Vision to Reality: Building Bangladesh 2.0 with Voluntary Initiatives

Bangladesh's youth have long dreamed about transforming their country with Doraemon's cutting-edge technology, but they have shown that real change requires action rather than magic.

Bangladesh, with lots of untapped potential, is currently seeing a revolution in its youth's enthusiasm and selfless work. Known as 'Bangladesh 2.0,' the voluntary works aim to represent resilience, community, and patriotism to make the surroundings beautiful.

From cleaning the streets to mural painting, controlling traffic and maintaining security, young volunteers are making their dreams come true. They are bringing vibrancy, unity, and safety to the country.

On August 10 and 11, a crew of university students gathered to do graffiti to give Dhaka's dying walls a new life. They created striking murals at Dhanmondi and next to Shongshod Bhaban. Among the murals was a memorial to Abu Syed, who was killed on the spot in Rangpur, and it used our flag as a background.

Since August 12, the volunteers have also acquired priceless expertise in traffic management and street maintenance in the vicinity of Asad Gate.

The crisis has led to a significant improvement in our neighbourly ties, brought people together, and decreased the number of robberies. In the madness of one night, strangers united as a community to protect themselves from the robbers.

University students are not the only ones experiencing this tsunami of change. Najiha Mamun, an eighth grader from the Summerfield International School student, told her moving tale. 

On August 10, she organized volunteer subgroups in Mohammadpur with more than a hundred children from grades 8 to 12. Their goal was to clean and beautify their neighbourhood.

The next day, after a thorough cleaning of the streets around Strikers Field, Iqbal Road, Nurjhan Road, and Tajmahal Road, they painted colourful graffiti on the ancient walls. 
Maleka Khatoon, a former teacher from B.A.F Shaheen College, was struck, in a profound way, by the sight of young and ordinary people using their creative arts to transform city walls and clean the streets.

Abdullah Al Mamun is a multidimensional professional and Quincy College graduate. He pointed out that their efforts are to beautify Bangladesh and make the country corruption-free.

People around that area appreciate these voluntary works and want to assist the volunteers. One such person is Aziza Begum, who lives in Mohammdpur. This movement has also impacted her, and she has offered graffiti artists support and refreshments.

There have been some incidents of robbery in the capital as well. People were panicking. To tackle that, Protaya Roy, a BRAC University teaching assistant, started patrolling the streets to protect their area from the robbers.

Even though no thieves were discovered, their alertness demonstrated how willing regular people are to defend their neighbourhood during uncertain times.

Cleaning the streets and making them beautiful and walkable was also a concern in some places. That is why Sakib Zaman, an internationally renowned cosplay artist and MBA candidate at Bangladesh University of Professionals, and a group of his pals gathered on the road from Newmarket to Mirpur and started a significant cleanup mission there.

They created murals, managed traffic, worked 16 hours a day, and filled almost 20 trash bags.

Sakib's organization, which is made up of people from different backgrounds, is a perfect example of the spirit of cooperation and selflessness that characterizes Bangladesh 2.0.'

Dhanmondi wears a different look in a wave of this movement as well. Stories of a few students from Army IBA, Savar, Arafatul Islam, led a group of graffiti painters in there who turned dull grey walls into vibrant exhibitions of artistic talent.

His team played a crucial role in community security and traffic management, especially in Dhanmondi Sankor. During their nighttime patrols, they apprehended two robbers, and once they were confident that the men presented no more threat, they gave them over to the police.

The country has seen a different level of voluntary work, where students contribute to society not only by filling out their resumes but also by making a statement that the people of Bangladesh are united and have a glorious history.

Samiha Mamun is a dynamic and industrious undergraduate student at the Army Institute of Business Administration (Army IBA), affiliated with the Bangladesh University of Professionals in Savar, Dhaka. She is renowned for her unwavering determination and commitment to excellence. She can be reached at [email protected]