Bibi Russell, is a global legend and a fashion icon from Bangladesh. She established a mind-blowing career in the fashion scene worldwide. During the seventies, Bibi went to study fashion during in the UK. She then enjoyed working with many world class designers and as an international fashion model. Bibi left the allure of the West and returned to Bangladesh. She has now dedicated her knowledge to revive the traditional crafts from the global South. Bibi regularly gets invited as State Guest to many countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Bibi shares her most satisfying stories by supporting over 35,000 traditional weavers of Bangladesh and also by challenging our own culture and perception of beauty.

In this episode you will be inspired by Bibi's desire to present a “Positive Bangladesh” to the world. Bibi has won over hundreds of national and international awards and continues to run her own social enterprise Fashion for Development, to foster creativity and to celebrate our heritage. Bibi is a role model, who is committed to eradicate poverty, by generating employment and empowering men and women of rural Bangladesh.

Listen to Taufiqur Rahman Khan to learn from our history. In this episode of My MARS mantra podcast, you will learn how to define ourselves as a Bangladeshi Global Citizen, where did our Bengali identity start, what does an independent Bangladesh mean to us and for our future generations. Taufique, a practicing architect, was motivated by the July 2024 Revolution of Bangladesh, to launch his own YouTube channel RoudroRekha. This channel represents oral history of Bangladesh. Taufique was inspired from many authors, poets and global philosophers, and is keen to spread the history of our sub-continent for the future generation of Bangladesh.

My MARS mantra invites Rafia Safa, to celebrate the achievement of July Revolution 2024 in Bangladesh and helps us to understand how people are responding the devastating floods at local level. Rafia is a writer and a business graduate from Chittagong University. Rafia was inspired by her mother’s unfulfilled dreams, to be a liberated writer, and be free like a bird and help others to achieve their dreams.

Producer: Zahid Sumon,

Music: ⁠এসেইস-Aseis⁠

আমার মঙ্গল মন্ত্রের এই পর্বে আমরা রাফিয়া সাফা, একজন সোচ্চার নতুন প্রজন্মের তরুণীর সাহসের গল্প শুনবো। রাফিয়া সবসময় তার দেশের মানুষের অধিকার নিয়ে সোচ্চার থাকতে চায়, হতে চায় এক সহনশীল মায়ের কোল থেকে উঠে আসা সেই মেয়েটি যার আছে অসীম সাহস। এই সাহস বুকে নিয়ে সে লিখে যাবে ও কথা বলে যাবে অবিরত। আসুন আমরা রাফিয়ার কাছ থেকে, বাংলাদেশে ঘটে যাওয়া ২০২৪ এর জুলাই বিপ্লব বা আন্দোলনের এবং পরবর্তীতে বন্যা মোকাবিলার গল্প শুনি!