grantees » Alamgir Kabir

Alamgir is a Bangladeshi environmental activist. Whilst still a student, he founded the youth organization Green Voice, which has gone on to become the largest environmental youth fora in Bangladesh. His long history of leadership in the sector makes him a specialist in organizing and mobilizing others to action for environmental movements. Today, Alamgir is the youngest Joint Secretary for the NGO Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, and is the Coordinator of the Haor Saving Movement, focused on the unique wetland system in Northeastern Bangladesh.

Using the JWH initiative grant, Alamgir cultivated his knowledge about the plight of the Haor wetlands by conducting several field visits, during which he organized citizens’ meetings to speak directly to the farmers and local indigenous people. He says, “I gathered much more information about the nature, ecology, people, livelihoods and difficulties from these community gatherings.”  Alamgir also mobilized local youth to help organize several seminars and conferences, despite facing difficulties of dangerous weather conditions, such as big tidal waves, as well as security threats. He feels that “I am now much more confident about my knowledge and perception on the Haor morphology, ecology situations, and vulnerability of the rural people.”

Alamgir then further refined his communication skills by organizing seminars and a press conference about what he found, beginning to draw considerable media attention to the issue of wetland preservation.  In future, Alamgir hopes to continue with the positive momentum his personal leadership development has generated in his community and extend it to the national level, organizing a national Haor Convention to preserve and manage sustainably this special ecosystem with international importance.