IUB’s Efaz wins Bangladesh Phase of Global Student Entrepreneur Award for Let’s Furnish start-up

Efaz Ahmed, a biochemistry student of the Independent University, Bangladesh or IUB, has won the Bangladesh Phase of Global Student Entrepreneur Awards by the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation.

He won the award for his start-up Let’s Furnish in a recent virtual tournament, the university said in a statement.

Efaz, winner of the 5th EO GSEA 2020-21, will participate in GSEA Global Phase and has the opportunity to win $40,000 grants and awards by competing with top student entrepreneurs around the world.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam joined the final round as chief guest.

Such an initiative by EO GSEA will inspire youths to develop entrepreneurship skills, he said, noting that one-third of Bangladesh’s population is youth, who are the major driving force for the government’s Vision 2021.

Guest speaker Tina F Jabeen, managing director of Startup Bangladesh Limited, said the company is always ready to invest in new ventures and to open new doors for the entrepreneurs to be more impactful socially through its Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Academy or IDEA by providing mentoring, funding, co-working spaces, marketing, and legal supports.

Professor Sarwar Uddin Ahmed, acting dean of IUB’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship and board member of EO Bangladesh, Zareen Mahmud Hosein, EO Bangladesh’s president and director of Shasha Denims Ltd, also spoke on the occasion.

The jury board members were Hossain Khaled, founder president of EO Bangladesh and managing director of Anwar Group, Farzanah Chowdhury, former president of EO Bangladesh, and managing director and CEO of Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd, and Prof Imran Rahman, special advisor to the Board of Trustees and dean of School of Business at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.