Twenty-five young political leaders from the country's three most successful political parties have recently graduated from the USAID-funded Strengthening Political Landscape Young Leaders Fellowship Program (YLFP), implemented by Democracy International (DI).
These graduates are promising, active leaders of Bangladesh Awami League (AL), Bangladesh Jatiyotabadi Dal (BNP), and Jatiyo Party (JaPa).
The graduation ceremony of the programme was organized on Tuesday in Dhaka at a city hotel.
The Young Leaders Fellowship Program aims to improve the political skills of young leaders, propel their careers within respective parties, and foster understanding between leaders of different political affiliations. The program creates a professional network that can help bridge the divide in the polarized political landscape of Bangladesh.
The YLFP is widely acclaimed among young political leaders in Bangladesh, offering a rare opportunity to acquire knowledge and training in leadership and politics that is not commonly available.
The young politicians received comprehensive training over four months, covering a wide range of topics including politics, leadership, democratic practices, conflict mitigation, political party building and media relations.
Organisers informed that a total of 561 young leaders have successfully completed the program till now
During the intensive four-month program, participants received detailed training on leadership skills, political practices, conflict resolution, team building and media relations, they also said.
Additionally, the members collaborated across party lines to address local issues, such as the installation of deep tube wells in underdeveloped areas of Meherpur and Mymensingh, waste management and installation of 500 dustbins in Sylhet, dengue eradication campaigns in the Chandpur municipality area, and pond cleaning initiatives in Patuakhali, among others.
Bangladesh Awami League Organizing Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, BNP National Executive Committee Training Affairs Secretary ABM Mosharraf Hossain, and Jatiya Party Presidium Member Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary.
Emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the nation's interests, they commended the collaborative efforts of political parties in the fellowship program towards serving the citizens of the country.
In her closing remarks, Dana L. Olds, Chief of Party of the SPL project at Democracy International, highlighted the significance of cross-party collaboration and collective action in addressing societal needs.
"The collaboration and collective initiative between leaders from different political parties participating in the fellowship program and working together for the common people in their own districts prove that positive, people-oriented politics is possible," said Dana.
The U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided more than $8 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since its independence.