Young people were encouraged to pursue their dreams, embrace new ideas and remain resilient in the face of challenges as BRAC’s Carnival of Change 2025 opened with a showcase of youth-led innovations on 29 and 30 November at the BRAC Centre for Development Management premises in Savar.
More than 250 young participants from across the country presented social initiatives, joined dialogues and attended workshops aimed at fostering leadership and problem-solving, BRAC said in a press statement on Saturday.
Three initiatives — Stories of Inclusion, Jolshikha and GoodDo Toys — were selected from twelve shortlisted projects for their creativity, community impact and potential to drive positive change, the statement said.
Stories of Inclusion offers accessible audiobooks for children with disabilities, Jolshikha produces eco-friendly charcoal from coconut shells and GoodDo Toys creates educational and inclusive toys for children.
The statement said the winners will also receive BRAC’s Social Entrepreneurs’ Fellowship for the first time.
Writer and educator Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founder of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, addressed the opening session by urging young people to remain true to their aspirations.
“You do not have to give up on anything once it becomes part of your soul; follow your dreams and you will taste success,” he said, adding that human potential is multidimensional and young people must not be discouraged by negativity.
He told participants that resilience defines human beings and that the initiatives presented by members of BRAC’s Amra Notun Network reflect genuine conviction and purpose.
In a session titled “The Science of Finding a Way,” BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh said hope is central to human progress and urged young people to think boldly in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and other forces.
He said Bangladesh faces challenges such as unemployment, inequality and climate change but noted that young people must step forward to address them, the statement added.
Safi Rahman Khan, director of BRAC’s Human Capital Development Cluster, delivered a lecture on the meaning of success and said that personal definitions of achievement matter more than material gains.
The event also saw the formal launch of the Amra Notun Young Changemakers Award 2025 by Md Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme and Youth Platform, who said the Amra Notun Network (ANN) was created in 2018 to institutionally support youth-led solutions.
Twelve projects were shortlisted from fifty initial applications, including Eco Care, Uttaron, Arohon, TriRE, Prerona, Project Nirvoya, Shunno, Nandonik and Humanity Public Library, which received recognition despite not winning the top award.
A cultural programme featuring performances by Warfaze and Sovvota concluded the first day of the event.
The second day will include sessions and workshops on personal development, career guidance and youth contributions to nation-building.
BRAC said the Amra Notun Network works with university-going youth through life-skills training, guidance and activities to prepare them for future leadership. Established in 2018, ANN now operates in seventeen districts and has trained more than 2,600 young people, many of whom have earned recognition from the Gates Foundation, NASA and the United Nations.
