Bangladesh announced global awards for youths as the government on Sunday unveiled yearlong plan for the celebration of the ‘OIC Youth Capital for 2020’ in Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the yearlong event on April 12 when 10 youths will also get the ‘Bangabandhu Global Youth Award’.
Muslims youths across the world can register in a prescribed form in the website for the competitive process, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Rasel said while unveiling the plan and jointly launching the website – https://www.dhakaoyc2020.org/.
The website will act as a platform for the registration and for providing all relevant information regarding the programmes and activities.
More than 150 Muslim youths across the world will be invited for the inauguration ceremony. Of them 10 will be selected for the award by a jury for their innovation, entrepreneurship, humanitarianism, person accomplishments and environmental activities.
All the youth participants will participate in a humanitarian boot camp at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp after the inauguration.
Apart from opening, Holy Quran recitation competition, film festival, art exhibition, debate competition, voluntary camp, youth summit and business hub boot camp, football camp, rover moot and a grand closing ceremony are the highlights of the yearlong celebration which also coincides with Mujib Year – the birth centenary celebration of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“It’s a great moment for us,” the foreign minister said. “Bangladesh would like take a leadership role amongst the Muslim nation and Bangladesh would like to exhibit itself to the world as the land of opportunities and growth possibilities”.
He stressed on the projection of Bangladesh’s emphasis on dialogues and reconciliation as a measure for peace and stability. Bangladesh won the title of the OIC Youth Capital 2020 marking a significant recognition for the country in the youth sector, the foreign minister said.
This victory came after a yearlong concerted effort by Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for projecting the strengths and opportunities that Bangladesh offers to the youth, the foreign ministry said.
Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), an international institution affiliated to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) made this declaration on December 25 last year.
Bangladesh contested for the coveted title since May last year. The Ministry of Youth and Sports submitted a wide range of activities for the selection process. Subsequently, Bangladesh was shortlisted – along with Kazakhstan and Tunisia by ICYF.
Later in October, a high level delegation of ICYF led by ICYF President Taha Ayhan visited Bangladesh to inspect the overall preparation of Bangladesh.
Finally on December 22 a “Protocol of Commitment” was signed between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and ICYF leading to the declaration of Bangladesh as the “OIC Youth Capital 2020”.
The State Minister for youth said the selection of Dhaka as the Youth Capital will play a “significant role to reflect a positive brand image of Bangladesh globally specially among the youth”.
“The convergence of the yearlong events with the grand celebration of Bangabandhu Birth Centenary has amplified its significance to a great extent,” he said.
“Ten mega-events have been designed for the celebration,” he said while mentioning the names. “It will inject a great momentum, inspiration and motivation among the vast young population of Bangladesh and the OIC member states as well,” he said.
The grand celebration will be implemented by eight lead ministries and twenty co-lead ministries round the year. Number of youth and sports ministers from OIC member states will be invited in the inauguration ceremony.
