# Team BD's visa denied days before intl competition, Embassy cites 'unreliable information' 

> The Bangladesh robotics team's visa applications for the 2024 FIRST Global Challenge in Athens were rejected by the Greek Embassy in New Delhi, citing "unreliable" information regarding their stay. Despite applying thro…

Published: 2024-09-19 · Desk: Bangladesh · Source: The Daily Star

The Bangladesh robotics team's visa applications for the 2024 FIRST Global Challenge in Athens were rejected by the Greek Embassy in New Delhi, citing "unreliable" information regarding their stay. Despite applying through VFS Global on September 4, the team only learned of the denial on September 17, shortly before their planned September 24 departure.

This year’s team includes seven students and four adult mentors from Tech Academy, a Bangladeshi innovation lab that has participated in the competition since 2017, with past events held in Washington D.C., Mexico, Switzerland, and Dubai. The team was previously crowned world champions in 2020. The 2024 edition marks the first time the team would travel to Greece.

Founder of Tech Academy, Shams Jaber, expressed confusion and disappointment, stating that no clear explanation was given for the rejection. Both FIRST Global and the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry have contacted the Greek Embassy, though no substantial response has been received.

The team consists of students Areebah Nawar Anwar, Ishmam Shahrooz Chowdhury, Rashad Rauf Chowdhury, Rownak Reza Haque, Sabera Zainab Chaudhury, Samir Hossain-Judd, and Syed Quafshat Taiyush Hamd. Their mentors are Mohammed Shams Jabber, Bhuban Mazumder, Abdullah Al Sharfat, and Adrian Dip Mohanta. The 2024 FIRST Global Challenge is scheduled to take place from September 26 to 29.

Original reporting: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/bangladeshi-robotics-team-faces-visa-denial-ahead-first-global-challenge-greece-3705281?fbclid=IwY2xjawFYjhBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdp1p_ppBRpv4_hPT8zIoQ_qZvdEOKsF-fuME5QxXhOnct9ot3u8jyMQfA_aem_iAAqocbWwn5R90G11XCS_g#lg=1&slide=0
HTML: https://tezzfeed.com/bangladeshi-news/team-bds-visa-denied-days-before-intl-competition-embassy-cites-unreliable-information-1726722757666
Bangladesh desk: https://tezzfeed.com/bangladeshi-news.md
Agent map: https://tezzfeed.com/llms.txt