Celebrating the spirit of Ramadan while emphasizing the crucial role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in creating a more inclusive and sustainable future, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Bangladesh successfully hosted its CSR Conclave and Iftar 2024 on Saturday at Le Méridien Dhaka.

The event brought together approximately 100 underprivileged school students, who were accompanied by leaders from corporate and development sectors, civil societies and esteemed celebrities.

JCI 2024 Vice President Kohei Oya and prominent members of the other JCI units joined the event among the distinguished guests. JCI Bangladesh National President Senator Imran Kadir presided over the event while around 600 members, including National Officers and Local Presidents of JCI Bangladesh, participated, underscoring the organization's widespread impact and reach.

"JCI Bangladesh always works on the social development and leadership development of people from different levels of society. This year, on the occasion of Ramadan, we had Iftar with 100 underprivileged children and shared Eid greetings among them," JCI Bangladesh President Imran Kadir said, reflecting on JCI Bangladesh's commitment to social and leadership development.

The Event Director, JCI Bangladesh National Vice President 2024 Sabbir Ahmed highlighted, “Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a vital strategy for businesses to positively impact society, aligning closely with JCI Bangladesh's mission of creating young leaders actively involved in societal development and committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

The event commenced with a keynote speech by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), highlighting the significance of CSR activities and the roles of the private sectors.

A panel discussion titled 'Empowering Communities: A Unified Approach to Social Responsibility' followed, moderated by media personality Abdun Nur Tushar. The discussion featured esteemed panellists including Farah Kabir, Hadi S Chowdhury, Mohammed Tariqul Islam, and Nusrat Bari Asha, exploring various avenues for community empowerment through CSR efforts spanning different sectors.

The panellists at the discussion suggested that JCI should get effectively involved with different CSR stakeholders, to which JCI Bangladesh President Imran Kadir affirmed that JCI will initiate a CSR Forum in the upcoming days.

Several signing ceremonies were conducted throughout the event, strengthening partnerships between JCI Bangladesh and organizations including Sharetrip, Moner Bondhu, and Espresso House. The occasion also witnessed the recognition of the top seven CSR projects from different local chapters of JCI Bangladesh.

Key figures from JCI Bangladesh's leadership, including Event Director and National Vice President 2024 Sabbir Ahmed, National General Secretary Fahim Ahmed, National Treasurer Kazi Fahad, and National General Legal Council Tahsin Azim Shezan were actively involved in ensuring the success of the event.

Junior Chamber International (JCI) is an organization comprising energetic individuals aged 18 to 40 years, with operations in over 120 countries and more than 200,000 members worldwide. In Bangladesh alone, more than 45 local chapters are actively contributing to societal development.