The Government of Bangladesh has decided to reserve two awards for transgender individuals under the National Youth Award 2026. In an official notice issued on 26 February 2026, the Department of Youth Development, under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, announced the categories and number of awards in accordance with the National Youth Award Policy (Amended) 2026. The notice outlines a total of 20 awards across two main categories: Successful Self-Employed Youth and Youth Organisers. Of these, one award in each category has been reserved for transgender individuals, accounting for 10 percent of the total awards.
According to the official notice, a total of 14 awards will be presented at the national level under the Successful Self-Employed Youth category. These include three awards for first-, second-, and third-place winners, one special award for young women, eight awards representing the country’s eight administrative divisions, one award for persons with disabilities and autistic individuals, and one award for transgender individuals. Meanwhile, the Youth Organisers category includes six awards: three for first-, second-, and third-place winners, one for young women, one for persons with disabilities and autistic individuals, and one for transgender individuals. The notice also specifies that the first-place winner in the Successful Self-Employed Youth category will receive BDT 200,000, the second-place winner BDT 150,000, and the third-place winner BDT 125,000. Successful self-employed youth selected at the divisional level will receive BDT 100,000 each. Award recipients will also receive crests and certificates of recognition.
Interested candidates have been invited to apply for the National Youth Award 2026 using the prescribed application forms. Applicants can obtain the amended policy and application forms from the Department of Youth Development’s official website and submit their applications to their respective Upazila or Thana Youth Development Officer’s office. The application deadline has been set for 1 April 2026 at 5:00 PM. Under the Successful Self-Employed Youth category, applicants must generally be between 18 and 35 years old, in accordance with the National Youth Policy 2017. However, individuals who received training from the Department of Youth Development or the National Youth Development Institute and established self-employment initiatives within the prescribed age range may remain eligible even after exceeding the age limit. For the Youth Organisers category, individuals actively involved in registered or recognised youth organisations and contributing to community development activities are eligible to apply.
In Bangladesh, many transgender and gender-diverse individuals experience discrimination and social barriers in accessing education, employment, skills development, and economic opportunities. Against this backdrop, reserving dedicated awards for transgender individuals within a national recognition programme creates an opportunity to acknowledge their contributions to self-employment, entrepreneurship, and youth leadership.
References
- Department of Youth Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of Bangladesh — Official notice, “Call for Applications for the National Youth Award 2026”, Memo No. 34.01.0000.026.23.216.26.92, 26 February 2026.
