Joy Bangla Concert has returned this year after a break of two years due to the pandemic. As young music lovers are celebrating the return of the biggest live music event in the country today, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and trustee of Centre for Research and Information (CRI), joined them at Dhaka’s Army Stadium. A minute's silence was observed at the stadium to pay homage to the victims of yesterday’s blast in a Gulistan building. The concert began with condolences for the people killed and injured in the blast. Young Bangla, a youth platform of the CRI, is organizing the concert for the seventh time. Radwan Mujib’s work mainly revolves around empowering youths in Bangladesh.

A minute's silence was observed at the Joy Bangla Concert 2023 in Dhaka’s Army Stadium today to pay homage to the victims of yesterday’s blast in a Gulistan building. Young Bangla, a youth platform of the Center for Research and Information (CRI), is organizing the Joy Bangla Concert for the seventh time. At least 17 people were killed after an explosion ripped through a commercial building in the capital's Gulistan area yesterday. More than 100 people were injured in the blast. The concert began with condolences for the people killed and injured in the blast. Read more: Joy Bangla Concert 2023: Young music lovers counting hours The Centre for Research & Information (CRI) and its youth secretariat, Young Bangla, have been organizing the concert since 2015 to commemorate the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The concert was not held in the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the concert is generally held on March 7, this year's event was moved to March 8 due to the holy Shab-e-Barat. After two years of hiatus, the concert returned, aiming to instill the spirit of the Liberation War in young minds. According to the organizers, Artcell, Avoid Rafa, Lalon, Chirkutt, Cryptic Fate, Karnival, Meghdol, Nemesis, and Arekta Rock Band are performing today at the Joy Bangla Concert 2023.  

A new episode of Young Bangla’s ongoing interactive session “Let’s Talk” where university students and youths from different walks of life get a chance to speak to policymakers – to lend out their concerns and aspirations centering the social safety net schemes amid global headwinds – is set to be streamed on Facebook this Friday at 9 pm.  The participants and panelists discussed students’ participation, combating drug addiction, ways of improving interdepartmental coordination, meeting consumer demands, competency to deal with the pandemic in the future, women’s safety in public places, road safety, roles and responsibilities of the ministry of public administration, coordination between different local government agencies and many more. Held on February 15, 2023, Young Bangla organized its 43rd episode of “Let’s Talk”, tilted ‘Social Safety and Security’, at the University of Rajshahi – bringing in a diverse group of policymakers, experts and students. In addition to Young Bangla, the country’s largest youth platform, a number of private television channels will also stream the 30-minute event. At the event, policymakers, experts, students and others youths of Rajshahi had an interactive discussion and idea-sharing session. The session focused on contemporary issues, especially on the government initiatives to ensure social safety and security. Read more: CRI's 'Let's Talk': Speakers back govt initiatives to shore up energy security Farhad Hossain MP, State Minister for Public Administration; Khadizatul Anwar MP; Professor Dr. Golam Shabbir Sattar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Rajshahi; and Dr Sakia Haque, Joy Bangla Youth Award winner 2018 and Founder of Travelettes of Bangladesh, participated as panelists on this “Let’s Talk” event. More than 250 students from the University of Rajshahi, Varendra University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi College, and others took part in the event and directly discussed, asked questions, and shared their opinion with the panelists. State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, “It is our job to deliver all government services ensuring public safety through efficient public administration. “We strive to develop our officials in such a way that they have a service-minded attitude. So that they can serve everyone equally and better,” he said. He also added that the government wants the youths to come forward with their talents and skills to build a smart Bangladesh. “They should take the opportunities to avail government facilities and services, i.e., getting government funds, loans, and training and prove themselves in the competitive market,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring law and order for safety, including zero-tolerance against terrorism and violence against women. We have taken several steps to protect women’s rights and empower them, including legal support for victims of violence, and skills training and financial support for women’s economic empowerment.” In response to a question relating to ongoing inflation due to the pandemic and different international conflicts, he added that Bangladesh is doing better than many countries and is on the development track. He added that the prime minister emphasizes on food security to deal with inflation. “We have sufficient fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides. Positive thinking, approach and activities can help us to overcome such challenges and to create a smart Bangladesh.” Khadizatul Anwar MP said, “Reporting is important to prevent intimate personal violence. The government can only act against such crimes when it receives reports. Women must break the silence and raise their voices against intimate personal violence.” “They must seek help from the government to stop such violence as the government has introduced several initiatives to protect women from such heinous crimes. Women can also talk to family and friends and seek support to prevent this. Women leaders and celebrities can speak up about this issue and share their experiences to raise awareness among general people.” She added that youths should come forward to ensure social safety and security.

Countdown for the biggest recognition for young Bangladeshi changemakers, Joy Bangla Youth Award, is about to be over with the event on Saturday. Young Bangla, country’s biggest youth network, this year announced to hand over awards to ten outstanding organisations under five categories following a rigorous screening process for over 500 applications. Sajeeb Wazed, chairperson of Center for Research and Information (CRI), will hand over the awards at the ceremony — to be attended by an esteemed jury panel and a stream of country’s top young achievers, former and current awardees. As part of endeavours to revive his grandfather Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s vision of “Sonar Bangla”, Sajeeb Wazed has been credited for the country's digital transformation, making Awami League's 2008-electoral promise of Digital Bangladesh a reality. As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT adviser, Sajeeb Wazed has monitored and overseen the digitalisation of all spheres of life — from online schooling to financial transactions. Read: 6th Joy Bangla Youth Award to be held on Nov 12 Bangladesh benefited from that digital transformation during the coronavirus catastrophe across the world. It managed to keep its economy going through a wide spectrum of digital activities, including e-commerce, telemedicine, virtual court, and delivering money to the poor through mobile platforms. Bangladesh’s growth trajectory during the Covid-19 pandemic was much better compared to its bigger neighbours , owing to this all-encompassing digitalisation. As the chairperson of Centre for Research and Information (CRI), Awami League’s think tank, Sajeeb Wazed is realising his vision of grooming the next generation of Bangladeshi super-achievers. With the CRI team, he launched a series of interactive programs with young Bangladeshis. Joy Bangla Youth Award — the country's first initiative to recognise, award and create a network of young changemakers — is CRI's signature programme. Joy Bangla Youth Award has helped showcase silent but transformational initiatives — from educating street children in Dhaka to helping the poor and vulnerable tea worker communities in Sylhet. Read: ‘Sports for All’: Young Bangla holds “Let’s Talk” with policymakers, students in Ctg Born amidst the turmoil of the 1971 Liberation War, Sajeeb Wazed, like his sister Saima Wazed, had to come to terms with the “Midnight Massacre” on the fateful night of August 15, 1975, when Bangabandhu was gunned down with much of his family. Only his mother Sheikh Hasina and aunt Sheikh Rehana survived the horrific carnage. “Hasina: A Daughter's Tale”, the CRI-driven moving docu-feature showcases the horrors of that darkest chapter of the nation and the incredible transformation the country went through under Sheikh Hasina. Since its inception in 2014, Young Bangla, the largest network of the country's youths, has become a hub of 12,500 volunteers, 2,00,000 members, and 300 youth organisations. Read: ‘Joy Bangla’ made national slogan: Govt notification The goal of this platform, CRI’s youth secretariat, is not just awarding or recognising the young changemakers but also helping them network, connect with policymakers, and receive proper grooming. Owing to the support provided by Young Bangla, a couple of past awardees later earned international recognition including the prestigious Diana Award and International Children’s Peace Prize.

Posing for a photograph wearing a mask of Young Bangla, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has advanced the cause of the country's largest youth platform Young Bangla.  In a Facebook post, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, a trustee of Center For Reserach and Information that oversees activities of Young Bangla, posted the photo with his mother Sheikh Rehana and his aunt Sheikh Hasina.  Newly added members for Young Bangla, reads the post in caption.  Activists of the youth platform, comprising over 12,500 volunteers, are overwhelmed to get the prime minister as their latest member.  Launched in 2014, Young Bangla has been acting as a flexible space for the youth to come together into a network and collectively strive for achieving personal and national goals through sharing and cooperation. Under one of its flagship initiative Joy Bangla Youth Award, named after the historic pro-Liberation wartime slogan Joy Bangla, the platform has so far recognized, groomed and showcased as many as 135  youth-led organizations READ: Young Bangla gathers young artists to share their pandemic experiences Through the award, Young Bangla is not just recognizong the efforts of youths in transforming the society but also enhancing the impact of the services they are already doing to their communities. Joy Bangla Youth Award is the first of its kind in Bangladesh to offer a platform to the country's young changemakers, even from remote areas, so that they are exposed to the climate that best harnesses their talents. The youth organizations that were previously working on individual levels are now united through this organization and their points are placed across to the policymakers, according to media reports.  Young Bangla has set the precedence of portraying history and advancing the spirit of the Liberation War through creative forms of storytelling such as Joy Bangla Concert, a remarkable music extravaganza in celebration of historic March 7 speech.  Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended Joy Bangla Concert, paying tribute to the Father of the Nation's 7th March speech. Young Bangla members, numbering around 200,000, are elated and proud to have Sheikh Hasina supporting their cause, which is evident in their social media posts.

Young Bangla on Monday handed over the Joy Bangla Youth Award, the country's best recognition for young changemakers, to 15 youth-led organizations for the social changes they spearheaded. The event took place on the ground of Sheikh Hasina National Youth Center in Savar amid strict safety measures against the Covid-19. Though Joy Bangla Youth Award 2018 had been hosted at the auditorium of the same centre, this time the playground with a wider space was chosen to ensure safety from Coronavirus. This year, the hype of the Joy Bangla Youth Award was on full blast as it was made to coincide with the country's 50th year of independence whose watchword was the slogan Joy Bangla. Recorded speeches of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy were aired during the event. Radwan Mujib Siddiq, a trustee of the ruling Awami League's research wing Centre for Research & Information (CRI), handed over the award to 15 youth-led organizations, recognizing their contribution to their communities. Since its inception in 2014, Young Bangla, the youth secretariat of CRI, has been awarding the youths who spearheaded social changes in different parts of the country, even in remote areas. A couple of past awardees, equipped with the grooming and networking provided by JBYA, later achieved International recognitions. This year Young Bangla received entries from a total of 750 youth-led organizations, out of which 31 were primarily nominated. Among them, 15 finally claimed the award. The winning organisations are Dhrubotara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF), the Tech Academy, Asmani Jubo nari Foundation, Amal Foundation, Third EYE, EcoVation Bangladesh, Bangladesher Dushprappo Chobi Somogro, Steps Ahead, Moner School, TransEnd, Reflective Teens, GenLab, Diner Alo Hijra Unnyon Mohila Songstha, Bangladesh Tea Community Student Youth Council and Medhabi Kallyan Sangstha (MKS).

The  much-coveted "Joy Banga Youth Award", the biggest recognition for young achievers, will be announced on December 20, sources close to it said on Friday. Carrying the vibrant wartime slogan Joy Bangla, the award is conferred one in two years.  Read: Awardees have potential to transform society: JBYA jury But this time the interval has been shortened to one year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh. Showered with praises by the jury, the young achievers are regarded to possess the potential to not just change the country but contribute to the world as well, said sources at Young Bangla that operates under the auspices of the Centre for Research & Information (CRI). Young Bangla has received entries from around 750 youth-led organizations and it will award 15 organizations under five categories. Since its inception in 2014, JBYA picked up a pool of youths who silently transformed their communities through a wide range of activities ranging from educating underprivileged children to helping distressed people to stopping child marriage. Thanks to the grooming, networking, and inspiration, a couple of awardees of the past years got even internationally acclaimed, they added. Read: Those working for minorities encouraged to apply for JBYA This year the award is featuring a new addition.  Young Bangla will present Special Recognition to individuals who have made significant contributions to the post-independence nation-building process through their leadership, service, initiatives and research.

Young Bangla, the country’s biggest platform for the youth, has unveiled the website of Women’s Safety in Public Places (WSPP), a campaign aimed at curbing the rise in crimes against women. State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak formally launched the website during a virtual discussion on women’s safety in public places on Thursday evening. The event was organised by Young Bangla, the youth platform of the Centre for Research & Information. Read:Young Bangla to share findings on women safety issues today Recalling Bangabandhu’s generosity towards women who were violated by the Pakistani Occupation Forces during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, he said, “Our mothers and sisters made the highest level of sacrifice during the Liberation War." "When these women gave birth to children, neither they nor their kids knew who their fathers were. But, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman then said -- 'put Bangabandhu's name as the father of these war children. And put their home address as Dhanmondi 32'," the Minister said. "Had Bangabandhu been alive for 10 more years, he could turn this Bangla into Golden Bengal 40 years down the line from today. Then, 50 years into the independence, we wouldn’t have to conduct a webinar to ensure the safety and dignity of women at public places," he added. To ensure women’s safety in public transport, Zunaid asked all bus owners should keep a copy of all digitally registered documents, such as the National ID Card, of drivers and helpers before appointing them so that they could be tracked in case of any untoward incident. “If one crore people can register through the Surokkha website for vaccination, why can’t we ensure that there are digital records of the identities and driving licences of all bus drivers and helpers,” he said. "When there is information about these vehicles, it will be ensured that at least any crime occurring in any of these 15 to 20 lakh vehicles will not go unreported." The Minister said the government is also planning to launch a device that could be worn as a bracelet by women. "If a women finds herself in a threatening situation, and if that bracelet is shaken or pressed, an alert will be digitally conveyed to the nearby police station. CRI, Young Bangla, UNDP, and ICT can jointly get this done,” he added. Read: DNCC teams up with Young Bangla to make masses embrace masks Zunaid said they wanted to make an app named Joy with advanced technology so that in an untoward situation, "the scene is recorded through audio or video in an automated way and the crime scene can be digitally tracked". He also revealed that some customised games are being made for different age groups of children so that they can learn while playing, how to be respectful towards people, particularly women. Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, underscored the need for engaging youths to make the campaign successful. “I sincerely congratulate all youth organisations and also the youth leaders who have been actively engaged with this campaign and volunteering valuable time to bring positive changes in the society." She also called other stakeholders to extend necessary support and take actions to make public places safer for all women and girls. Habibur Rahaman, Associate Coordinator of Young Bangla, shared a summary of the findings from a situation analysis conducted by youth organisations at 10 different places. A total of 10 youth organisations conducted Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Stakeholder Analysis, and Case Study Analysis in 10 districts. Respondents claimed they often face harassment at public places. Anup Kumar from Aporajita, Khulna, and Sabitree Hembram youth representatives from UNDP shared individual experiences while engaging stakeholders in districts. Read:Young Bangla gathers young artists to share their pandemic experiences "We have been able to bring a perpetrator to book in our locality with the support of law enforcement agency. Previously, powerful people used to evade justice easily while abusing girls from ethnic communities. The situation has changed for the better," said Sabitree. However, she called for combined efforts to reinforce the campaign and demanded policy changes to ensure safety in public places for all women. Amena Begam BPM, Deputy Inspector General (Protection) of Special Branch, Bangladesh Police, and President of Bangladesh Police Women Network (BPWN), highlighted the roles undertaken by Bangladesh Police, especially BPWN, in preventing harassment against women during Covid.

Young Bangla, a youth platform in Bangladesh, will share the findings of a situation analysis on women’s safety in public places at a webinar to be held on Thursday evening.  The website of the Women's Safety in Public Places (WSPP) will also be launched today.  Read: DNCC teams up with Young Bangla to make masses embrace masks Recently, Young Bangla youths have conducted the situation analysis through consulting different stakeholders in 10 districts. Unveiling the campaign website will help connect a wider audience through virtual medium. The organizers will share the real scenario of women’s safety such as; practicing norms, people’s perspectives, role of different stakeholders and most importantly the role of youth to eliminate malpractices and to sensitize the broader community. Read:Young Bangla gathers young artists to share their pandemic experiences Ten youth organizations have conducted Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Stakeholder Analysis, and Case Study Analysis in 10 districts. This analysis enabled them to reflect on the situation of harassment against women in their respective communities throughout April of 2021 amid the pandemic with following health protocols.  Read: Coronavirus: CRI’s Young Bangla raises awareness among volunteers Habibur Rahaman from CRI is going to share the summary of the findings. State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak will grace the virtual event as chief guest.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has teamed up with Young Bangla, a youth volunteering platform, launching a mass-masking campaign to help increase proper mask-wearing in Dhaka significantly and reduce Covid-19 transmission saving thousands of lives. The campaign, led by the city corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, was brought forth in partnership with local and global organizations Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), Yale University, Stanford Medical School, Centre for Research and Information (CRI), Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), and BD Clean. Around 100 volunteers from Young Bangla, the youth secretariat of the ruling Awami League's research wing Centre for Research & Information (CRI), teamed up with the organizations to leverage the impact created by the life-saving initiative. In the first design meeting of the campaign, the Mayor said, “We need to learn how to manage our lives to cope with the threat of Covid. Proper mask wearing is a critical part of that. This challenge needs broad partnership. I am very happy that we are forming a global partnership — the DNCC Mass Masking Campaign—to tackle this big challenge.” The Mass Masking Campaign is based on a model called NORM (NORMalize mask-wearing model). Developed by Yale University, Stanford University, and IPA, in partnership with GreenVoice, a local NGO, NORM was rigorously researched using a large-scale randomized evaluation. Also read: Avoid public gatherings, wear masks to fight Covid surge, PM urges all The research was similar to vaccine trials, involving 350,000 people across 600 unions throughout Bangladesh for the last four months. NORM for rural Bangladesh includesfour components: distributing free masks, offering information on mask-wearing, reinforcing mask-wearing in-person and in public, and modeling and endorsement by trusted leaders.