Unsung Heroes of Bangladesh
Our world is in peril. Or so it would seem from the countless stories of corruption, wrongdoing and disaster that we hear all around us. All is not lost, however, and there is hope for us yet. In Bangladesh, are people with hearts of gold, people we call ‘Shada Moner Manush’. These people have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of those around them because they care. Some have chosen to spread the light of education, some have been providing free health care to those in need and some have taken it upon themselves to increase the natural beauty and help improve the environment of Bangladesh.
Unilever Bangladesh took the initiative to uncover ten such unsung heroes and bring them to center stage through a nationwide search called ‘Shada Moner Manush’ in 2006. In a continuation of this effort, ten more individuals were given the title ‘Shada Moner Manush’ in 2008, in due recognition of their contribution to the community.
Honouring Shada Moner Manush
The activation became an initiative that moved the hearts of the nation and focused attention onto ‘everyday heroes’. From an initial 3500 entries that were received, based on the impact their work had created, the duration of their work, commitment and degree of challenges faced, a list of 10 individuals were finally selected. The 10 winners were Fazilatunnessa Bulu, Manobendro Nath Sarkar, Rakib-ud-Dowla Akhand, Jahanara Begum, Kanai Chandra Das, Md Jahir Alam, Dr Khalequzzaman, Md Shamsuddin Mondol, Sreemat Tilokananda Mahathero and Shudhir Chandra Bardhan.
On 6th June 2008, the winners were each honoured with a gold medal, a crest, an uttoriyo, and a cheque of Tk 1 lakh each. The presentation ceremony was held at the Winter Garden, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel where well known personalities of the country were present to honour these 10 selfless and generous ‘heroes’ of the country. Their tireless work for the benefit of humanity inspires us all and it is our hope that highlighting these individuals will make everyone want to be better human beings.
