Harnessing Bangladesh’s Youth Dividend

Seminar on "Harnessing Bangladesh’s Youth Dividend: Future Imperatives in a Changing World"

The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Department of Global Studies and Governance (GSG), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), jointly organized a seminar titled “Harnessing Bangladesh’s Youth Dividend: Future Imperatives in a Changing World” on 30 July 2025. The event took place at the IUB Auditorium (Gate 1–2). Major General Iftekhar Anis, Director General of BIISS, delivered the welcome address , and Ambassador Gousal Azam Sarker, Chairman of BIISS, served as the Session Chair for the inaugural segment.

The inaugural session featured a keynote presentation by Professor Dr. Imtiaz A Hussain from the Department of GSG, IUB. High-level insights were shared by the Guest of Honour, Mr. Md Mahbub-Ul-Alam, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports , and the Special Guest, Dr. Saima Khan, Country Director of UNAIDS. Later in the day, Professor Dr. M Tamim, Vice Chancellor of IUB, addressed the seminar as the Distinguished Guest.

The main program was divided into three thematic working sessions:

• Session 1 (Youth in Building Bangladesh’s International Image, Soft Power and Branding): Moderated by Professor Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, Executive Director of the Centre for Alternatives , this session included presentations by Dr. Razia Sultana (Senior Research Fellow, BIISS) , Dr. Marufa Akter (Head and Associate Professor, GSG, IUB) , Dr. Munal Mahbub (Chairman, Mati-ta) , and Sinthia Kamal (GSG Student).

• Session 2 (Youth’s Contribution to Economy, Climate-Led Innovation, and Development Vision): Moderated by Professor Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam from the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka , this segment focused on technology-driven enterprise and international climate policy with papers by Md Rafid Abrar Miah (Research Officer, BIISS) , Dr. K Ayaz Rabbani (Dean and Associate Professor, IUB) , Shamim Ahmed Mridha (Executive Director and Founder, Eco-Network Global) , and Mohammad Mohaiminul Kabir Chisty (GSG Student, IUB).

• Session 3 (Youth, Gender and Inclusiveness): Moderated by Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) , this block focused on financial inclusion and gender norms with research presented by Dr. Benuka Ferdousi (Senior Research Fellow, BIISS) , Md Ohidujjaman (Senior Lecturer, GSG, IUB) , Md Mynul Islam (Assistant Professor, University of Dhaka) , and Ahnaf Raghebin Sabbir (GSG Student, IUB).

The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered jointly by Major General Iftekhar Anis, Director General of BIISS, and Professor Dr. Bokhtiar Ahmed, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, IUB.

Objectives of the Seminar

• To evaluate youth-led soft power strategies: Assessing the strategic role of young generations in cultivating Bangladesh's branding, international image, and soft power landscapes.

• To promote technology and climate-driven entrepreneurship: Exploring avenues for youth to spearhead startups, technology enterprises, local job creation, and grassroots climate action policy frameworks.

• To address gender equality and financial inclusion: Identifying key challenges and remedies to empower young women and integrate marginalized populations into national developmental models.

• To align youthful aspirations with national vision plans: Creating strategic mechanisms that channel demographic capital directly into macroeconomic goals and long-term sustainable development pathways.

• To strengthen multi-sectoral institutional alignment: Fostering rigorous academic, diplomatic, and civil society dialogue between state research think-tanks like BIISS and top-tier academic institutions like IUB.