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Published : 14 Nov 2020, 03:06 PM
Sadat, a 17-year-old activist from Narail, received the award for his involvement in setting up his social organisation and mobile app ‘Cyber Teens’ to stop cyberbullying.
The prize was presented to him by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai during a ceremony in the Netherlands on Friday.
“Cyberbullying is a big issue, not only in Bangladesh but internationally. The whole world is worried about this at this moment and everyone needs to come forward to resolve this now,” Sadat told bdnews24.com in an immediate reaction after receiving the award.
Sadat is the only child of Shakhawat Hossain and Malina Khatun. His father’s ancestral home is in Magura and mother’s in Jashore. Shakhawat, who previously worked at a Narail post-office, is currently based in Kushtia.
“I am a bit daring and stubborn and love challenges,” said Sadat, who studies at Narail Government Boys High School.
“I owe my success to my family, our Mashrafe [Bin Mortaza], his wife [Sumona Haque] Sumi, Narail’s DC Anjuman Ara, Superintendent of Police Jashim Uddin,” he added.
Sadat called on everyone to act positively and proactively for teenagers.
“How many people in the world can become a Bill Gates, a Mashrafe? Rather than saying it like that, say you, too, can be a Bill Gates, a Mashrafe.”
The prize for a teenager like him coming from such humble beginnings is a testament to the realisation of the prime minister’s dream of creating a digital Bangladesh, Sadat said.
He said that this digital Bangladesh is a ‘role model’ for the countries around the world.
On his future plans, Sadat said he would spend the prize money, 100,000 euros, on his continuous endeavour to safeguard children from cybercrimes. He would like to establish the main office in Jashore’s IT Park and strengthen the workflow with Dhaka and Narail offices.
He was particular about how much more time children are getting to spend on the web due to the restrictions in place for the pandemic.
“I am a backbencher, but have always wanted to nurture my creativity. I’ve utilised my talent and worked towards my dream. As part of the reward, the authorities have taken responsibility for my studies for life. They will also provide me with an opportunity for an overseas scholarship.
“Let us all facilitate the teenagers in their growth in keeping with their merit and capacity.”
“When I saw ‘Made in Bangladesh’ written in the tags of the shoes and clothes in the shopping malls of the Hague in the Netherlands, my heart was filled with pride. Let’s love our country. Let’s help build a safe world for the children.”
This prestigious prize was launched in 2005 during the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome, chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, the prize has been presented by a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate every year.
Before this, Yousafzai, Swedish environment activist Greta Thunberg, and the students who held the ‘March for Our Lives’ in demand of controlling firearms in the United States following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida were awarded the prize.
Sadat is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on Nov 17. He is a contributor to ‘Hello’, bdnews24.com’s website of child journalists.
Malala Yousafazi awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize 2020 to cyberbullying activist Sadat Rahman pic.twitter.com/rsf1cs1Dvq
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 14, 2020
