DHAKA, Bangladesh
Bangladeshi teen Sadat Rahman has won this year’s International Children’s Peace Prize for his work combating cyberbullying in south-western Bangladesh.
Human Rights Activist and Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai announced the award to the 17-year-old for his involvement in setting up his social organization and mobile app “Cyber Teens” to stop cyberbullying.
The event was live-streamed through from the Netherlands Friday.
Rahman won the prize from an impressive 142 applicants from 42 countries, according to a statement of Kids Rights who annually honor a child who has made a significant contribution.
Sadat started his work after a 15-year-old girl committed suicide after suffering from cyberbullying, and he founded his own organization and created the anti-cyberbullying app “Cyber Teens” to give helpless teenagers a place to go for help.
The app has already supported over 300 victims of cyberbullying and led to the arrest of eight perpetrators of cybercrimes, and the app has reached over 45,000 teenagers.
“In 2017 Rohingya people sought refuge in Bangladesh due to violence in their country, I started organizing activities for them, it was then that I discovered the power of youth coming together [..],” and gradually started work on the cyberbullying issue, Sadat who hails from south-western Narail district, said in his speech in the Hague.
“I feel proud to represent Bangladesh to the rest of the World with my work,” he added with an emotion-choked voice.
My ultimate success would be “when no one needs to use my app and there will be no cyberbullying anymore,” he said at his prize receiving event.
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