning research tackles one of today’s critical environmental challenges—polythene pollution—and explores why jute-based biodegradable alternatives are not widely adopted in urban Bangladesh.
Shafi’s study, titled “Assessing the Challenges of Polythene Pollution Control Despite Innovations in Jute-Based Biodegradable Alternatives: A Case Study in Urban Bangladesh,” identifies barriers such as high production costs, limited availability, and weak policy enforcement. Using surveys and interviews, he sheds light on actionable strategies to overcome these challenges, offering a roadmap for sustainable change.
This achievement has earned Shafi a Gold Award Certificate, a monetary prize of 5000 BDT, and a fully-funded spot in the Winter Research Program 2025, valued at 4000 BDT. Organized by the Youth Research Journal (YRJ), the program is a platform for global research collaboration.
Shafi’s success not only underscores the potential of young Bangladeshi researchers to drive impactful change but also highlights the global relevance of innovation in eco-friendly solutions. His work serves as a call to action for adopting sustainable alternatives and addressing environmental concerns more effectively.