Board Member
Fifteen years ago, I founded the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) with a vision to educate and empower the next generation of leaders. Over the years, BYLC has grown into the country's most prominent youth leadership organization, training over 10,000 young individuals, connecting many to jobs, and helping others start their entrepreneurial journeys.
My inspiration to address climate change began 34 years ago when I experienced firsthand the devastating impact of severe flooding in Bangladesh. Our home was submerged, and I witnessed the hardships faced by my community. This early encounter with extreme weather, which has only
become more frequent due to global warming, left a lasting impression on me. I had hoped adults would solve this crisis, but Bangladesh has grown increasingly vulnerable to global climate impacts.
This realization led me to launch the Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC). Recognizing that we cannot wait for others to solve the climate crisis, and that national solutions alone are insufficient, GYLC aims to mobilize youth across the Global South. We focus on expanding young people's knowledge
of climate science, equipping them with leadership skills, and supporting their climate action initiatives. Our goal is to empower youth to take individual and collective actions to combat climate change. Although the climate-vulnerable countries in the Global South contribute only 5% of global
emissions, they stand to lose the most from extreme weather events.
For my home country and for my two children, I am committed to working with youth globally to shape the climate leaders of tomorrow. This journey requires collective action, and I invite you to join us in building a future where
humanity and our planet thrive together. Together, we can create a world that is better than the one we inherited.
