Now I know what my rights are and also know how to get those rights. I think I am more competent for work than many other young people who are physically alright. I can work more without hands because I gained confidence through my journey as an Active Citizen”, said Raihan about the Active Citizens Youth Leadership Training.
‘‘I can dream, this is the biggest achievement in my entire life’’, said Bahar Uddin Raihan, an Active Citizen from Bangladesh, at the International Study Visit 2016 of Active Citizens held in January 2016.
His story moved 15 of the Active Citizens who came from different countries. When Raihan was telling his story, audiences were mesmerised. Audiences comprised of Active Citizens, a member of the Bangladesh Parliament and some influencers.
Raihan lost both of his hands in an accident when he was nine years old. According to him, it was a start of a fight. He has been fighting against challenges and he thinks he is a winner because he can dream. With the only other family member, his mother; Raihan, a young boy from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where the longest sandy beach exists, almost drowned in the sea of challenges. Active Citizens Youth Leadership Training pulled him up like Aladdin’s genie. Raihan said, “It opened up my eyes. Now I know what my rights are and also know how to get those rights. I think I am more competent for work than many other young people who are physically alright. I can work more without hands because I gained confidence through my journey as an Active Citizen”.
Raihan is working on a social action project where he along with other team members is running a school for underprivileged children. They are getting huge support from community people. He is a very popular leader as well as president of a committee for people with disabilities in his area. People in Cox’s Bazar who are always busy in fighting against disasters have little time to think about rights of persons with disability but now small initiatives taken by Raihan is bringing about change. As he is a blogger, he is using the digital platform to create and increase awareness about rights of differently-abled people. His friends, teachers, mentors are proud of Raihan and they believe that he would do something innovative which no one has thought about.
Raihan is a very active and successful team player in different activities and events. His team won the best Social Action Project (SAP) award in the Active Citizens Regional Achievers’ Summit in 2016. Society is waiting for his bigger success. Raihan’s aim is to become a magistrate. No matter what he becomes, he surely will become a person upon whom Bangladesh will feel proud.