Forbes has published its ninth annual 30 Under 30 Asia list, spotlighting 300 young innovators and entrepreneurs across ten categories.
This year, nine Bangladeshi individuals have been recognized for their contributions to various fields, including the arts, media, technology, and finance.
Anusha Alamgir
Anusha Alamgir, 28, has been listed in the Arts category. She holds a Master’s degree in architecture from the Royal College of Art in London and is known for her multidisciplinary artistic work.
Alamgir’s film ‘Porda‘ was featured in the 2023 Venice Biennale, exploring Muslim veiling practices. Her work also delves into issues such as the female body image and the male gaze. She has exhibited in venues including the Oitij-jo Collective in London, La-La Land Gallery in Los Angeles, and Drik Picture Library in Dhaka. Additionally, Alamgir is the founder of Colors Dhaka, an online thrift store.
Redwan Ahmed
Award-winning freelance journalist Redwan Ahmed, 28, has been recognized in the Media, Marketing, and Advertising category. Ahmed has extensively reported the Rohingya crisis for Agence France-Presse, earning the 22nd Human Rights Press Award. His investigations into the exploitation of Bangladeshi garment factory workers for The Guardian have also garnered attention.
Ahmed co-founded the Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media to protect local journalists and was named a fellow in the 2021 Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism program.
Mehedi Shoron
Mehedi Shoron, 24, co-founded HelloTask, an app offering maid services in Bangladesh. The platform provides hourly bookings, monthly subscriptions, and safety features for the maids it employs. HelloTask has secured funding from investors and grants from the World Bank and Oxfam.
The company aims to expand its workforce to 100,000 maids by 2025 and explore international markets. Shoron has been recognized in the Consumer Technology category.
Fahad Ahmed
Fahad Ahmed, 25, co-founded Wind.App, a cross-border remittance platform using blockchain technology and stablecoins for faster, cheaper transactions. The startup secured $3.8 million in pre-seed funding in November 2022.
Before Wind, Ahmed was part of the founding team at Pathao, where he launched services including food delivery, payments, and ride-hailing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Dhaka University. Ahmed is listed in the Finance and Venture Capital category.
Sultan Moni and Mumtahina Anika
Sultan Moni and Mumtahina Anika co-founded Zatiq, a fintech startup in Dhaka that helps small businesses manage their accounting with user-friendly software and hardware. Zatiq offers tools such as a business calculator that syncs with smartphones and an easy way to start an e-commerce website. In August, Zatiq raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding led by Dekko ISHO Venture Capital. Both Moni and Anika are recognized in the Finance and Venture Capital category.
Abdul Gaffar Sadi, Md Tushar, and Md Shahidul Islam
Abdul Gaffar Sadi, Md Tushar, and Md Shahidul Islam founded Drutoloan, a company assisting micro and small businesses in securing loans from banks and financing companies. Drutoloan, which translates to “quick loan,” has disbursed over $2 million in loans since its inception in 2019 and raised $125,000 in pre-seed funding in November. The trio is listed in the Finance and Venture Capital category.