22 selected for Acumen Fellowship

Twenty-two changemakers were selected for the second cohort of Acumen Fellows in Bangladesh, said a statement yesterday. 

To build a locally rooted, globally connected community of moral leaders, these changemakers were selected for Acumen Fellowship Program in Bangladesh in various sectors.

The sectors include Innovations in Agriculture, Fostering Inclusion through Education and Capacity Building, Improving Access to Services, Empowerment through Skills Training and Livelihood Creation, Environment Conservation, Establishing Gender Equity, Influencing Change through Communication and Storytelling, and Strengthening Existing Institutions.

The fellows for 2021 are iFarmer CEO Fahad Ifaz; Bhalo Social Enterprise CEO and Founder Subrata Kumar Kundu; Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center Operations Manager Adnin Mourin; PFDA-Vocational Training Center Trust Chairperson Sajida Rahman Danny; Identity Inclusion CEO and Lead Consultant Shamsin Ahmed; Inclusive Bangladesh Project Coordinator Mohammad Rezwanur Rahman; Kaizen Research Specialists Ltd Managing Director Debojit Saha; Teach for Bangladesh Programme Director Maliha Fawzia; LightCastle Partners Co-founder and Director Zahedul Amin; WebAble Bangladesh Limited Founder Ovick Alam; Counter Foto Principal Saiful Huq; Travelettes of Bangladesh Founder Dr Sakia Haque; SheDecides Regional Movement Builder, Asia Syeda Samara Mortada; Meye Network Founder, Project Designer and Coordinator Trishia Nashtaran; Kotha Director and Founder Umama Zillur; Creative Conservation Alliance CEO Shahriar Rahman; Romoni Services Limited CEO and Founder Armin Zaman; Sylhet Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sharnalata Roy; Women in Digital Managing Director and Founder Achia Khaleda; Drinkwell Senior Operations Coordinator Saddam Hossain Rony; ME SOLshare Principal of Product & Business Eshrat Waris; and Wreetu Founder Umme Sharmin Kabir.

The Acumen Fellowship cultivates leadership capabilities of individuals who are willing to step up, take risks, and invest in the collective future to build a world based on dignity.

The cohort was chosen after a two-day virtual selection conference, which assessed 58 finalists, shortlisted from 247 initial applications, by 45 local and international panellists from the Acumen community.

The intensive year-long programme builds skills, attributes, and values of moral leadership through a mix of in-person and online seminars.

The fellowship is also offered in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Spain, United Kingdom, Colombia and East and West Africa. Upon completion, the Bangladesh cohort will join Acumen's global community of more than 700 fellows.