Shahi Al Sadat was born in a cultured Bengali Muslim family at historic Mujibnagar in 2009. Mujibnagar is one of the three sub-districts of Meherpur, and has nationwide fame for playing a major role during the country’s Liberation War in 1971. Both of his parents are primary school teachers. His father Mr. Shafikull Islam won the Teacher of the Year award in 2017 at primary level in Meherpur district, and is well-known as a program host and spoken word artist. His mother Mst. Suraya Akter is a wonderful woman. Besides being a teacher, she is a good homemaker and does her best to ensure Shahi’s best education. So, being born and brought up in such an educated family, Shahi gets every opportunity to grow and develop his natural talents.
The older of two children, Shahi is currently a 10th-grade student studying science at Meherpur Government High School. He is known for being friendly, helpful and possessing excellent leadership qualities, which have made him popular among both his classmates and teachers.
An incident during School Bengali Debate Competition 2022-2023 acted as a driving force for Shahi’s decision to be an advocate for children’s rights. In the incident, Shahi, the leader of his school’s debate team, was silenced and humiliated by an audience of five hundred people when they started laughing at him one and all simply because he uttered the English word ‘so’ in a Bengali debate competition. While in reality, like any other rich language of the world, Bengali too has many loan words which mostly comprise Sanskrit, Persian, Dutch, Arabic and English. Some English words like chair, table, school, college and TV are treated as if they were Bengali, and many more are often heard in everyday Bengali speech. However, the incident later turned into cyber bullying and face-to-face harassment when many of those audiences started mocking him on social media and public places. Shahi’s father informs me of the incident for help because I am the district magistrate and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Meherpur. I intervened in the incident and saved the boy from further bullying. But Shahi was boldly facing the situation. As a young visionary, he could picture what a boy or girl of average mental prowess would do if they were in his place. So, Shahi decided to stand for these helpless juvenile boys and girls in order to protect their rights, and help them enjoy a blissful childhood.
In order to establish children’s rights, particularly amidst the increasing rate of child abuse, Shahi Al Sadat has undertaken a number of notable steps with direct help from me. He has found an organization called Startup Cyber, which is dedicated to ensuring children’s online safety and educating them on how to protect themselves from cyber-related crimes. Through its web portal, Startup Cyber aims to reach millions of Bangladeshi children with a message of hope: that no child is alone, and together children can combat any form of bullying or oppression, regardless of its magnitude and power.
So far the organization has arranged more than twenty seminars on cyber bullying and child abuse, distributed hundreds of posters and created public awareness through social media posts and videos on how to protect children from any type of harassment. Moreover, Shahi has helped form Children’s Anti-harassment Committee in every Secondary School in Meherpur district. These committees are working for children’s safety and well-being.
Not only that, with the help of Bangladesh Police, the organization has helped more than 40 children who have been victims of cyber bullying, crime or other forms of abuses. With their newly-founded organization Kids Helplink, which is maintaining close ties with Bangladesh Police and the district administration, they are providing legal help and guidelines to the victims or their families. At present, Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink are operational in four districts of Bangladesh.
Last but not the least, through a number of campaigns and seminars, the organization has also inspired children and adults to plant more trees to save the environment and make the planet more livable.
Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink, which are currently operational in four districts of Bangladesh, have achieved remarkable success in promoting children’s safety and enforcing children’s rights. To date, 37 girls and 7 boys have received direct assistance, addressing issues related to bullying, harassment or both and the formation of 40 Children’s Anti-harassment Committee in the secondary schools of the country. Startup Cyber has reached more than 20,000 students through organizing awareness programs in seventeen educational institutions in Bangladesh. Learners from more than 70 educational institutions have access to Kids Helplink, which provides children with legal aid and guidelines. 51 students have received legal advice from Kids Helplink in order to protect their rights.
Shahi’s dedication to fighting cyber crimes and bullying has undeniably made a positive impact on the lives of children in the district. Through direct interventions such as counseling, emotional support, legal aid, and security assurance, 44 boys and girls who became the victim of bullying and harassment have been able to continue their studies without fear or hindrance. This not only ensures their academic progress but also contributes to their overall well-being and future prospects. Moreover, the establishment and effectiveness of children’s anti-harassment committees in secondary schools have significantly enhanced the safety of children, especially girls, in the district. Now as students feel safe, they can concentrate on their academic activities and hope for a bright future. Additionally, the awareness-raising drives conducted by Startup Cyber have played a crucial role in instilling hope among the community members. By educating people about their rights and the resources available to them through the police and district administration, these initiatives have empowered families to protect their children from cyber crimes and safeguard their rights. Shahi’s relentless spirit and commitment have been instrumental in bringing about these positive changes in his society. His success reminds us of the fact that dedicated individuals can drive away critical issues affecting children’s well-being from our society.
Shahi Al Sadat or his organizations, Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink, have not received any award for their collective effort to stop child bullying and online child harassment. However, several international media outlets including TechBullion have recognized them. An article on TechBullion showcasing Shahi tells the whole story.
https://techbullion.com/shahi-al-sadat-advocate-for-childrens-rights-and-founder-of-startup-cyber/
Shahi’s activities have earned him much praise and popularity among his friends, teachers and neighborhood because his organization is dealing with an issue which is affecting almost every child in some way or other. Shahi’s book Cyber Sentinel has also been drawn significant readership, especially teenagers.
https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Sentinel-Shahi-Al-Sadat-ebook/dp/B0CW19YVD7
Please describe Sadat’s personal circumstances and background.
Shahi Al Sadat was born in a cultured Bengali Muslim family at historic Mujibnagar in 2009. Mujibnagar is one of the three sub-districts of Meherpur, and has nationwide fame for playing a major role during the country’s Liberation War in 1971. Both of his parents are primary school teachers. His father Mr. Shafikull Islam won the Teacher of the Year award in 2017 at primary level in Meherpur district, and is well-known as a program host and spoken word artist. His mother Mst. Suraya Akter is a wonderful woman. Besides being a teacher, she is a good homemaker and does her best to ensure Shahi’s best education. So, being born and brought up in such an educated family, Shahi gets every opportunity to grow and develop his natural talents.
The older of two children, Shahi is currently a 10th-grade student studying science at Meherpur Government High School. He is known for being friendly, helpful and possessing excellent leadership qualities, which have made him popular among both his classmates and teachers.
Please describe the motivation of Shahi Al Sadat for becoming active in the field of children’s rights.
An incident during School Bengali Debate Competition 2022-2023 acted as a driving force for Shahi’s decision to be an advocate for children’s rights. In the incident, Shahi, the leader of his school’s debate team, was silenced and humiliated by an audience of five hundred people when they started laughing at him one and all simply because he uttered the English word ‘so’ in a Bengali debate competition. While in reality, like any other rich language of the world, Bengali too has many loan words which mostly comprise Sanskrit, Persian, Dutch, Arabic and English. Some English words like chair, table, school, college and TV are treated as if they were Bengali, and many more are often heard in everyday Bengali speech. However, the incident later turned into cyber bullying and face-to-face harassment when many of those audiences started mocking him on social media and public places. Shahi’s father informs me of the incident for help because I am the district magistrate and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Meherpur. I intervened in the incident and saved the boy from further bullying. But Shahi was boldly facing the situation. As a young visionary, he could picture what a boy or girl of average mental prowess would do if they were in his place. So, Shahi decided to stand for these helpless juvenile boys and girls in order to protect their rights, and help them enjoy a blissful childhood.
Please describe some concrete actions/activities that Sadat has undertaken.
In order to establish children’s rights, particularly amidst the increasing rate of child abuse, Shahi Al Sadat has undertaken a number of notable steps with direct help from me. He has found an organization called Startup Cyber, which is dedicated to ensuring children’s online safety and educating them on how to protect themselves from cyber-related crimes. Through its web portal, Startup Cyber aims to reach millions of Bangladeshi children with a message of hope: that no child is alone, and together children can combat any form of bullying or oppression, regardless of its magnitude and power.
So far the organization has arranged more than twenty seminars on cyber bullying and child abuse, distributed hundreds of posters and created public awareness through social media posts and videos on how to protect children from any type of harassment. Moreover, Shahi has helped form Children’s Anti-harassment Committee in every Secondary School in Meherpur district. These committees are working for children’s safety and well-being.
Not only that, with the help of Bangladesh Police, the organization has helped more than 40 children who have been victims of cyber bullying, crime or other forms of abuses. With their newly-founded organization Kids Helplink, which is maintaining close ties with Bangladesh Police and the district administration, they are providing legal help and guidelines to the victims or their families. At present, Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink are operational in four districts of Bangladesh.
Last but not the least, through a number of campaigns and seminars, the organization has also inspired children and adults to plant more trees to save the environment and make the planet more livable.
Please specifically state in quantitative and qualitative terms the impact and concrete results of the actions and activities of Sadat both through digital platforms and physical reach.
Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink, which are currently operational in four districts of Bangladesh, have achieved remarkable success in promoting children’s safety and enforcing children’s rights. To date, 37 girls and 7 boys have received direct assistance, addressing issues related to bullying, harassment or both and the formation of 40 Children’s Anti-harassment Committee in the secondary schools of the country. Startup Cyber has reached more than 20,000 students through organizing awareness programs in seventeen educational institutions in Bangladesh. Learners from more than 70 educational institutions have access to Kids Helplink, which provides children with legal aid and guidelines. 51 students have received legal advice from Kids Helplink in order to protect their rights.
Both Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink have web portals and social media pages to reach and interact with victim children. Thank you in advance for visiting these sites:
Both Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink have web portals and social media pages to reach and interact with victim children. Thank you in advance for visiting these sites:
Both Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink have web portals and social media pages to reach and interact with victim children. Thank you in advance for visiting these sites:
Has the work of the Sadar improved the situation of children in any way? If yes, please describe how.
Shahi’s dedication to fighting cyber crimes and bullying has undeniably made a positive impact on the lives of children in the district. Through direct interventions such as counseling, emotional support, legal aid, and security assurance, 44 boys and girls who became the victim of bullying and harassment have been able to continue their studies without fear or hindrance. This not only ensures their academic progress but also contributes to their overall well-being and future prospects.
Moreover, the establishment and effectiveness of children’s anti-harassment committees in secondary schools have significantly enhanced the safety of children, especially girls, in the district. Now as students feel safe, they can concentrate on their academic activities and hope for a bright future.
Additionally, the awareness-raising drives conducted by Startup Cyber have played a crucial role in instilling hope among the community members. By educating people about their rights and the resources available to them through the police and district administration, these initiatives have empowered families to protect their children from cyber crimes and safeguard their rights.
Shahi’s relentless spirit and commitment have been instrumental in bringing about these positive changes in his society. His success reminds us of the fact that dedicated individuals can drive away critical issues affecting children’s well-being from our society.
Please give a glimpse of the awards, recognition and accolades received by the child, if any.
Shahi Al Sadat or his organizations, Startup Cyber and Kids Helplink, have not received any award for their collective effort to stop child bullying and online child harassment. However, several international media outlets including TechBullion have recognized them. An article on TechBullion showcasing Shahi tells the whole story.
https://techbullion.com/shahi-al-sadat-advocate-for-childrens-rights-and-founder-of-startup-cyber/
Shahi’s activities have earned him much praise and popularity among his friends, teachers and neighborhood because his organization is dealing with an issue which is affecting almost every child in some way or other. Shahi’s book Cyber Sentinel has also been drawn significant readership, especially teenagers.
https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Sentinel-Shahi-Al-Sadat-ebook/dp/B0CW19YVD7
What are the Sadat's plans with regards to carrying their work forward into the future?
The CEO of Startup Cyber, Shahi Al Sadat has ambitious plans to expand their activities across Bangladesh. One of their primary goals is to educate the country’s learners and parents about child rights and online safety. To achieve this objective, Startup Cyber wants to start a call center where children and parents receive guidance and direct support from the police.
In addition to the call center, Startup Cyber plans to prioritize school-based awareness campaigns. These campaigns are seen as crucial because they provide learners with an opportunity to understand their rights, identify issues that may prevent them from exercising those rights, and learn sustainable ways to address such problems. By focusing on education and outreach efforts, Startup Cyber aims to empower children and parents to navigate online spaces safely and protect themselves from cyber threats.
Overall, Startup Cyber’s future plans reflect a commitment to proactive education and support, with the goal of creating a safer online environment for children throughout Bangladesh.
What is the Sadat's key message to the world? (please provide a short original quote from the nominee in 1 or 2 sentences)
“By protecting our children from bullying,harassment and crimes, we are not only saving them today; we are shaping a future devoid of hatred.”
Please give an impression of the personality of Shahi Al Sadat.
Shahi is a visionary child leader. He has qualities like empathy, resilience, and courage to stand against oppression and injustice which make him a true leader in the eyes of his friends and supporters. His friendly behavior and integrity are praiseworthy. To him his power and desire to work hard emanates from his love for mankind and the world. He is just amazing!
Please describe in which way Shahi Al Sadat is being supported by parents, other adults or organizations.
Shahi’s parents are his great supporters. Their encouragement and useful instructions help him to be more optimistic about his work. Besides his parents, the office of the District Administrator and the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Meherpur district give him both monetary and technical support to carry on his duty to protect children’s rights. They also support his organization when any cyber victim seeks legal assistance. Moreover, Shahi has an easy access to these two key government administrative officers of his district. So, whenever any crime against children is reported to Startup Cyber, Shahi can address the problem immediately with the help of these two defenders of children’s rights.
Does Sadat has any experience with media exposure because of their actions?
Yes, the child has experienced media exposure for his activities. Many, national and international media have published news about the child and the child’s activities. Below is a link to an international media news:
https://techbullion.com/shahi-al-sadat-advocate-for-childrens-rights-and-founder-of-startup-cyber/
https://techbullion.com/shahi-al-sadat-advocate-for-childrens-rights-and-founder-of-startup-cyber/
Are there any restrictions to be considered when travelling abroad?
No, there are no restrictions.
TO COMPLETE YOUR NOMINATION, PLEASE SUBMIT THIS FORM BEFORE 1st MAY 2024. VIA THIS LINK. PLEASE INCLUDE:
PHOTO OF THE NOMINEE (Has to be at least 1MB)
AUTHORIZATION FORM COMPLETE (see next page).
In case of questions, please contact KidsRights via:
nominations@childrenspeaceprize.org
AUTHORIZATION FORM COMPLETE (see next page).
In case of questions, please contact KidsRights via:
nominations@childrenspeaceprize.org