The new center in Baridhara is expected to open this month. Establishment of the new training center has been made possible through the generous support of Brac and the Shahid Khalek and Major Salek Bir Uttam Trust.

On September 14, 2011, BYLC and Shahid Khalek and Major Salek Bir Uttam Trust, a private charity organization in Bangladesh, signed a memorandum of understanding whereby the trust will support BYLC's development work by waiving the rent for the new office space. Ejaj Ahmad and Mrs. Shamim Matin Chowdhury, owner of the property and wife of Mr. A. Matin Chowdhury, signed the agreement on behalf of the respective organizations.

Attending the signing: (left to right) Dr. Omar Rahman, Lauren Lovelace, Zafar Sobhan, Sara Hossain, Dr. Gowher Rizvi, Mijarul Quayes, Homayara Ahmed, A. Matin Chowdhury.

Support from Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and BRAC is also facilitating the launch of the new center. On July 20, 2011, BRAC and BYLC signed a major contract whereby BRAC agreed to finance refurbishment of three floors of the new center. The deal was signed by Ejaj Ahmad and BRAC director of communications Asif Saleh. Also attending the signing was Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC, and Barrister Manzoor Hasan OBE, chairperson of BYLC.

The lecture on 'Real Leadership' by Ejaj Ahmad on October 4 at the Maple Leaf International School concluded a comprehensive month-long tour by the president. In this lecture series, which began at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at Dhaka University, Mr. Ahmad shared short anecdotes and touched on some of the leadership concepts taught at BYLC. A few of the lectures were hosted by prominent student organizations like BRAC University Business Club (Biz Bee) and Dhaka University Debating Society (DUDS). Mr. Ahmad also spoke at North South University, London School of Legal Studies and Sunbeams School, among other institutions. In the past, he delivered similar addresses at Brac University, IBA and East West University. The lectures introduced college and university students to a progressive way of thinking about leadership.

BBLT 6 participants concluded their service projects on July 23, 2011. The program was extended by a week as a result of rain, political unrest and the lengthy process of fundraising from local businesses. Despite the setbacks, the participants carried out impressive projects. For example, the Joyjatra team coached members of the Korail community in ways to exercise their right to information (RTI) under the recent RTI Act. Agni assisted eight women in starting a candle-making business, which is projected to increase local income per family by BDT 700. Considerable time and effort went into backing these ambitious projects. For the first time, BBLT students took a more advanced approach to raising funds by soliciting local businesses for sponsorship. The official graduation ceremony of BBLT 6 will take place in the second annual Youth Leadership Summit in April 2012 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

This Ramadan, reunion iftars in Dhaka and Chittagong brought together graduates from across the BBLT batches in respective locations. The reunion in Dhaka took place on August 12, International Youth Day, at a community center in Shantinagar, Dhaka. The Bangladesh country director for UNDP appeared as a special guest at the event. The reunion iftar in Chittagong took place in Khulshi on August 20. Special guests at this event included Shammi S. Quddus, co-founder of BBLT; Deeni Fatiha, BBLT 4 project coordinator and student at MIT; and the Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) coordinator in Khulshi. Graduates attending both the events filled out a short survey on their BBLT experiences. The reunions also gave them an opportunity to renew ties with their peers and to make new contacts with young people from other batches. Future BBLT reunions will become a vibrant platform for a growing network of aspiring young leaders.

Mobas Shirin, a BBLT 3 graduate who completed her Alim from Shahazadpur Nazar Mahmud Madrassa, is currently studying Child Development in Home Economics College. Shirin facilitated for BBLT-J 1 and BBLT-J 2 as well. She now teaches at Malihata Prathomik Biddalaya, a primary school in her hometown, Brahmanbaria. She shares her experience at the school.

Why did you decide to teach primary school students at the Malihata Prathomik Biddalaya?

When I visited my hometown Brahmanbaria a few months ago, I heard that a twelve year old girl left this school to get married. It is common for children in this area to discontinue their education after the primary level. Generally the boys turn to menial jobs and the girls assist their mothers at home or in the case of this girl, get married. Feeling a need to intervene, I approached the school principal and volunteered to teach the core subjects at the school in the weekends.

Tell us about your initial experience with the students at the school.

Although there are 70 children at this school, only 20 students initially showed up for classes. I found out that these students were demoralized and had no interest in education since it amounted to rote memorization and little creativity and analysis. As I mentioned earlier, they either fail or opt out of taking the national Primary School Certificate (PSC) exam.

How did you overcome the challenges in teaching these students?

A major challenge was to build rapport with the students. The BBLT session on public speaking really helped me connect with them. My approach to teaching the national curriculum through creative activities and props also strengthened my relation with the students and motivated them to learn the subjects. I've even had to extend my time here at the school due to the demand for my class. I told them I'd be back to teach them for the sixth grade once they pass the PSC exam.

What other projects have you been involved in?

I am mainly interested in children's education. Occasionally I substitute for teachers at the Madrassa where I completed my Alim. In the past, I have also participated in social work involving children with my BBLT peers. Two years ago, we organized an art competition on Independence Day to promote patriotism among the young participants. This Eid, a few of us collected funds to buy new clothes for over 80 street children in Dhaka. My dream is to join the UN and continue working to improve the lives of women and children.