News

AKA Dhaka’s basketball team participated in a tournament at the Pledge Harbor International School in Dhaka. The event brought together student-athletes from four schools around Dhaka. One of the highlights was the three intense games where the AKA Dhaka basketball team players played against teams from older age groups.

AKA Dhaka participated in the largest inter-school chess tournament of the year – Marks Active School Chess Champs – where bright young minds across 64 districts competed against each other. School-based teams initially played at the district level, with the winning teams then taking part in the divisional level.

AKA Dhaka launched its inaugural athletics programme, marking an important step in strengthening opportunities for students to learn and grow through sports. Long valued as an integral part of education, athletics teaches students lessons in discipline, resilience, leadership and teamwork, which extends well beyond the field of play.

The start of a new academic year at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is marked by energy, optimism and renewed purpose. August brought the community together as students and teachers returned to campus to embark on fresh journeys of learning and growth. Across the Junior School and Senior School, classrooms came alive with curiosity, collaboration and the excitement of new beginnings – embodying the Academy’s mission of nurturing ethical, confident and compassionate leaders.

On Saturday, 24 May 2025, the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka proudly celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of 32 exceptionally talented International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme students.  

Students at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka continue to exemplify leadership, compassion and a commitment to positive social and environmental change. True to the Academy’s mission of cultivating ethical, homegrown leaders, these young changemakers demonstrate how youth-led initiatives can shape a more hopeful and equitable future.

At just 13 years of age, Faatiha Aayat, a Grade 8 student at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, is making a global impact as a youth advocate for children’s rights and environmental sustainability. From a young age, she recognised the urgency of global challenges and dedicated herself to amplifying the voices of the marginalised. Her mission is simple yet profound – to leave the world better than she found it. 

On 17 February, Grade 10 students at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka presented their projects at the annual Personal Project Exhibition. This year’s exhibition featured a diverse array of projects, each addressing real world challenges with thoughtful and inventive solutions.

The Global Youth Action Fund (GYAF) is a prestigious award designed to honour students with unique ideas and innovations addressing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The GYAF is a part of the International Baccalaureate’s Festival of Hope, which was designed to create spaces for young people to come together and speak their truth. The award is open to any student or student group from aged 12 to 19 with an idea they believe will impact the community. Winners of the award receive grant funding, an eight-week online training course on social entrepreneurship and mentorship from current leaders in social entrepreneurship.  
 
This year, three projects from students across the Aga Khan Schools were among the 300 youth from 48 countries that won this award, receiving grants to put their ideas into action to help their communities.  
 
From the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, Middle Years Programme (MYP) students Sushruto Oikotan, Zaria Musarrat, Mahveen Arshia Mahrush and Humayra Kabir Kaynaz created “Mindful steps: Guiding youth in mental wellness journey”. Additionally, Parisa Tazmeen, Affan Tariq, Shahzaib Afnan Mahdin, Ilman Islam, Fabihha Aman and Ayesha Mehjabeen Rahgir from the Academy in Dhaka created “Probaho (Flow)”. Lastly, Diploma Programme (DP) 1 student from the Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi Maaria Janmohamed created “All About Autism”.

His Highness the Aga Khan today laid a foundation stone for Bangladesh’s first Aga Khan Academy, emphasising the centrality of quality education in the Islamic tradition.