For this week, we bring you three activists who are involved in different campaigns and are trying to bring in changes, taking the nation forward. Meet Syeda Oyeshe who is working relentlessly to promote a plastic-free Dhaka city. Muhammad Jahirul Islam is working to educate the underprivileged. Sadi Shahnewaz is a singer, promoting his love for street animals through his music.
Environmentalist: Syeda Oyeshe Siraje
Syeda Oyeshe-a Monash graduate returned to Bangladesh to start a non-profit organization ‘Aamader Cheshta’; fully dedicated to teaching young children about plastic pollution.
Activism> Founded in 2017, the organization has pledged to follow the UN Sustainable development goals to bring in a change in the behavior of Bangladeshi people.” We should focus on the main problem which is to bring in behavioral changes for the betterment of our future. I plan to introduce more sustainable goods in the local markets that can be used as a substitute for plastic in the future.”
Hobby>Writing poems and helping people
Voluntarism> Oyeshe has been visiting primary schools in both rural and urban Bangladesh to teach young pupils about the harms of using single-use plastics. Amader Chestha also organizes voluntary cleanup programs around the city capital.
Activist: Muhammad Jahirul Islam
Muhammad Jahirul Islam Graduated from the Canadian University of Bangladesh and started to teach street kids voluntarily. In 2016, he founded Ignite Youth Foundation (IYF).
Activism> Ignite Youth Foundation aims to alleviate poverty by providing quality education for underprovided children in rural areas. Jahirul helped to establish a school to facilitate 67 poor children back in 2016. Over the years it has grown to attract volunteers from all over the world.
Hobby> Travelling
Voluntarism> Jahirul Islam is planning to open IT centers with modern technologies to provide the best training institutes for students from rural regions. He intends to establish IYF schools in every district across Bangladesh.
Muhammad Jahirul Islam is the recipient of Diana Awards 2020 & Joy Bangla Youth Award 2020.
Singer: Sadi Shahnewaz
Sadi Shahnewaz is the vocalist and Lyricist of the Bangladeshi band, Old Dhaka Diaries. He is also a guitarist at DOOB.
Activism> Sadi Shahnewaz was inclined towards music from a very early age. Growing up he loved punk rock and alternative rock. His all-time favorite band is Greenday and Artcell. This year the band released Rabindratha Tagoor’s ‘ekla cholore’; A rendition in dedication to all the street dogs of Dhaka city. Amidst a thousand negativities that surrounded us this year, Sadi hopes we can see what we usually overlook and be grateful.
Hobby> Playing video games
Voluntarism> Sadi hopes for the expansion of screening platforms in Bangladesh to pan out in favor of the musicians. He aims to work for animal rights and establish a more accepting society.
Sadi Shahnewaz is the Sub-editor (Arts and Entertainment) at Daily Star
