Special Reporter: To celebrate World Food Day 2025, the Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering (NFE) at Daffodil International University with support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and SUN Youth Network Bangladesh proudly launched a special initiative titled “Pushti Bondhu" aimed at promoting nutrition awareness and healthy eating habits among students at the university on Friday (17 October, 2025).

The inauguration of the “Pushti Bondhu (Nutrition For All)” project was graced by the presence of Professor Dr. S. M. Mahbub Ul Haque Majumder, Dean, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, as the Chief Guest. Mehedi Hasan Bappy, Project Coordinator, Youth and Adolescent Nutrition, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), attended as the Special Guest, while Dr. Nizam Uddin, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering, joined as the Guest of Honor.

Distinguished faculty members present at the event included Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Mr. Juwel Rana, Dr. Md. Atiqual Islam, Dr. Farzana Rahman, Mr. Md. Nawal Sarwer, and Mr. Akibul Islam Chowdhury from the Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering.

The project is led by Soyed Mehedi Hassain Nayeem, a youth leader of the SUN Youth Network Bangladesh who recently received Food Systems Youth Leadership Training from GAIN, along with team members Mahfuzur Rahman, Md. Rakibul Alam, and the dedicated Pushti Bondhu team.

Sharing his vision, Nayeem stated, “𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙋𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙩𝙞 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙪, 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮.”

The initiative features several key components, including Nutrition Awareness Campaigns, Healthy Meal Programs, Breakfast Initiatives, Peer Support Groups, and Impact Assessment Surveys. A permanent campus food stall has also been opened to provide nutritious breakfast at minimal cost every morning, ensuring that no student starts their day on an empty stomach.

Together, we are building a health-conscious university community that prioritizes better nutrition and well-being for all.