18 December 2025, Dhaka: Save the Children in Bangladesh has convened the National Youth Summit 2025 on 17–18 December at the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Dhaka, bringing together 300 youth leaders from across 39 districts of the country under the theme “Amplify your voice, lead the future.”
The two-day summit aims to strengthen youth leadership, civic engagement, and collective action while laying the foundation for the National Youth Network (NYN), a unified national platform to amplify youth voices in policy dialogue and development processes. Participants representing diverse regions and backgrounds are engaging in discussions, cultural performances, interactive sessions, and participatory activities to identify shared priorities and commitments. At the end of the event, Tania Sharmin, Director- Food Security and Livelihood, facilitated a collective commitment session where all the youth participants wrote their individual commitments for the next 6 months on how they will contribute to the youth network.
Such engagement seeks to catalyze and motivate the youth network to strengthen leadership and agency, amplify their voices for policy and social change, enhance employability and economic empowerment, climate action engagement, and lead innovation.
Quotes from Motivational Speaker, Special Guest and Chief Guest:
On the first day, three female football players from the Bangladesh Women’s National Football Team attended the event and had a session on motivation speech. They said,
Sapna Rani, Midfielder: “If we do not roll the football, it is not possible to goal and make a score. So, you need to step up for reaching your goal in life.”
Mst Sagorika, Forward: “People will talk anyway whatever you do. This is very obvious for the girls and women in our country. I would say do not pay attention to what people say. Rather, stick to your goal and work for that”
Kohati Kisku, Forward: “You have to work hard to become successful in anything. But only working hard is not enough, you need to set a target, a goal where you want to reach. Having a target makes a clear vision and this is very important to achieve success”
On the second day of the event, Md. Musa Ibrahim, Mountaineer, and Journalist joined the event in the ‘Inspiration Talk’ session.
He said, “The mountains have taught me that no work is too small or too big. Everyone present here today is a leader in their own right. I urge each of you to enrich your knowledge and continue working towards leadership.”
Chief guest, Md. Mahbubul Alam, Secretary, Ministy of Youth and Sports said:
We see that Save the Children in Bangladesh is bringing youth together, and this network is now essential to improving the future. We have many government departments to support youths in their endeavors. Our convening today is to hear from young people through a youth voice mechanism that demonstrates their collective power. We have policies on health, education, and ICT to strengthen your capacity, and these are our guiding principles, enabling all of us to contribute through meaningful engagement. You have to be visionary in thinking about where you are and how you can address any obstacles that stand in your way to the future.
Special guest, Ms. Zinat Ara, Director General, Department of Women Affairs said: “Families are the starting point for promoting excellence and striving for a better world. Today, I want to be a part of your family in building the future and the hard work we all put in. We make resolutions every year, and may this be extra special as we have youth from over 35 districts, representing all genders and groups. This event highlights the opportunities we can create together and the possibility that it will become a reality when we all commit and take it as our unified responsibility.”
Special guest, Roton Kumar Halder, Additional Director, Department of Social Services said: “This platform should have happened sooner. We needed to connect with the youths much sooner. Seeing you today is a reminder that if you continue to realize your potential, the future will be brighter. You have the power to change the world for children and create a future that puts their needs first. If we come together, I know that the future for your generatio and those to come will be better.”
In the closing session, ASM Rahmat Ullah, Deputy Country Director, Save the Children in Bangladesh said: “I recognize that this is an interesting time in your life as youths – a terminal period- where you are taking a crucial step in the progress of your life. We need to come together to ensure you see the future you can best contribute to, with the proper knowledge and guidance. We have just begun working with this network, and we will continue to hear from you to forge a way forward; your perspective and voice are essential to guiding the future.”
