Carnival of Change 2025 highlights young innovators, social impact initiatives
The two-day Carnival of Change 2025 showcased social initiatives and innovations led by young entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the country.
Held from 29–30 November at the BRAC CDM in Savar, the event brought together more than 250 participants for discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions on youth leadership and social transformation.
Speaking at the event, Hossain Ishrath Adib, Senior Director of BRAC's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Integrated Development, and Ultra-Poor Graduation programmes, said that solutions often fail when imposed through rigid frameworks. He stressed that local communities must remain the "true teachers," and that development actors should adapt their thinking to society rather than forcing society to fit prescribed models.
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An intergenerational dialogue titled Building a Better World, moderated by Md Shariful Islam Hasan, Associate Director of BRAC Migration Programme and Youth Platform, was one of the day's highlights.
Columnist and researcher Afsan Chowdhury said that the Liberation War was a people-led revolution, noting that figures like BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed were rare in society. Sara Hossain, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court and Executive Director of BLAST, urged young people to speak out against injustice, encouraging debate, discussion, and free expression.
Triathlete and Ironman Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat; Dr Manoshi Saha, Founder of Travelettes of Bangladesh; and July 2024 student movement survivor Kazi Abdullah also spoke during the session.
The event featured a personal well-being session conducted by Miftah Zaman, Assistant General Manager, Learning and Leadership Development, BRAC. In an Impact Talk on resilience, weightlifter Mabia Akhter shared her journey of overcoming challenges.
A youth-driven panel on career guidance included Shamma Tasnim, General Manager at Robi Axiata; Rezaur Rahman Nafiz, Vice President at bKash; and Nazibul Islam Sharker, Assistant General Manager at BRAC. The session was hosted by Tasmim Hossain Tuba from the Amra Notun Network.
Another discussion, Paths Less Taken, moderated by Dipty Chowdhury, featured Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, Co-Founder and President of Footsteps Bangladesh; content creator Athai Das Tinni; cartoonist Rashad Imam Tanmoy; AI instructor Sabbir Ahmed; and artist Pushpita Chowdhury.
Mahfuz Russel, Founder and Executive Director of the Pittachhara Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Initiative, shared his story of resilience. The event also hosted multiple peer-learning sessions under Amra Notun Adda, including Learning Beyond Barriers, Let's Air It Out, Fact or Fake, Heal and Chill, Unlearning Pink and Blue, Hands on Climate, Click to Thrive, and First Aid for Everyone.
A vote of thanks was delivered by Detepriya Roy, Senior Manager of BRAC's Youth Platform.
On the opening day, 12 innovations and ventures were shortlisted. Stories of Inclusion, which produces accessible audiobooks for children with disabilities; Jolshikha, which manufactures eco-friendly charcoal from coconut shells; and GoodDo Toys, which makes educational and inclusive toys for children, won the Young Changemakers Award 2025. For the first time, awardees received BRAC's Social Entrepreneurs' Fellowship.
BRAC's Amra Notun Network, founded in 2018, now operates in 17 districts and has trained more than 2,600 youth. Alumni have earned recognition from the Gates Foundation, NASA, and the United Nations, and remain engaged as mentors for current participants.
