26 November, Dhaka: The National Youth-Led Innovation Lab (YIL) 2025 took place on November 26, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka. The event is a culmination of supporting youth innovators in developing their solutions further. With the 15-29 age group accounting for 36% of the labor force, there are over 26.8 million workers. Therefore, innovation and the creation of opportunities for tomorrow.
Youth winners from 14 districts across four divisions are presenting their innovation ideas to government agencies, development partners, NGOs, the private sector, and financial institutions. In the last 5 years, 24 YIL businesses have continued operating and created employment opportunities. Since 2023, the lab has focused on green innovation to create environmentally sustainable business opportunities. The event featured a panel discussion on empowering youths for sustainable growth, exploring how innovation and inclusion can be fostered among youths.
The winners are
- Anwesha – creates a one-stop menstrual hygiene & wellness hub for women in the Kolyanpur slums.
- Bonolota – turns discarded coconut husks into coco peats as a resource for agriculture, gardening, and urban farming in the West Madarbari area of Chattogram.
- Craftique – transforms leather waste for the industry into bags, pouches, and jewelry in the Bhairab Upazila.
- Dream Power – building a solar-powered mosquito trap that is eco-friendly and affordable to fight dengue and malaria.
- Dry Nutri – developing a nutrition powder – satu – for children and pregnant mothers in disaster-prone areas of the Rangpur district, where undernutrition and iodine deficiency are common.
Shumon Sengupta, Country Director, Save the Children –
“Youth are going to be the thinkers, developers, and leaders of scaling up. We are proud to support this youth with our donors. Seeing these youth innovators, we witness the need to be socially conscious, and most of their ideas are environmentally conscious. It’s a complete kind of approach to innovation where they can convert these into viable businesses that expand empowerment.”
Ms Mamtaz Ahmed, NDC, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs –
“I was curious to know about the National Youth-Led Innovation Lab, and seeing the youths presenting their innovation ideas has been very inspiring. Innovators bring new ideas forward, and attending this event has shown me the grit youth possess. They show they can be a vital part of the workforce and contribute to its growth. I’ve seen unique innovations, including dietary alternatives essential to nutrition. It’s just proof of how far youth can build solutions in any field they put their mind to.”
Mushfiqua Zaman Satiar, Senior Policy Advisor, SRHR & Gender, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands –
“Today’s platform is evidence that youth matters. It’s brought you together to a platform to participate and present your ideas as a business model, and that is what matters most. You have proven that you have remarkable resilience and a fire to succeed. We feel privileged to be part of this program, and we want this to be the start of fostering more youth innovation. Youth are our future, so taking our country forward with technology and innovation relies on you.”
