Young Bangladeshi selected for Queen’s award for environmental efforts

A Bangladeshi is among 60 young people from across the commonwealth who have been selected for the first-ever and prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award.

The British High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday said Shamir Shehab would be recognised for his “exceptional leadership” in the community.

The award, which will be presented in London by the Queen in June, is part of the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme.

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief and The Royal Commonwealth Society, has established the programme in honour of the Queen’s 60 years of service to the Commonwealth at the time of her Diamond Jubilee.

It is to celebrate the achievements of young people who are taking the lead “to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities”.

Shamir set up the Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative out of concern for the effect of climate change on his country.

Since 2009, it has trained more than 500 young environmental leaders and set up 30 environmental school clubs.

The initiative runs the National Earth Olympiad, which educates students about climate change.

Apart from Shamir, seven more would receive the award from the Asia – one each from Brunei Darussalam and Pakistan, two from Sri Lanka, and three from India.

The award winners are aged between 18 years and 29 years, and work to support others, raise awareness, and inspire change on a variety of different issues including education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.

The British High Commission said each year, from 2014 to 2018, 60 exceptional young people will be selected for the Queen’s Young Leaders Award and become the ‘Queen’s Young Leaders’.

As part of recognition, winners will receive bespoke mentoring and online learning provided by the University of Cambridge.

They will also attend a week-long residential programme in the UK in June, when they will receive their award from the Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace.