Achieving the first prize in the Science fair 2000, every body had great expectations on me in this year. So I decided not to show the old project this time. So living my old project, I started to work upon a new project and started to code my new project “Result Sheet Tabulator”(RT). But as I moved a few paces ahead with that, I realized that it is extremely difficult to make such a program without proper database engine and in QBASIC environment. It is too much time consuming and more over, anyone can tabulate result with any spreadsheet analysis program. Inventing something new is extremely difficult. And I also decided not to show things already invented by some one else (like Electric motor!) and also I would not take any kind of help from my parents. Thus I decided to use my old project “Computer in Shop Management” for this science fair too. Off course only the idea of the old project would be used. The program would be rewritten and completely Windows based. I took Md. Wasiuddin, my friend and classmate in my team. I designed some Forms, added code in them and gave them to Wasi to give a finishing touch. The program’s main job was to make cash-memos. But I did not like the coding of Wasi’s finished program. So I started working with it again. For four days except for the time of eating from 10 AM to 6 PM I worked and worked. I re-coded the program, debugged it, tested and tuned it, added additional features and also added background images. The new program was also named Shop Pro. The day before the fair, I bought some art paper. And from 6 PM to 12 AM, I made posters. Mean while Wasi was instructed to be prepared to take his PC to school.

In 23-01-2001 Wasi and I went to school for the possession of our stall. We occupied a huge amount of space and got the best spot in front of the black board. The fair was to be in the 2nd floor. Our room no was 208 and was the same room I used last year.

In 24-01-2001, I entered Udayan Bidyalaya at 8 a.m. I did not have my laptop with me this time; instead I had a bundle of posters and floppies with me. Wasi told me before that he would be late. I entered the classroom and began to stick posters. Wasi came at 8:30. Then we took the computer upstairs. We connected all the ports and established power connection. Then I copied Shop Pro from floppy to his Hard Disk. I also changed his wallpaper and made some shortcuts. After we finished doing every thing, we started to wait for the official inauguration. But unfortunately, no official inauguration was made this year and we declared our stall open at 11:15 AM. Our friend Minhajur Rahman was the first visitor of our project. Now leaving the stall with Wasi, I started visiting the stalls in the fair. That year the fair was really tough. Each and every stall had the capabilities of being champion especially in my group. The projects that captivated me were “Arsenic” by my friends Kshama, Amin and Shuvo, “Dengue” by my friend Hossain, “Radio” (Class XI), “Galvanometer” (Class XI) “Dream Land” by Nishat, Shamma and “Arsenic Hazard in Bangladesh” (Class IX) in my own group. There were also other projects like “www.udayanbidyalaya.edu” (Class VIII), The World of Microbes, Neem, and Termites etc in other groups. They were also great. As a matter of fact it was obvious that being champion was not an easy task any team.

I was extremely frustrated and needed at least something special in my project to hold the title. So I decided to convert the whole program into Bengali. I told Wasi to do it. Although I myself could do it, but I gave it to Wasi because I use Proshika Shabda for typing Bangla while Wasi uses Padma Script. Mean while I made some new posters. I also added topics of e-commerce in my project and downloaded some documents from Internet.

The next day Wasi and I entered the school together. Wasi translated the program well but in some places like menu bar and tool bar, there were yet to make any changes and I translated them into Bangla. The day before, there were only two projects that used computer. But on that day, two more computers were there in my room. One was in the Arsenic Hazard project used to make a slide show. Another one was a new project named Self Making Pizza Shop. Then at 9 o’ clock, I was almost forced to attend a quiz by Habib (1) sir of General Knowledge. Most of the questions were from Biology and because I did not have Biology, could not answer them. I don’t remember the exact time of the judges’ arrival. Most probably they came around 11 o’ clock. They visited our stall by twos. I showed them my project. They asked me questions, and shared their opinion with each other about the project. Whether they liked it or not it was d to guess. After the judgement the other two computers started playing music at high volume. I sent Wasi to bring his speakers that were kept in his home. When he brought them from his home we started playing Tegor
e songs. The food served in the fair was not bad. First day, a shingara and a samucha was served while the second day, a patties was our snack. I then visited the next room of our project. Kshamas said Hossain’s project was very captivating while Hossain said Kshamas’ project was getting the champion’s trophy. I, who was not present there during the judgement, did not know which one to believe. Wasi left the fair at 1 pm. I stayed up to 2 pm. I unfastened the posters carefully and kept them in my own archive. These two days I could not sleep more than five hours in the night. So I was too tired. And my eyes were red in want of sleep. But I had to stay in Abbu’s office up to 9 o’ clock. I slept from 10 pm up to 10:30 am and refreshed a bit. My eyes could not bear any radiation of Cathode Ray Tube and the whole day was spent idly.

The next day was a Saturday and I went to school for a result of the fair. But no result was given. I could not resist myself from dodging Emran Amin. I phoned him and congratulated him for being the champion of the science fair cordially. But he could hardly believe me and sent Imran Hossain, whose house is very near the school for investigation. Hossain talked with Mrs. Shivani Das, the moderator of our science club and was told that the result will be given in the next Tuesday. But no trace of result was there in the notice board in Tuesday. In Wednesday Tiffin brake, we were playing football. Then a trifle initiated a quarrel between Shuvo of our team and Ridwan of the opposition. Shuvo demanded a penalty kick and Ridwan would not give one. The game was over and Kshama and I want to check the notice board. Imran Hossain came along with me. The place near the notice board was extremely crowded. We however managed to bypass the crowd.

In the notice board, I first saw, “First: Kshama Sundar Roy”. The heading over it was “Result of General Knowledge Quiz”. Beside it titled “The Result of Science Fair”. I passed my eyes over the list. “www.udayanbidyalaya.edu” and “smoking is taking poison” were in the list of consolation prize. “Computer in Shop Management” was in the list of group D. It was clear that I did not get a consolation prize. Instead, I realized that I was the back-to-back champion of the science fair of UB. “Arsenic Hazard in Bangladesh” was second while “Dengue” was third. Surprisingly, there were no consolation prizes for any project of group D. Both Hossain and I felt sorry for Kshamas’ project that did not get any prizes. All my friends and classmates congratulated me. I went upstairs and gave Wasi the good news. And once again I became the champion of the science fair.

Science is examination, observation and the knowledge acquired by examination and observation. A place where various science projects are shown is called a science fair. Udayan Bidyalaya arranges a science fair every year since 1992. In Udayan Bidyalaya, I saw a science fair for the first time in 1996. I was very young and wanted to participate too. For family problems, examinations, etc. I could not participate in any of the fairs among 1996-1998. In this new millennium, I got a chance to participate.

Most of my friends like to collect stamps or stickers. I like to play around with my computer. I operate a computer since class IV. In class VI, I started programming with QBASIC. My first program could make calendars of any year. I wanted to make a good program. So, for the salesclerks of the shops, I made software named “Shop Pro”. I made it just for pleasure, working hard for 3 months. When school announced that the science fair was on 6 February, I decided to present this program as my project. I retrieved my program using NCZIP.EXE and translated it using Basic Compiler. I decided the name of my project would be “Computer in Shop Management”. I draw some posters and modified my program a little. So, in 6 February, with my sister’s Laptop computer and my LX-800 printer I entered Udayan Bidyalaya. In the class room there was only one plug point and luckily no one else needed it. My project stood beside the door and there where also other projects like Forestation, Cloning, Evolution, Environmental Pollution, etc. Mr. Shahadat Ali, the chairman of the managing committee of Udayan Bidyalaya inaugurated the fair. He was impressed with all the projects and encouraged us. Then the fair started. Hundreds of viewers including teachers, guardians and students visited our projects. I am a bit taller than an average Bangladeshi and my bench, where the laptop was kept was very short. As a result, I had to stand bending my body downwards and forwards. For long five hours I had to stand still. So when I came back to home, I had severe muscular pain all over my body. Luckily I recovered soon and was able to go to the fair the following day.

This day, the judges were to come. So we were all nervous. Some of the participants were memorizing notes while others practicing their speeches. At half passed eleven five judges entered the room; none of them where known to me. I told my speech, showed them how the program works moreover answered their witty questions. The fair ended at half passed twelve and all of us were very hungry. Mrs. Shibani Das entertained us with fried rice and meat. She told us result would be given at eleven the next day.

So the next day at 11:10 AM, I entered Udayan Bidyalaya. There was a small crowed near the notice board. I bypassed the crowd. I was amazed to see that my project, “Computer in Shop Management” toped the list. It tops the list not only group C, scoring 23.6 points, it was the champion in the whole school and college. I was joyous and speechless. Fariz, Ovic, Sadi the friends of mine who were present there all congratulated me. Thus, I was the champion in the first science fair of the millennium in Udayan Bidyalaya.