Dhaka. Nov 6 – Twenty-three young political leaders affiliated with Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiyo Party across the country graduated today (6th November 2018) from the `Young Political Leaders Fellowship Program.’ Democracy International (DI) awarded the young political leaders with a graduation certificate during the ceremony held at the Blossom Hotel in Dhaka. The fellowship program began in August 2018 and the fellows have completed monthly residential training in Dhaka on topics including internal party democracy, campaign management, promoting peaceful elections, and strategic political communications. In their districts, the fellows worked together across party lines to advocate their senior party leaders to solve key issues in their communities such as waterlogging, waste management, rehabilitation facilities for evicted hawkers, road reconstruction, and traffic congestion. During the graduation ceremony, the young leaders shared the success stories of these cross-party initiatives with their senior party leaders. They also stood together in support of peaceful election and tolerant politics in Bangladesh.
Katie Croake, Chief of Party, Democracy International, said, “All 23 fellows have been an inspiration to me throughout this program. They are role models for young people throughout Bangladesh who want to play a positive role in the political sector.”
Since 2012, over 250 mid-level grassroots and national political young leaders have graduated from the Young Political Leaders Fellowship Program. The fellows have engaged over 15,000 youth activists in advocacy campaigns and other programs in their communities. This program was organized under the Strengthening Political Landscape (SPL) project co-funded by USAID and UKaid and implemented by DI.
About USAID: The U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided more than $6 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since 1971. In 2016, USAID provided nearly $200 million to improve the lives of people in Bangladesh through programs that expand food security and economic opportunity, improve health and education, promote democratic institutions and practices, protect the environment, and increase resiliency to climate change.
About Ukaid: The UK supports democracy around the world through country-specific support, and by working to develop an international political environment supportive of democratic transitions. They work with regional organisations (the EU, the AU, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth) to strengthen their democracy work. – Press release
