Mahmudur Labib wins top AI award at HackZar event in Khulna

Mahmudur Labib won the Best Open-Source AI Project award at HackZar's Hacktoberfest Hack Day Khulna x HackZar, a one-day mini-hackathon held at Northern University of Business & Technology Khulna (NUBTK) on 31 October 2026.

The event, supported by Major League Hacking (MLH), was the first time HackZar hosted a Hacktoberfest event for its local community in Khulna, a major city in southwestern Bangladesh. It was designed as an entry point into open-source development for local student builders.

HackZar, founded by Sakil Hasan Saikat (known online as 0xSaikat), organised the hackathon as part of Hacktoberfest 2026, the world's largest celebration of open source, which is run by MLH and the developer platform DEV. Saikat first joined Hacktoberfest as a participant in 2019 and completed the challenge fully in 2020. In 2026, he transitioned from participant to host and appeared in the official Hacktoberfest 2026 launch video produced by MLH and DEV.

The hackathon focused specifically on open-source AI and open-weight models. The organisers originally planned the event for 1 October but moved it to 31 October to allow students to complete their semester final examinations first. The organisers noted that this change was made in response to requests from the community.

The event received 33 registrations, and 12 participants checked in on the day. The organisers described the small turnout as suitable for the first edition, noting that it allowed every participant to have meaningful time with mentors. The team stated that the event provided valuable insights into the specific needs of student developers in Khulna.

Mahmudur Labib's project, titled Bounty Triage AI, was selected as the Best Open-Source AI Project at the event. The award recognised the project's contribution to the open-source AI ecosystem within the context of the mini-hackathon.

HackZar stated that the event was made possible through the support of various individuals and organisations. The organisation plans to continue running events, workshops and programs for students and developers in Khulna and across Bangladesh, with the next major Hacktoberfest event expected in 2027.