Bangladeshi student joins rare nuclear icebreaker expedition to North Pole

A Bangladeshi school student has embarked on a rare scientific expedition to the geographic North Pole aboard Russia's nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy, joining outstanding students from 21 other countries in an international Arctic education program organized by Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Md. Malekul Salehin Prottoy, a Class X student at Rajshahi Cadet College, departed from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk as part of the 10-day Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition, which will travel across the Barents Sea to the geographic North Pole and the Franz Josef Land archipelago before returning to Murmansk.

Prottoy secured his place after emerging as one of the winners of the seventh edition of the multi-stage Icebreaker of Knowledge competition, which attracted more than 5,000 students from 22 countries, including Bangladesh, India, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam.

"This is a very special day for me. I never imagined I would one day travel to the North Pole," Prottoy said before departure, adding that he was proud to represent Bangladesh on the expedition.

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said the Arctic is "a place where the most ambitious ideas are born," describing the expedition as an opportunity to inspire future scientists and engineers while showcasing Russia's unique nuclear-powered icebreaker technology.

During the voyage, participants will observe the operation of a nuclear-powered icebreaker, conduct scientific experiments, attend lectures and workshops, and explore the Arctic ecosystem. The students are also scheduled to raise their national flags at the geographic North Pole.

The Icebreaker of Knowledge program promotes science, technology and nuclear education among students aged 14 to 16. Since its launch, more than 400 students from around the world have participated in educational expeditions to the Arctic.

Russia remains the only country operating a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, with eight vessels managed by Rosatom's Atomflot enterprise to support navigation along the Northern Sea Route.