Md Asaduzzaman from Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur, who works as a mason, has set up libraries in 16 villages. He also nurtures a dream to create a “library village,” where anyone will be able to study without paying a single taka. On Saturday, he won the Joy Bangla Youth Award in recognition of his dedicated efforts.

The Joy Bangla Youth Award has been instituted by the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), a nonprofit organisation, and it has been conferred for the last six years to recognise young changemakers.

Asaduzzaman received the award from Sajeeb Wazed, at the sixth instalment of the Joy Bangla Youth Award held at Sheikh Hasina Jubo Unnoyon Institute in Savar on Saturday.

The young changemaker founded Milon Smriti Pathagar (Milon Memorial Library), which aims to spread the light of education. In their upazila, they have so far built 16 libraries, including one for children, a roadside one for travelers, and three at railway stations for waiting passengers.

Read: Joy Bangla Youth Award confers lifetime achievement honour on cartoonist Ahsan Habib

These libraries have already attracted students and people from other walks of life.

“I make a living as a mason, but I’m deeply passionate about set up libraries,” Asaduzzaman said after receiving the Joy Bangla Youth Award.

He is one of the ten who were given Joy Bangla Youth Award under five categories. In addition, lifetime achievement recognition was conferred on editor of the iconic satire magazine Unmad, Ahsan Habib, and a writer from the remote Chittagong Hill Tracts Younguan Mro.

Read: 6th Joy Bangla Youth Award to be held on Nov 12

The 10 awarded youths and their organizations are: Robolife Technologies: Joy Barua, BK School of Research: Bijon Kumar, Boson Science Club: Muhammad Mazedur Rahman, Uchchhas: Prosenjit Kumar Saha, Youth Planet: A B M Mahmudul Hasan, Bigganpriyo: Muhammad Shaon Mahmud, Mojar School: Ariyan, Milon Smiriti Pathagar: Asaduzzaman, Switch Bangladesh Foundation: Md Muinul Ahsan, and Bindu Women Empowerment Organization: Jannatul Maoa.

Joy Bangla Youth Award, introduced by CRI’s youth secretariat Young Bangla, has emerged as the biggest recognition for youths at the grassroots working silently to turn their communities around. The platform grooms the young visionaries and connects them with policymakers to enhance the impact of their work. It also helps the young harbingers of change build a network among themselves so that the power of united efforts outshines the effects of individual initiatives. This year, around 600 youths and youth-led organisations applied for the award and among them, 28 were picked up for the final round. Of the finalists, ten clinched the title.

Effusively praising the youths for their untiring efforts towards change, Sajeeb Wazed expressed his hope that youths would drive the country forward by overcoming the ongoing crises gripping the world.

“We will solve our own problems with our own merit. If we have confidence and patriotism within ourselves, it is possible to do everything for our country and the people of this country,” he added.

Receiving the awards from Sajeeb Wazed, Joy Bangla Youth Award winners gave words to their feelings.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ahsan Habib said, “I am feeling ecstatic. Our Unmad is now 45. We have just received an award after so many years. It will do a great favour to our cartoonists. It was Unmad’s cartoonists who sketched the country’s first graphic novel ‘Mujib’. I believe all the cartoonists behind the graphic novel will be inspired.”

Read: Application rolls out for 6th Joy Bangla Youth Award