For Samanzar Sayeed, the Miss World stage is not simply about a crown, a gown or a global spotlight. As she prepares to represent Bangladesh at the 73rd Miss World Grand Finale in Vietnam, the newly crowned Miss World Bangladesh 2026 is carrying a much bigger ambition: turning basic hygiene awareness into a nationwide movement.
Speaking to the TIMES of Bangladesh during a media conference in Dhaka on Thursday ahead of her departure, Samanzar outlined her Beauty With a Purpose project, Hygiene for Health Bangladesh. Her goal is to recruit 10,000 volunteers within a year and take essential hygiene education to more than one million people across Bangladesh.
A graduate in Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Samanzar said her campaign grew from what she saw in her own life and during her work in laboratories and hospitals.
“Being the daughter of a doctor mother, hygiene was always a part of my daily life. As I grew older and worked in laboratories and visited hospitals, I realised that many people simply did not have the same awareness or opportunities. It made me think that preventing illness is far more important than treating it after it happens,” she told the TIMES.
Her campaign covers seven areas: personal hygiene, hand hygiene, food hygiene, safe drinking water, oral hygiene, menstrual hygiene and environmental hygiene.
The project follows a volunteer-led model. Each volunteer will recruit 10 more volunteers, while every participant will educate 100 people about basic hygiene practices.
Samanzar has also established the Hygiene for Health Bangladesh Foundation to oversee the initiative and support its nationwide expansion.
For her, the campaign will not end with the pageant.
“Representing Bangladesh at Miss World is the greatest honour of my life. Whether or not I win the crown, this advocacy will remain my lifelong commitment,” she said.
The 73rd Miss World Grand Finale is scheduled for 5 September in Vietnam. Samanzar hopes to use the international platform to showcase Bangladesh’s culture while highlighting a community-driven approach to preventive healthcare.
Her message is simple: small daily habits can create bigger change when people come together.
And for Samanzar, that mission matters regardless of what happens on the final night.
