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Bangladesh’s Ehtishamul Haque Hira has secured joint first place in the men’s Hifz category at the 66th International Quran Recitation and Memorisation Competition in Malaysia, scoring 97 points.
Hira, a student of Markazut Faizil Quran Al Islami in Dhaka, shared the top position with Syria’s Abdul Rahman Jamal Ibrahim, who also scored 97 points. Malaysia’s Muhammad Izzul Afnan Sajali finished third with 96.33 points.
The achievement has brought joy to expatriate Bangladeshis in Malaysia and added another international accolade to Bangladesh’s Quran education community.
The five-day competition concluded on Friday, with prizes presented to the winners on Saturday, October 10.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim inaugurated the event on October 6 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
As joint champion, Hira received RM40,000 in cash, a trophy, an Umrah or Muslim tourism package worth RM5,000, and a gold bar valued at RM3,000.
According to Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama, the competition also announced winners in the other categories.
In the women’s recitation category, Malaysia’s Nur Shakura Mohamed Musa took first place with 91.83 points, followed by Singapore’s Atiqah Binte Suhaimi with 91 points and Brunei’s Dayangku Siti Ummi Shaizanna Binte Pengiran Haji Marzuki with 90.83 points.
Indonesia’s Muhammad Fauzi Ridwan won the men’s recitation category with 94.67 points. Malaysia’s Syik Hasnul Taqiyuddin Syik Sajali came second with 92.99 points, while Belgium’s Brahim Bougalab placed third with 92.17 points.
In the women’s Hifz category, Niger’s Chafaatou Issoufou secured first place with 96.17 points. Libya’s Minnah Ali Alsudani Agnaiyah finished second with 95.50 points, while Myanmar’s Thein Gyi Mon took third place with 95 points.
Hira’s success follows the achievements of several Bangladeshi Hifz students who have won top honours at international Quran competitions, including Hafez Saleh Ahmad Takrim, Muaz Mahmud, Anas Mahfuz and Sa’d Nur, all associated with Markazut Faizil Quran Al Islami.
His latest achievement further highlights the growing international recognition of Bangladesh’s Quran memorisation and education tradition.
Source: Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency.