Formula IUT: Advancing student-led motorsport engineering in Bangladesh

Engineering education in Bangladesh is mostly theory-based, focusing more on textbooks than real-world innovation. In many countries around the world, universities actively support their students to participate in international competitions like Formula Student, where teams design, manufacture, and race Formula-style cars. As these experiences help create better and industry-ready engineers, it is high time Bangladesh followed suit and started doing the same.

Marking a step forward, the Formula IUT team from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) has designed, manufactured, and run its first Formula-style race car after three years of effort. It is powered by a KTM Duke 390 engine, built on a stainless-steel space frame chassis with double A-arm suspension, and runs on 91-octane fuel.

In late 2021, the team began with the growing interest of a small group of students enthusiastic about motorsport. Now, it has grown into a cross-disciplinary team of over 90 active members for the 2026 season, with students mainly from Mechanical Engineering (ME), Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE), and Business and Technology Management (BTM) programmes.

The team came face-to-face with issues while building the car. “Our biggest challenge has been the unavailability of Formula Student quality parts and inadequate workspace facilities,” Farhan Ibtahsum, current team lead of Formula IUT, shares. “High-volume engines, slick tyres, and carbon fibre – none of these are readily available in Bangladesh. Foreign teams have their own dedicated workspace with necessary manufacturing equipment for seamless production, which we also lack.”

Since 2022, around BDT 12 lakh has been spent on designing and manufacturing the car. The majority of the cost was borne by the students themselves. The team received some support from sponsors, such as Uttara Motors Limited, as well as alumni who contributed during the team's international participation.

The Formula IUT team has managed to prove itself in multiple international competitions. In October 2025, the team participated in Formula Student China, finished eighth in the Business Plan Presentation, and earned three technical recognition stickers. Before that, they placed seventh in Formula Imperial 2024 and third in Class I of Formula Bharat 2023. They were also selected as a finalist in Formula Student UK 2022.

The 2026 car is currently in the design phase. “We want to significantly reduce our car’s weight while maintaining the torque output of the engine,” Farhan reveals. “We are also working toward improving the standardisation of our car.”

They are currently competing in the IMechE Formula Student Sim Racing Series, featuring 73 teams from 19 countries. The team has officially become the first Bangladeshi participant to achieve a double-point finish in Round two of the championship, advancing to 55th position in the overall standings.

“We plan to expand into electric and autonomous vehicle categories and have already launched several small-scale projects in these areas before moving toward full implementation,” Farhan expresses. “We aim to make our team a benchmark of engineering performance in Formula Student in Bangladesh, something every automobile enthusiast student can look up to.”