The country’s 28 per cent young population can help meet the national demand for blood if young people voluntarily donate blood at least once a year, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor ABM Obaidul Islam has said.
He expressed optimism while addressing a ceremony to honour voluntary blood donors as the chief guest at IDEB Bhaban in the capital on Tuesday, reads a press release.
East West University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Ashik Mosaddik presided over the event, while M Rezaul Hasan, director of the voluntary blood donation programme, also addressed the ceremony.
Quantum Foundation organised the programme as part of its regular initiative to honour voluntary blood donors who have donated blood at least three, 10, 25 and 50 times.
More than 300 voluntary blood donors were honoured with certificates, crests and medals in recognition of their service to humanity.
The DU vice-chancellor said recognising voluntary blood donors was a special initiative that reflected the spirit of building a new Bangladesh.
He said patriotism was not merely a matter of emotion or slogans; rather, performing one’s duties honestly and standing beside vulnerable people were the practical expressions of patriotism.
“The contribution of blood donors to meeting the country’s overall blood demand will be written in letters of gold,” he said.
At the event, 51-time Platinum blood donor Kazi Hasan Ali, 26-time Golden blood donor Rejeka Sultana and Masuma Hossain Tonni, a regular blood recipient suffering from thalassaemia, shared their experiences of voluntary blood donation.
Speakers at the reception said Quantum Lab, with a donor pool of more than 550,000 people, had provided blood and blood components to help save the lives of more than 1.8 million critically ill patients between 2000 and August 2026.
Among the donors, 196 are Platinum donors who have donated blood 50 or more times, while 3,138 are Golden donors who have donated between 25 and 49 times.
Another 13,083 are Silver donors who have donated blood between 10 and 24 times, while more than 58,000 are Lifelong donors who have donated at least three times.
The speakers expressed gratitude to all voluntary blood donors on behalf of Quantum Lab.
The organisers also called on young people to come forward and join this humanitarian service to help fully meet the country’s blood demand.
