UN recognises four Bangladeshis as real life heroes

Shaikat

Marking World Humanitarian Day (WHD), which falls on August 19 annually,  the United Nations has recognised four Bangladeshi youths as "real life  heroes" to acknowledge their  contribution in humanitarian services.

They are Dhaka University (DU) student Tanbir Hasan Shaikat; Brac Architect Rizvi Hassan; translator Sifat Noor, and Akhi.

Architect Rizvi Hassan is the driving force behind the  construction of a safe space for Rohingya women and girls, in Cox's  Bazar. The community centre caters to a marginalised, vulnerable group at  risk of gender-based violence.

According to the World Humanitarian Day  website, Tanbir took responsibility to provide food to 500-1,000 poor and homeless people at Dhaka University and surrounding areas for  consecutive 116 days amid the pandemic.

Rizvi

Afterwards he rushed to assist flood-affected people  in various areas, with financial support from many including his peers and teachers.

Sifat was recognised as humanitarian hero because he translates  critical, potentially life-saving information into Bengali, so more  people have the information they need to lead safe, healthy, and  informed lives. 

Since getting his start with Translators without Borders in March 2020, Sifat  has translated over 115,000 words into Bengali for organisations such as  IFRC and UNHCR Bangladesh. Recently, his work translating Covid-19-related  information helps more people keep themselves and their families safe  from the virus, said the WHD website.

Akhi

Sifat

The campaign also recognised Akhi, a girl who was rescued from hazardous  child labour by World Vision, as a real life hero. She has been making face masks on her own initiative and selling them to her poor neighbours at prices they can afford. The WHD website mentions that Covid-19 has  been the biggest challenge to humanitarian operations around the world.

"We are paying special tribute to the real-life heroes who have  committed their lives to helping others in the most extreme  circumstances throughout the world," it said.