day labour in order to survive and support his family.
In 2011, Keshob and some of his friends formed an organisation called the Youth Association for Cultural Development (YACD). They wanted to help eradicate malpractices and injustices from society - such as early marriage, dowry, and drug addiction - through music and drama.
Keshob’s work came to the limelight when he won the Joy Bangla Youth Award (JBYA) in 2015, and became an instant role model in his locality.
In 2016, he even visited China as a representative of the youth platform, Young Bangla.
Keshob believes that although he has a long way to go to fulfil his dream of building a healthy community, the local administration has become more responsive since he won the award.
YACD has gained recognition and Keshob has expanded the organisation’s activities to many areas.Fahima Khatun is another of the JBYA winners.
She grew up in poverty in Rupsha upazila in Khulna and had to fight a lonely battle for education beyond primary school. Even though she knew that education could change her life, Fahima could not continue due to poverty.
In 2011, she joined Hira Mukta Begum, another like-minded woman from her area, and formed Somaj Unnayan Kendro for Training, Rehabilitation and Advocacy – SUKTARA in short, which means the evening star.
In 2015, Fahima became a “Windows Woman”, one of the 10 Young Bangla nominated Microsoft Brand Ambassadors.
The same year, SUKTARA won a JBYA award for its outstanding work of bringing dropouts back into mainstream education. Since its inception, the organisation has provided primary education to 60 dropouts and arranged livelihood trainings for local women.
“We never got a good response from the local people, but after getting the award, we now have greater acceptability. More importantly, we have a strong identity and a voice,” said Fahima.
In 2016, she also visited China as a member of a government youth delegation, thereby getting some invaluable international exposure that gave a welcome boost to her confidence and self-esteem.
In 2017, the Young Bangla member worked as a data enumerator at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Fahima currently also runs a Sheikh Russel Digital Lab and an E-Shop, both given to her by the government through the youth platform.
Alongside Fahima, the lives of 59 other young people were transformed by receiving the Joy Bangla Youth Award in 2015.Also Read: Young Bangla playing a key role in building Digital Bangladesh
Among them was Jhara Moni Biswas, a member of Shopnokuri Shomaj Kollan Shongstha in Mymensingh.
As a member of the JBYA platform, Jhara is currently coordinating the activities of Sheikh Russel Digital Labs in Mymensingh. She also runs the district E-Shop Centre where farmers can directly sell their produce at fair prices.
Both projects are powered by the government’s ICT Division. She has also been in China along with the youth platform delegation in 2016.
Jhara has also become a brand ambassador of Microsoft Bangladesh and won a computer lab, where she facilitates basic computer and laptop repairing training sessions to local women.
“Young Bangla helped me get connected to companies like Microsoft and the ICT Division,” Jhara said.
“Thanks to Microsoft and Young Bangla, now I am working to fulfil my dream of building a self-sufficient community.”Kumar Biswajit Barman, founder of Ashar Alo Pathshala Jubo O Shomaj Unnayan Shongstha in Kurigram, who won
JBYA in 2015 said: “I believe that we are well on our way to establishing my village as a model for Bangladesh. I am also confident that with Young Bangla by my side, I will definitely reach my goal.”
His story began seven years ago, when a girl in fourth-grade was being forcefully married off at the tender age of 11 and Kumar stopped the child marriage. Since the incident, he realised that a permanent change in people’s mindset was needed.
The same year, he founded Ashar Alo Pathshala Jubo O Shomaj Unnayan Shongstha and began intervention of child marriages.
Every time they receive news of a child marriage, they inform the police and local administration. In the past seven years, Kumar’s organisation has helped save at least 1,000 girls from child marriage.Mohon Robidas, founder of Jagoron Jubo Forum in Moulvibazar, attempts to educate the children of tea garden
workers, one of the most underprivileged communities in the country.
He won JBYA in 2015 for his outstanding efforts.
In February 2017, Mohan established the Jagoron ICT Training Centre, which is funded by the Prime Minister’s Office. As many as 40 students from 12 tea communities are currently being trained there. Five of his former students are now working for a multinational company.
He said: “The internship that I did at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a lifetime opportunity for me. The credit goes to Young Bangla for setting up the opportunity for me.”
On an afternoon in 2006, a freedom fighter was beaten up by a group of derailed young men in Dhaka. Has
an Munawar, a student at the Jagannath College back then, witnessed the crime and thought of doing something. He came up with the idea of informing the present generation about the 1971 Liberation War.
With some friends who believed in the spirit of the Liberation War, Hasan formed With Living Legends and started conducting practical workshops at primary and secondary schools in Dhaka. He especially went to the English medium schools, where local history was handled with the highest degree of neglect.
In 2015, Hasan won the Joy Bangla Youth Award for this innovative way of upholding the spirit of Liberation War and inform the new generation about the birth of this nation.
“Joy Bangla Youth Award changed the way people looked at us. They now believe we are up to something – something good and important,” Has an said.