Md Nazmus Sakib is a youth disability rights activist from Bangladesh. He is the team lead of YouthNet at the Physically-Challenged Development Foundation (PDF). He has been working as a youth activist in the democracy and disability sector since 2015 and has experience working with different national and international organizations regarding inclusive humanitarian action, accessibility, leadership, and youth engagement. Nazmus completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. He participated as a youth delegate in South Korea for the Global Challenges of Youth with Disabilities 2018 event and served as a member of the 100 Member Bangladeshi Youth Delegation to India in 2019. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Promoting Political Participation of Youth with Disabilities

This project promoted the political participation of youths with disabilities in Bangladesh to ensure their inclusion in policymaking and nation-building. Based on the results of a survey distributed at the start of the project, they developed a curriculum and organized workshops to train 70 young people with disabilities on disability concepts and rights, communication and networking skills, leadership, and democracy and disability inclusion.

The project also organized two panel discussions and six sensitization meetings with student political parties and party leaders to advocate for disability inclusion within political parties. Through these activities, youths with disabilities got opportunities to directly share their demands with political leaders, who committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusion in their organized events, materials, and practices. The project also helped to develop a platform called the "Disability Scholars Forum" to revitalize advocacy initiatives and incorporate the practice and culture of inclusion among political parties to influence national-level policy decisions for inclusion. As a result of the project, 40 out of 70 participants joined different student political parties, youth rights-based organizations, and disability rights organizations. 15 participants are affiliated with different student political parties and hold positions in their working committees.

“This project was an eye-opener for me. Attending the workshop and panel discussion made me realize that it is very imperative for youths with disabilities to be part of the political process so that we can raise our voices in the right place to make inclusive policies for persons with disabilities.” - Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Nazmus was a participant in the IVLP Project Not Too Young to Run – Engaging Youth in the Political Process, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development.

Nazmus' exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "I have seen how Black Girl Vote is contributing to protect the rights of black girls in the USA and promote their meaningful participation in the political process. I also met Judith Brown who founded Project 70Forward [ . . . ] and noticed how her actions brought positive changes."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; Seattle, WA

"Both initiatives inspired me to design my project that empowers youth with disabilities in my country to inspire their political participation through engaging student political party leaders and youth with disabilities." - Md Nazmus Sakib

Country: Bangladesh

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