STAR INITIATIVES

Photos: Star File

In the last two and a half decades, The Daily Star not only witnessed and reported the changes around it - it had been an agent of change itself. Throughout a myriad range of its projects, The Daily Star continues to participate and make a difference in society. Here are some of the initiatives the organisation is a part of.

Bangladesh Business Awards
Since the beginning of the 21st century, DHL and The Daily Star have been organising the Bangladesh Business Awards, which aims to give recognition to the extraordinary business leaders and enterprises in the country. Awards are given in 4 categories: Business Person of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Business, Enterprise of the Year and Best Financial Institution of the Year.
With this initiative, The Daily Star encourages the entrepreneurial spirit of the nation, paying tribute to managers, innovators and business leaders. They are, after all, the backbone of the economy.
 
HSBC-The Daily Star Junior Climate Champions
If we narrow it down to just one global challenge that must be dealt with extremely urgently and with utmost importance, it is climate change that threatens our planet today. One way of going about this problem is to raise awareness among future generations. Keeping that in mind, HSBC and The Daily Star joined hands in 2013 to create Junior Climate Champions. School students participate in the contest, which is made up of different categories, from poster-making to science projects. Rewarding the best participants, the campaign, in the process, spreads awareness about our environment and climatic change across an entire generation.

The Daily Star's O' Level and A' Level Awards
This popular award-giving ceremony first took place in 1999. O' Level graduates who earn at least 6 A's and A' Level graduates who attain a minimum of 3 A's are given out awards for their outstanding academic results. Over the years, students have aspired to get the prestigious award and the annual gala event has been a source of inspiration for many.

Celebrating Life
An endeavour by Standard Chartered Bangladesh and The Daily Star, Celebrating Life - which was born in 2008 - provides a fabulous platform for creative expression. The competition brings out a kaleidoscope of the Bangladeshi life, portraying its various aspects through photography, lyrics and films. Participants can send in their works to participate in the contest.

Rupchanda-The Daily Star Super Chef
The nationwide culinary battle has captured a lot of attention amongst the public. Aired on NTV, the programme is a reality show, where participants - selected through regional rounds - compete against each other in a series of gastronomic challenges.
Cooking as a hobby or as a passionate pursuit has been taken up by Bangladeshi people from different walks of life. For them, this venture- which is jointly organised by Rupchanda and The Daily Star, provides a perfect opportunity to show off culinary acumen, win generous cash prizes and get exposure in the culinary industry.

The Daily Star ICT Awards
This is a brand new initiative. In association with Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), The Daily Star ICT Awards aims to give recognition to the outstanding achievements in the information and communications technology sector.
Of course, this list of projects is not a comprehensive one. There are many other initiatives that had been taken up by this newspaper, from spelling contest (Spelling Bee) to a campaign of English language learning (English in Schools).
Hopefully, in the next 25 years, we will undertake even bigger initiatives that we can proudly boast about on our 50th anniversary!