UN recognises four Bangladeshi youths as ‘Real Life Hero’

Marking World Humanitarian Day on Wednesday, the United Nations (UN) has recognised four Bangladeshi youths as “real life heroes” for their contribution to humanitarian work.

Dhaka University (DU) student Tanbir Hasan Shaikat, a former member of DUCSU and leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, was among the four youths.

Tanbir, along with a team of volunteers collected and distributed foods among poor for 116 days uninterruptedly around the DU campus, read UN website.

He collected donations and raised funds from his friends, teachers,
and other well wishers who were willing to donate to keep this work
going, it said.

Talking to BSS, Shaikat said, “I am not doing the thing for
recognition. However, I feel proud after getting this recognition from
the UN and it aroused inspiration in my inner soul to stand by the
needy people in future.”

Rizvi Hassan was recognised for work with BRAC and UNICEF in designing a safe space and a community centre for women and girls at the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp after aid workers involved in gender-based violence work in the camp reported that women and girls needed a safe space to receive counselling and skills training.

Meanwhile, Sifat Noor was hailed as a humanitarian hero for his
contribution to translating critical, potentially life-saving information into Bengali so more people have the information they need to lead safe, healthy, and informed lives.

The campaign also recognised Akhi, a girl rescued from hazardous
child labour by World Vision, as a real life hero as she decided to
make masks because masks were not available in the market when
Covid-19 started to spread in Bangladesh.

Akhi sells her masks at a low cost so that her poor neighbors can
afford them, the website said.

Humanitarian workers around the world are being recognized as “real
life heroes” by the United Nations for their work on the front lines
of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.