A day-long “Survivor’s Voice Summit 2026” was held in Dhaka with the aim of raising mental health awareness among young people, ensuring cyber safety, and promoting youth leadership development. The event took place on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy auditorium and was jointly organized by Survivors Path and SRI Welfare Foundation.
The main attraction of the summit was the official launch of the “Monbarta App” and a 24/7 mental health helpline, inaugurated by Professor Dr. S M Abdul Awal, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Chairperson of Survivors Path, Munazia Snigdha Mun, said that today’s youth are facing various challenges including mental health issues, cyberbullying, trauma, and social pressure. Due to social stigma and lack of awareness, opportunities for open discussions on these issues remain limited. She added that the summit was organized to create a safe and empowering platform for youth, professionals, advocates, and survivors. The theme of this year’s summit was “Breaking Silence, Building Hope, Empowering Every Voice.”
In the second session of the summit, Dr. Sansila Zebrin Priyanka attended as Guest of Honor. The event was convened by Sheikh Rifad Mahmud, Chairman of SRI Welfare Foundation, while Munazia Snigdha Mun chaired the session. Special guests included Dr. Md. Zahirul Islam Shakil, Secretary General of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), along with Dr. SK Farid Ahmed and Fahad Hossain.
Throughout the day, several discussions were held on mental health protection, cyber security and digital wellbeing, youth leadership, personal development, and networking. One of the summit’s key attractions was a special session titled “Survivor Chronicles,” where survivors shared courageous stories and encouraged stigma-free conversations.
Another breakout session titled “Survivors Manifesto Formation” focused on discussing policy demands from young people. The youth development panel featured Abdul Kaiyum, Head of Communications at UNDP Bangladesh, along with Sheikh Rifad Mahmud, Munazia Snigdha Mun, and Mehedi Hasan. The session was moderated by Sanzida.
The mental health panel included renowned psychologist Dr. Atikul Haque Majumder, researcher and policy analyst Mahadi-Ul-Morshed, public health expert Mowdudul Hasan, and Dr. A K M Ahsan Habib Nafi. The session was moderated by Dr. Al Amin.
Speaking at the summit, Munazia Snigdha Mun said, “Monbarta is not just an app; it is a platform of empathy, mental support, and hope aimed at breaking the silence surrounding mental health and creating safe support systems for young people.”
The organizers expressed hope that the summit would help increase mental health awareness among youth, encourage greater participation in social initiatives, and build a long-term support network for survivors’ rights and wellbeing.
Several organizations joined the summit as partners and collaborators. Sponsors included Synovia and Parle Agro. Go Green Restaurant served as the food partner, while Fahad’s Tutorial joined as the learning partner. Other event partners included Entrepreneurship Development Club, Kids Safe Foundation, Hello-02, Jagannath University INS, and Young Blood Association.
