Youth Pledges to Fight Against Corruption on International Youth Day

The International Youth Day 2015 was observed by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) through organising set of programmes on 12 and 13 August. The youth day is marked throughout the world with countless events to acknowledge and encourage the actions of youth towards a more constructive future. This year the global theme was `Youth Civic Engagement’, a campaign that aims to promote civic engagement and participation of youth in politics and public life, so that young people can empower themselves and bring a fuller contribution to the society, development and peace.

With the objective of assembling youth’s thinking on sustainable human development considering politics, human rights, socio-economical development, climate change, and other contemporary governance issues and forward their recommendations to the prime authority, TIB organised a two day long `Anti-Corruption Youth Fair and Cultural Event’ in Bangla Academy premises with the theme ` Vigilant conscience, invincible youth shall surely resist corruption’ on 12 August that ended on August 13 at Rabindra Sarobor Mukta Mancha in Dhaka. The observing events were participated by CCC and Dhaka based YES members, students from different universities, volunteers of various youth forums, NGO professionals, media et al. One of the important features of this year’s International Youth Day  events was the participation of around 100 YES members from TIB inspired Committees of Concerned Citizens  (CCCs) across the country . 

The fair was started on 12 August with an anti-corruption rally which was brought out from TSC of University of Dhaka that paraded to Bangla Academy. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka Professor Dr. A A M S Arefin Siddique joined the rally as Chief Guest. Besides rally, the Anti-Corruption Youth Fair also featured discussion meetings, quiz and extempore speech contests. As a part of the fair, twenty seven stalls of different NGOs and youth clubs were set up at Nazrul Mancha of Bangla Academy. They showcased their stalls with leaflets, posters, brochures, and multi-media presentation of their socio-economic development programmes. 

On 12 August in the daylong programme, the Chairperson of TIB Trustee Board Advocate Sultana Kamal, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman and Director of Civic Engagement Division Uma Chowdhury also attended the rally, discussion meetings and award giving ceremony among the winners of different contests. The discussion meetings were held at Abdul Karim Shahittyabisharod Auditorium respectively

on `Roles of youth in anti-corruption movement,’ and `National youth integrity survey’ where a presentation has also made on it. At the end of the first round discussion meeting, the participants took anti-corruption oath and expressed their firm stand against  corruption.

As a part of day observance, on 13 August TIB arranged an anti-corruption cultural event at Rabindra Sarobor Mukta Moncha. A record of 7000 people from different strata of lives, CCC and Dhaka YES members enjoyed the event.

Theatre groups from CCC Gazipur and Dhaka YES staged street dramas where they portrayed various sectoral corruption issues i.e. health, education, local govt., land, right to information, climate finance governance. The local folk theatre form `Gombhira’ from Chapai Nawabganj mesmerised the audience through its outstanding performance. Besides, the YES members performed recitations and patriotic songs at the event.

`I had a good time at the fair and cultural event, I came to know about issues that hinder the progress of the youth of our country. I also got to know about different initiatives that are being taken by TIB for the betterment of youth who are the agents of change,’ says Ahsan Habib Jibon, a student of ASA University and also a participant at that two day long programme.