{"id":3082,"date":"2023-12-24T02:30:58","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T02:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/?p=3082"},"modified":"2023-12-24T12:48:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-24T12:48:53","slug":"hernet-foundation-concludes-bangladesh-decides-the-youth-speaks-series-in-collaboration-with-the-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/?p=3082","title":{"rendered":"HerNet Foundation Concludes ‘Bangladesh Decides: The Youth Speaks’ Series in Collaboration with the EU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The HerNet Foundation, in a significant move towards youth empowerment and social change, successfully concluded the fifth and final episode of its much-acclaimed series, “Bangladesh Decides: The Youth Speaks” (BDYS), at the Royal Saudi Arabia Embassy in Bangladesh. The event, which took place on December 24, 2023, was a collaboration between HerNet Foundation and the European Union Embassy in Bangladesh, showcasing a united commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the youth in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alisha Pradhan, the founding CEO and MD of HerNet TV, conceptualized this groundbreaking initiative. The series finale brought together bright students from ten prestigious universities, providing a platform for them to voice their insights, aspirations, and innovative solutions to the multifaceted identity challenges within an evolving Bangladesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The event was broadcast live on HerNet TV, the world’s first television network dedicated to women’s wellbeing. Licensed by the Government of Bangladesh, HerNet TV aims to create a discrimination-free, harmonized world for women. It focuses on women’s rights, empowerment of children, youth, and women, and offers educational programs for marginalized communities, contributing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dialogue of the final episode revolved around “Global Dynamics: Foreign Aid, National Sovereignty, and the Roles of Public and Private Sectors in Development,” from a Bangladeshi perspective. The session was chaired by H.E. Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, with Professor Atiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor of NSU, serving as the chief guest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Including other distinguished guests, there was Monir Prodhan, advisor of HerNet Group; Dr. Bernd Spanier, Deputy Head of Delegation of European Union to Bangladesh; Dr. Sadeka Halim, vice chancellor of Jagannath University; M.<\/strong> Rafiqul Islam<\/strong> vice chancellor of IUT, Mr. Mahbubul Alam, President of FBCCI (Online) ; Mr. Akhter Hossain, NSDA Principal Coordinator of Prime Minister Office; Hosna Prodhan, chairperson of HerNet TV ;  Mr.Zaved Akhter, Chairman & MD of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd;  Bibi Russell, Founder Bibi Production; Tasnuva Islam, Director of Le Meridian Dhaka;  Mohammad Quamrul Hassan, Business Director of ACI Consumer Brands, Sabrina Shaheed, Principal of  Sir John Wilson school; Prof Mekhala Sarker, psychiatrist of national institute mental health; Azeeza Khan, director of summit group ; Professor AKM Mazharul Islam, Professor of Department of Anthropology of SUST, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alisha Pradhan, a prominent figure in social change and the founder of the HerNet Group, chaired the event’s moderation. Pradhan, known for her advocacy for women, children, youth, and marginalized communities, has been recognized for her efforts at national and international levels. Her pioneering leadership was notably acknowledged when she became the first Bangladeshi woman to feature on an international TEDx stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Saudi Arabian ambassador highlighted significant investments made by Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh, commending Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her foreign policy contributions. The ambassador emphasized that Bangladesh holds global significance, asserting that while Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh are trade partners, they refrain from interfering in each other’s internal and external affairs. The importance of Bangladeshi youth in achieving sustainability was underscored, with a call for collaboration between organizations like HerNet Foundation and Saudi Arabia, leveraging the youth demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Union’s deputy ambassador Dr. Bernd Spanier also praised Bangladesh’s transition from aid to trade, emphasizing the need for skill development and education reform. Despite acknowledging Bangladesh’s progress in various sectors, the deputy ambassador identified the challenge of unemployment and an inefficient workforce, urging educational reforms to align with global standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various stakeholders, including the NSDA Principal Coordinator, highlighted opportunities for public-private partnerships in youth development. The NSU Vice Chancellor expressed satisfaction with the university’s role in producing employed graduates but identified a gap in youth engagement with stakeholders. Collaboration with HerNet was proposed to address this issue. HerNet Group Advisor Monir Prodhan emphasized collective responsibility for youth empowerment, urging support from all sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the concluding speech, HerNet founder Alisha Pradhan expressed gratitude to the EU and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing Bangladesh’s unique strength in its youth demographic. She highlighted the challenges faced in establishing the BDYS platform but stressed the importance of continuing the journey for a responsible and aware youth demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the open question forum, statements were shared by various figures, including Major General Mr. Tawheed, Zonta International President Ms. Dilruba Ahmed, Dr. Zareen Delawar, Ms. Mehjabin Prodhan Faiza, and Mr. Subhashish Bhowmhik, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Anthem was performed by underprivileged children from SEID Trust and “Its Humanity Foundation,” marking a poignant start to the event. The program, moderated by Alisha Pradhan, echoed the ethos of the HerNet Foundation, emphasizing the slogan ‘THE VOICE OF TODAY FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking forward, the HerNet Foundation plans to continue its engagement with the youth through the establishment of the “BDYS forum.” This initiative aims to ensure a progressive and sustainable future for Bangladesh by fostering engagements and multi-party initiatives with national and international stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With its successful conclusion, the BDYS series stands as a testament to the potential of youth-led dialogue in shaping a resilient and empowered Bangladesh for the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The HerNet Foundation, in a significant move towards youth empowerment and social change, successfully concluded the fifth and final episode of its much-acclaimed series, “Bangladesh Decides: The Youth Speaks” (BDYS), at the Royal Saudi Arabia Embassy in Bangladesh. The event, which took place on December 24, 2023, was a collaboration between HerNet Foundation and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3098,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3082"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3103,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082\/revisions\/3103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}