DHAKA, June 10, 2026 (BSS) - Young audiologist and hearing health specialist S M Toufiq Abir participated at the prestigious World Congress of Audiology (WCA) 2026 as the first ever Bangladeshi representative marking a historic milestone in the country's hearing health sector.

Organised by the International Society of Audiology, the congress, one of the world's leading international conferences dedicated to audiology and hearing health, was held in Seoul, South Korea..

The society works in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to advance global hearing health.
 
This year's event brought together several thousand hearing health professionals, researchers, educators, industry representatives and delegates from about 100 countries. 

Numerous research studies on hearing health were presented, and important decisions were made to strengthen global hearing healthcare.

During his presentation, S M Toufiq Abir highlighted the history, education, research and clinical services related to audiology and hearing healthcare in Bangladesh before an international audience.
 
Representatives from different nations congratulated Bangladesh on its progress and expressed interest in future collaboration.

In addition, two of his research studies on hearing health in Bangladesh were published in this year's World Congress Abstract Book, marking a significant achievement for the country's research community.

Mentionable, this was the first-ever participation of Bangladeshi representatives in the World Congress of Audiology since the congress was 
established in 1953.

The Bangladeshi delegation also included Audiologist and Speech Pathologist Umme Sharifa Islam, Mohammad Ariful Islam, and R. Zaman Khan, a student of PISER-BUP.