Mahmudullah Riyad with young changemakers

Bangladeshi cricketer Mahmudullah Riyad, during a recent visit to Chattogram, spoke to people of different ages and communities about important social and behavioural issues.
As a goodwill ambassador of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mahmudullah visited USAID’s Ujjiban Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) centre on 27 November.
Bangladesh National Cricket Team vice-captain talked to married couples at a community clinic about the importance of family planning.
The cricketer also spent time with a group of teenagers at a local school and told them about the benefits of balanced, nutritious diet and personal hygiene, and played a friendly cricket match with them.

He urged a group of youth to be the changemakers of their generation by preventing early marriages in their communities.
Addressing the students of Lakhera High School, Mahmudullah, said, “I feel good seeing you all. You remind me my school days. My special thanks to USAID for that. This is the most important stage of our lives”
Mahmudullah stated the role of teacher to be the ‘most significant one’ at the stage.
He also asked the students to take care of their physical and mental health and said, “say NO to eve teasing and early marriage”
The Bangladeshi batsman visited USAID’s Ujjiban Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) centre, Lakhera High School, a community clinic and a slum.
The visits were undertaken in collaboration with Save the Children International, Johns Hopkins University, Imago Sports Management and ABC Radio 89.2 fm.
Mahmudullah Riyad was named as USAID’s Goodwill Ambassador for youth and development in Bangladesh in 2017, and works with USAID to engage thousands of young people via social media and public service announcements on the importance of youth empowerment in Bangladesh, and the need to increase education and nutrition, and reduce gender-based violence.