Seven Bangladeshis have been named in Forbes’ “30 under 30” Class of Asia 2023. Forbes today released its eighth annual "30 Under 30 Asia" list, which includes 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers under the age of 30 from across the Asia-Pacific region who are effecting positive change and driving innovation in the face of global economic uncertainty and a challenging environment. The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2023 includes 30 notable honorees chosen from the following ten categories: The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink); Entertainment & Sports; Finance & Venture Capital; Media, Marketing & Advertising; Retail & Ecommerce; Enterprise Technology; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Healthcare & Science; Social Impact and Consumer Technology. Read more: Forbes features Hasina at 43 on its most powerful women list These are the Bangladeshis who made it to Forbes’ 30 under 30 Class of Asia Anowar Sayef, Saraban Tahura (Cofounders, Turtle Venture) Category: Social Impact Tahura and Sayef cofounded Turtle Venture, Bangladesh's first venture studio dedicated to assisting and encouraging indigenous businesses. It has worked with 90 entrepreneurs since 2018, assisting them in raising over $15 million in initial finance. Turtle Venture, in addition to conducting accelerator programs for women in technology, offers a program called "Young Turtle" that encourages entrepreneurship among university students. Aziz Arman (Founder, Jatri) Category: Consumer Technology Arman cofounded Jatri to use technology to assist in solving Bangladesh's chaotic transportation situation. Last year, the Dhaka Bus Owners' Association decided to utilize the startup e-ticketing system for the capital city's 5,650 public buses, a move that is supposed to ensure equitable pricing for users. Jatri also provides chartered and rental automobile services. In 2021, the firm received a $1.2 million pre-seed series A investment round from investors such as Reflect Ventures, Brain-Too-Free Ventures, and SBK Tech Venture, bringing its total funding to $5.25 million. Read more: Bangladeshis dominate Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list Rubaiyat Farhan and Tasfia Tasbin (Cofounders, Markopolo.ai) Category: Media, Marketing & Advertising Markopolo.ai provides digital marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to write ad material rapidly and seamlessly cross-post on social media. The company's subscription-based program predicts ad success and peak posting circumstances using machine-learning models that identify trends. It also offers a large consumer dataset to assist businesses in automating and optimizing social media marketing, creating content, and reaching out to responsive audiences. In 2022, the company secured $700,000 in a pre-Series A investment led by Singapore VC firm Accelerating Asia. Diptha Saha (Cofounder, Agroshift Technologies) Category: Consumer Technology Saha is the cofounder and chief operating officer of this agricultural supply chain platform, which was founded in 2022. Agroshift enables companies to source directly from farmers, lowering consumer prices and assisting farmers in obtaining a fair price. The agritech firm won H&M's STITCH for RMG Global Innovation Challenge last year, which aims to enhance the lifestyles of women in the garment industry. It secured $1.8 million in a pre-seed round led by Shorooq Partners and Anchorless Bangladesh in October, reportedly the country's largest such financing to date. Read more: 3 Bangladeshi companies on Forbes list Jahnnobi Rahman (Cofounder, Relaxy) Category: Social Impact Jahnnobi Rahman, a recent computer science graduate, cofounded Relaxy to give an accessible digital solution to an increasing number of young Bangladeshis suffering with mental health difficulties. Relaxy provides free services such as mood checks and meditations, but it makes money by providing virtual therapy sessions on-demand at a low cost. To accommodate customers' schedules and demands, the firm intends to launch subscription services on its app. Its app was just selected second runner-up in Huawei's ICT Incubator 2022 in Bangladesh, and it has over 15,000 users.

Samsung has ranked number 1 on Forbes’ ‘World’s Best Employers 2022’ list for the third consecutive year with the commitment to providing the best work culture to its employees. With major global technology companies regularly at the top of the rankings, Samsung has ranked first for the past three years, maintaining the company’s top-notch reputation in the IT and technology industry. In cooperation with Statista, Forbes conducted a survey over 150,000 employees across 800 companies globally, including companies from the UK, Germany, the US and many more, before ranking Samsung as first on the list of ‘World’s Best Employers’. Those who attended in the survey were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family. Besides, they were also asked to rate the companies on various aspects such as economic impact and image, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility. Read more: Samsung Bangladesh brings new B Series TVs Samsung Electronics is having its branch office in Bangladesh, to market quality Consumer Electronics products & Handheld devices. The organisation claimed it is the no. 1 Mobile Handset Brand in Bangladesh for the last 4 years in a row. Hwansung Woo, managing director of Samsung Bangladesh Branch, pointed out his vision of working with a purpose- “We are relentless in serving our purpose of delivering the most advanced Mobile Devices & Consumer Electronics items in Bangladesh. “In addition, we have always been a firm believer in employee satisfaction through meaningful relationships, personalized efforts and advancement opportunities,” he said. In today’s advanced job sector and purpose-driven work are a great priority, and Samsung takes this very seriously, he said adding that they are hopeful of continuing to create a workspace of great value for our employees.      

“So intense, so fragile, and so powerful”. This is how a Forbes feature describes the Paris exhibit showcasing Anne de Henning’s photos capturing the tumultuous days of Bangladesh’s independence struggle and its founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In reference to the ongoing exhibition that brings to life never seen before photos from the battlefield and of the architect behind the country’s birth Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Alexandra Fein, Executive Director of Asia Now, Paris Asian Art Fair was all praises and delivered the above-mentioned quote. Forbes, an influential and acclaimed global magazine, published the in depth feature on the photo exhibition “Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning” that would remain on display until January 23, 2023 at Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris. The museum holds the largest collection of Asian art outside of Asia. Pointing to the systematic manipulation of history following the gruesome assassination of Mujib along with most of his family members, the Forbes article found incredibly rare images of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a key highlight of the show. “Most images of Mujib were destroyed during the coup of 1975,” the article reads. “Especially uncommon” is how the article describes those images of the young country’s founder. “These images were taken by de Henning upon her return to Bangladesh in 1972 when she went to witness Rahman’s address to the nation after the United States officially recognized Bangladesh as sovereign,” reads the write up. Importantly, with focus on every aspect of the exhibition, the feature attributed the initiative as a marker of the country’s culture. Reminding Bangladesh’s heroic battle against Pakistani Army in 1971 and the finest hours of the founding father Mujib in an independent nation, the article reads: “Tragic events certainly deserve all the attention they can get but a country cannot be defined without taking into account its cultural scene”. Interacting with Forbes, de Henning commented, “I think it is important that in looking at the images the viewers feel the extent of the courage and determination with which the Bengali people were ready to fight to achieve independence for their country”. The exhibition was earlier held in Dhaka and has been produced by Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information(CRI). Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Bangabandhu and a trustee of CRI, alongside others made a visit to the museum. A graduate from London School and Economics, Radwan is the publisher and architect behind ‘Mujib’, an autobiographical graphic novel on the Father of the Nation for young readers. He also played a key role in the making of “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale”, a docudrama on his aunt Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and mother Sheikh Rehana. Read more: Radwan Mujib visits Paris photo exhibit on Bangladesh’s birth, Bangabandhu Importantly, the French photographer captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. “I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,” de Henning  said. Although at the time she favoured shooting in black and white, de Henning chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent — that housed the event. Rajeeb Samdani, who is a Co-Founder and Trustee of the Samdani Art Foundation, told Forbes, “We have failed to tell the story of our genocide. We have failed to tell the story of our long history of art and literature. We have failed to tell our history which involves a lot of sacrifice and trauma. Through all of this struggle we have become one of the top three largest garment exporters in the world and the second fastest growing economy in the world. So, our story today is one of growth, culture, and perseverance and this is the story we want to tell.” Read more: Dhaka edition of World Press Photo Exhibition 2022 opens at Drik Gallery

Indian tycoon Gautam Adani’s wealth increased after stocks gained for two weeks in a row and outpaced Wall Street shares. As a result, he now occupies the third position on Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List, surpassing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once more. NDTV reported that Gautam Adani’s wealth increased by $314 million on Monday (October 31, 2022), bringing it to $131.9 billion – making him the third richest person in the world according to Forbes, after Bernard Arnault of Louis Vuitton, who maintains the second slot with a net worth of $156.5 billion. After Amazon predicted dismal holiday sales last Thursday (October 27, 2022), sending shares of the largest retailer in the world tumbling in after-hours trade, the Forbes list also showed a dramatic decline in Jeff Bezos' fortune. Read more: Forbes Highest-paid Footballers 2022: Mbappe overtakes Messi, Ronaldo Although Adani surpassed Jeff Bezos, whose net worth was $126.9 billion, the rankings on the Forbes list have been fluctuating recently, echoing the turmoil in the larger global stock markets, with gains and losses. Gautam Adani, Bernard Arnault, and Jeff Bezos have had readings similar to a musical chairs game for the second, third, and fourth richest spots in recent weeks, but Elon Musk has kept far ahead and is the world’s richest, with a net worth of $223.8 billion. The NDTV reports adds that Gautam Adani’s company would spend more than $150 billion in sectors including renewable energy, data centres, airports, and healthcare as it strives to join the exclusive club of corporations with $1 trillion valuation. Read more: 3 Bangladeshi companies on Forbes list

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been ranked 43rd on Forbes' list of the most powerful women in the world. MacKenzie Scott, Kamala Harris and Christine Lagarde have been ranked first, second and third respectively. Queen Elizabeth II is ranked 70 in the list. The American business magazine says Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, is currently serving her fourth term. READ: Bangladeshis dominate Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list She won the fourth term, which is also her third consecutive term, after her party, Bangladesh Awami League, won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats. “During what she believes will be her final term, Hasina plans to focus on issues such as food security and access to education and healthcare,” the magazine adds. It also mentions that an ongoing struggle for Hasina has been establishing a firm democracy in Bangladesh. READ: PM Hasina in Forbes’ list of most powerful women Every year, this business magazine releases a list of 100 powerful women of the world. This year, the 18th annual list of power women included 40 CEOs, the most since 2015, who, according to the magazine, "oversee a record $3.3 trillion in revenue." The list also included 19 world leaders, an immunologist.

Nine Bangladeshi youths are in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list released on Monday featuring 30 young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers across Asia, all under the age of 30, who are braving the challenging environment brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and finding new opportunities amidst the new normal. For the first time, so many Bangladeshi youths got their places in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. They are incorporated in the list under three categories -- enterprise technology, social impact and retail & e-commerce. The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2021 features bright and innovative millennial and Gen Z leaders who have persevered and thrived despite global uncertainty, with 30 honorees selected for each of the 10 categories, said a press release. Also read: Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars features Bangladeshi actress ... Three Bangladeshis under enterprise technology: Shehzad Noor Taus Priyo (24), Motasim Bir Rahman (26), cofounders, Gaze Serial entrepreneurs and inventors Priyo and Rahman in 2018 launched Singapore and Bangladesh-based AI startup Gaze, which offers visual recognition technologies for online transactions. The company has raised about $1 million in funding, and its customers include Dhaka Metropolitan Police. It won the Startup World Cup Bangladesh in 2020 and Bangladesh Business Innovation Award for Best Startup in 2019. Priyo filed his first patent with IBM Research at age 21 while Rahman built Bangladesh's second-most popular social networking platform called NogorBalok at age 14. Read 3 Bangladeshi companies on Forbes list Mir Sakib (28), Founder, Cramstack Mir Sakib founded Cramstack, a startup that uses AI to automate extraction of information from unstructured data to provide insights for businesses. Sakib got the idea to build a search platform that would allow users to search enterprise data sources as easily as a Google search while working at a pharmaceutical company where he struggled to find such data. Cramstack also offers tools extract and process data from PDFs and images. It has clients in power, finance, manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors including the government of Bangladesh, BCG, UNDP and National Bank. During the pandemic it provided government data from healthcare workers and immigration officials to help track, and curb, the spread of the coronavirus. It has raised over $1 million from Rockstart (Netherlands), Grameenphone (unit of Telenor) and angel investors. Also read:COVID-19: Hasina's efforts lauded in Forbes article Five Bangladeshi youths under social impact category: Rijve Arefin (26), Shomy Chowdhury (26), cofounders, Awareness 360 Rijve Arefin and Shomy Chowdhury cofounded Awareness 360 to bring together young people wanting to improve the lives of people. After losing her mother in 2014 due to complications from severe diarrhea, Chowdhury took action to raise awareness about clean water, sanitation and hygiene. She and Arefin, who Chowdhury met later that year, cofounded Awareness 360.  The Kuala Lumpur-based NGO now has 1,500 volunteers in 23 countries who hold talks and workshops on handwashing, water-filtration methods and personal hygiene, among other environmental initiatives. So far, their campaigns have involved over 150,000 people. The duo's work has been recognized by the UN Development Programme, among other international groups. Read 23 Bangladeshi changemakers selected for Acumen Fellowship Program Rizvana Hredita (28), Md Zahin Rohan Razeen (22), cofounders, Hydroquo+ Hydroquo+ is a Dhaka-based startup that uses AI to improve water management. Founded in 2018, Hydroquo+ has developed systems and technology to detect anomalies in water and analyze water quality. The company also consults for government agencies and NGOs on water-quality modeling. In September, Razeen, CEO of Hydroquo+, was named one of the United Nations' 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals who are leading efforts to combat the world's most pressing issues. Read Funds crisis main challenge to creating entrepreneurs amid Corona Ahmed Imtiaz Jami (27), Founder, Obhizatrik Foundation Jami founded Bangladesh-based Obhizatrik Foundation in 2010 to work on poverty elimination, education, health and nutrition, human rights and the environment. In the past decade it has supported more than 1 million people and provided free education to 500 underprivileged children in three schools, empowered 550 families in seven districts, and provided free treatment for 10,000 patients. It runs a free school and also has a grants program to help poor families set up a business that can be their source of income for the long term. During the pandemic it donated free vegetables to 200,000 individuals, as well as free groceries to 65,000 families and free meals to 90,000 families. Read Need joint efforts for SME sector: Minister The Bangladeshi youth who is in the Forbes’ list under Retail & Ecommerce category is Morin Talukder (27), cofounder of Pickaboo. Five years ago Talukder cofounded the Dhaka-based online store that sells everything from mobile phones to home appliances, apparel and makeup. Pickaboo was one of the first online retailers in Bangladesh to introduce a monthly installment payment plan, same-day delivery and a customer membership program, and it now plans to open 150 physical stores across the country by the end of 2021. It has raised over $6 million from investors in Bangladesh and India. Previously Talukder set up the e-commerce site ehaatbazaar.com, which he sold to his cofounder in 2016. Seven other categories are the Arts; Entertainment & Sports; Finance & Venture Capital; Media, Marketing & Advertising; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Healthcare & Science and Consumer Technology. Earlier one Bangladeshi was in the list in 2020, two Bangladeshis each in 2019, 2018 and 2017. Read F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak

Bangladesh's Square Pharmaceuticals, Renata, and Fortune Shoes have made it to Forbes Magazine's list of 200 top public companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Acumen Academy, a non-profit impact investment fund, has selected 23 Bangladeshi changemakers as fellows for the inaugural group of the Acumen Fellowship Program following a rigorous selection process.