Keshab Roy, an 18-year-old student from Nilphamari, was recently awarded the Youth Courage Award for Education by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education. This is a great honour for Bangladesh and an inspiring example for youth in our country.
The award was given on July 12, declared Malala Day by the UN, in honour of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan for standing up for the right of every girl to go to school. The award, inaugurated this year, recognises the courage and achievements of youth who promote the right of every girl and boy to go to school and learn.
Keshab, the president of the Rangdhanu Shishu Forum, was the only boy to be given the award. The other recipients of the award include girls from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Morocco, and Sierra Leone.
Keshab was hailed as a leader and role model for youth across the globe by the UN. In addition to his work on children’s education, he has been also involved in creating awareness on the ill effects of child marriage in his union.
In a country like Bangladesh, where discrimination against women is still a sad reality, it is especially heartwarming and hopeful to see a young man working to secure the rights of girls.
We wish Keshab all the best and hope that his example will inspire other young men and women in Bangladesh to take up leadership roles to ensure children’s education and welfare.
