By Abdullah AL Masum
Dhaka, Aug 24 — At a time when climate change and environmental hazards pose growing threats, a group of young innovators is showing that fresh ideas can bring real change.
Three young women from the team Neo Kagoj have developed “Hygie Guard”, a tissue-like product made from recycled paper, designed for safe use in public toilets. Highly absorbent and flushable, the innovation aims to protect users—particularly women—from infections in unhygienic public restrooms.
Their solution earned them the top prize at the Climate Justice Idea Competition 2025, jointly organized by The Daily Star and ActionAid Bangladesh. The grand finale, held yesterday at The Daily Star Centre, featured nine youth teams presenting creative solutions to tackle climate impacts, improve public health, and promote sustainable living.
The finalists competed across three categories: Green Business, Water Rights, and Energy Transition.
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In Green Business, Neo Kagoj secured the top spot, while Sustyre won first runner-up for producing recyclable footwear soles from waste tyres, and Econappy became second runner-up with its biodegradable baby diapers.
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In Water Rights, team Projonmo won first prize for an affordable water purifier, Aqua Rights came second with a solar-powered filtration system to combat salinity, and Ecohydra secured third place with its portable water purifier.
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In Energy Transition, Enermical topped the category with its hybrid fuel innovation blending plastic waste extracts with diesel, followed by Sonali Urja (runner-up) with an app-based farm waste-to-electricity system, and Trendsetters (second runner-up) with solar-powered electricity generation from Dhaka’s garbage.
Speaking at the event, Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, called on the private sector to step up and invest in these youth-led ideas. “Climate change affects us all, but funding to mitigate it remains inadequate. Corporate backing is vital,” she said.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, praised the finalists for their ingenuity. “Bangladesh cannot progress without innovation. Even if just a few of these ideas succeed, they can bring huge change,” he said, emphasizing the need to overcome inefficiency, which he described as a “disease” holding the nation back.
The event concluded the fourth edition of the Climate Justice Idea Competition, launched in 2022 under the campaign “Our Planet, Our Responsibility.” This year’s contest attracted 271 entries, from which nine were shortlisted and mentored by experts before competing in the finale.
