Graduates vow to advance SDG 16 in Bangladesh

A total of 40 young human rights fellows from across Bangladesh graduated on Saturday, marking their transition from learners to community advocates committed to protecting rights and advancing SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Supported by the government of Switzerland, the fellowship led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) equipped the young leaders to promote human rights awareness, encourage safe reporting of violations and inspire civic action.

During the programme, they conducted 241 orientation sessions and reached 4,129 young people across every district of Bangladesh.

Held on Saturday in Gazipur, the graduation ceremony brought together fellows, trainers and UNDP representatives to reflect on the programme’s achievements, share stories from communities and discuss how youth-led human rights education can be expanded across the country.

The ceremony included an impact presentation, reflections from fellowship alumni, certificate distribution and discussions on the future of the fellowship model.

The fellowship built on a series of human rights orientation sessions that introduced 287 young people to foundational human rights concepts.

From 151 applicants, 40 fellows were selected and trained through an intensive Training of Trainers programme before leading 241 online orientation sessions across Bangladesh. Through these sessions, they directly reached 4,129 young people from across the country.

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Dragan Popovic, senior programme advisor for governance at UNDP Bangladesh, said at the closing ceremony, “These fellows have demonstrated that young people are not only beneficiaries of human rights education. They can also be educators, advocates and trusted voices within their communities. Their work shows how knowledge, when combined with leadership and local action, can contribute to a stronger culture of human rights.”

One of the fellows from the Chittagong Hill Tracts said, “The fellowship gave us more than knowledge. It gave us the confidence and practical skills to speak about human rights, engage our communities and help others understand where they can seek support when their rights are violated.”

The initiative forms part of UNDP’s broader efforts to support human rights defenders and strengthen cooperation among young advocates, civil society, the media and national institutions.

Implemented through the Strengthening Institutions, Policies and Services (SIPS) Project with support from Switzerland, it contributes to building accountable and inclusive institutions, strengthening public oversight, and advancing human rights, gender equality, peace and justice in Bangladesh.

Among others, Mahmudul Hasan, project manager at UNDP and Sousan Suha, a youth engagement analyst, also spoke at the concluding event.