Feature

BYLC launched BBLT-4 in Ctg

Tabassum Mokhduma

THE fourth leadership programme of Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), 'Building Bridges through Leadership Training' kicked off in Chittagong on July 10, 2010 at the Chittagong Zilla Parishad.

Professor Dr. Jamal Nazrul Islam, internationally famous academician and the Founder and Director of the Research Center for Mathematics and Physical Sciences (RCMPS) at University of Chittagong (CU) was present as the Chief Guest at the inauguration ceremony.

A total of 38 students were selected from over 450 applicants from 70 educational institutions of Chittagong for this international award-winning programme. These 38 of Chittagong's best and brightest will spend an intense month attending the leadership training sessions for 3 hours a day, 6 days a week that started on July 11 at Chittagong's Regional Public Administration Training Center (RPATC).

The programme consists of three components. The first component is what the president of the organization, Ejaj Ahmad, terms "Building Bridges". Participants from different educational backgrounds, namely English, Bengali and Madrasa, will learn to interact and communicate with each other by working in small groups and participating in team building exercises. Over the course of the programme, they will learn to understand different perspectives in society.

The second part consists of leadership training. To exercise the act of leadership effectively, there will be public speaking workshops, lectures on the diagnostic framework of leadership, and training on different tools and techniques.

The final part of the programme consists of community service where the students will use their newly learned skills to find solutions to different problems faced by a local community.

The chief guest urged the young future leaders to be focused in their goal of ensuring sustainable development in their community and thus using their hidden skills for the betterment of the nation. The President of BYLC, sharing the story behind this initiative, told the participants that in order to bring inspiring changes to society, each individual should work hand in hand and for that it is really important to know people from diverse backgrounds and to learn to work with them.

The first two weeks of the month-long training programme will be held in RPATC and the last two weeks of the programme will involve community service. Furthermore, after the month-long training period, students will be involved in sustaining the community projects during the weekends till November 5.

At the end of this programme, participants will be better prepared to face the challenges of working in a diverse community as ours, and will have a more nuanced approach to analyzing problems, planning solutions, and implementing ideas to ensure development in our society.