Photo: Md Ata Islam Khan Mojlish

As an A level student in 2008, Mushfiq Rahman, was selected as one of the first core members of 1 Degree Initiative (1di), a registered non-profit youth organisation based in Bangladesh with branches in Canada, USA, Australia, Iraq and Nepal. His extensive effort at One Degree Initiative earned him the position of Director, Active Citizenship.

Mushfiq, majoring in Managament and Finance at the American International University, Bangladesh (AIUB), talks about the year 2010 when his work was first featured in a magazine run by Saudi ARAMCO, an organisation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “We were working with a thousand people for a medical camp and I was the project manager," he says. "Afzalunnessa Foundation, a medical institute, provided us with all the volunteers, while we provided training, skills and plenty of time." Because of his success with the project, he was asked to give a speech at TEDx Ghawar, India, where he got the opportunity to share stories of his inspirational work.
Mushfiq was then made HR In-Charge for a project with Khan Academy, an online school founded by Salman Khan. “Khan Academy initially approached AGAMI, an NGO established in USA, to translate their work in Bangla. AGAMI, then, referred 1di as a local organisation. Eventually, AGAMI became the middle man between 1di and Khan Academy.”
In 2012, The British Council organised the annual Global Youth Summit, a two week-long conference held in the UK, gathering 60 young leaders from all over the world. Mushfiq, the youth leader, represented Bangladesh. “The summit mainly worked on brainstorming for a plan on collaborating projects and working together from all across the world," he says. "We focused on globalisation and connection.” A story on the summit and the 60 young leaders was published in a supplement by The British Council in both the UK and Bangladesh in December 2012.
Mushfiq is also a core team member and Production Coordinator of Finding Bangladesh- a group creating a documentary series to spread awareness regarding Bangladesh's rich heritage, mesmerising histories and perplexing mythologies. “My work is mainly research based. I not only work on finding out about history that we are not yet aware of, but also going to the specific destinations and helping out the photographers and documenters.”