American International University-Bangladesh has once again demonstrated its commitment to academic excellence as a faculty-supervised student research team won the Best Oral Presenter Award (Track: Geography, Environment and Sustainable Development) at the International Conference on Emerging Frontiers in Advanced Sciences and Technologies 2026 (EFAST 2026). The conference was organized by Pabna University of Science & Technology (PUST) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), held on 27–28 June 2026, bringing together researchers, academics, and scholars from Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the global academic community.

The award-winning research was titled “Linking Climate Change to Crop Production Trends in Bangladesh: A Data-Driven Assessment of Agricultural Sustainability (1981–2023)”, with Paper ID: 564. The study was conducted under the supervision of Md. Mortuza Ahmmed, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, AIUB. The oral presentation was delivered by Shahriar Sadib.

The research examined the relationship between climate variability and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh over a 43-year period (1981–2023), using monthly climate data from the NASA POWER API and annual yield data from FAOSTAT covering ten major crops, including rice, wheat, jute, potato, and sugarcane. Employing a multivariate statistical framework — encompassing Pearson and Spearman correlations, multiple linear regression, and the Mann-Kendall trend test — the study found that rising surface temperatures and evapotranspiration are the primary climate drivers affecting crop yields. While temperature showed a statistically significant increasing trend over the study period, precipitation trends remained non-significant. Rice and sugarcane were identified as the most climate-sensitive crops, and production levels across most crops appeared to plateau from the 2010s onward, raising important concerns for future food security. The study recommends prioritizing heat-tolerant crop varieties, adopting evapotranspiration-based irrigation, and conducting regular soil quality assessments to safeguard Bangladesh’s agricultural sustainability.

This achievement is not only a recognition of an outstanding research contribution but also a reflection of AIUB’s growing capacity for interdisciplinary research, academic leadership, and innovative learning. It showcases the university’s commitment to encouraging students to address real-world challenges through rigorous scientific inquiry. Special appreciation is extended to the Office of Research, AIUB, for its continuous support and encouragement in promoting student research and facilitating participation in national and international academic platforms.

AIUB proudly congratulates Shahriar Sadib, co-author Sadiha Rahman, and their supervisor Md. Mortuza Ahmmed. This success brings honor to the AIUB community and inspires future researchers to pursue meaningful, socially relevant, and impactful research for the development of Bangladesh.