Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy, in association with The Daily Star, organised a public speaking session, titled Twelve Presents Rise Above All 2019, at the capital's Krishibid Institution Bangladesh, on November 16. The event started off with an ice-breaking session, led by Ghulam Sumdany Don, Chief Inspiration Officer, Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy. During the session, he shared his secrets of being an entrepreneur. The event featured engaging speeches by professionals from different fields. Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel was a keynote speaker.

 Sonia Bashir Kabir, Founder, Chairman and CEO of SBK Tech Ventures, elaborated on the significance of connectivity. She explained that the letters, R, I, S and E in "Rise"  can stand for Resilience, Improvising, Secure and Embrace, which are the four pillars of being an entrepreneur.

Nusraat Faria

Actors Nusraat Faria and Arifin Shuvoo, musicians Habib Wahid and Pritom Hasan, and writer-director Nuhash Humayun spoke about key moments of their lives, noting the importance of hard work and creativity.

Mominul Islam, Managing Director and CEO, IPDC Finance Limited, was also in attendance."We are not only successful for our growth, but also for the difference we make in people's lives and the smiles we bring to our customers' faces," he said.

 Kamrul Hassan, Group CEO, Igloo, gave a brief speech about honesty and learning from failures. Abdullah Hill Rakib, Managing Director, Team Group, spoke about innovation and thinking out of the box. He further said that Team Group will be planting 20 lakh plants to ensure oxygen for future generations.

Asif Saleh, Executive Director, BRAC, pointed out three instructions in his speech. He advised the participants to be cautious, to build a coalition and to be persistent and prepared.

Abdul Monem, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of AML received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to different sectors.

Participants presented dance performances and won prizes at the event, which also had food and clothing stalls. People also availed different medical check-ups for free, including blood pressure and blood sugar tests, at the event.

Arifin Shuvoo