The "Miss Bangladesh Beauty Pageant (MBBP) 2024" was officially launched on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Daily Star Centre, with the goal of reshaping and rebranding Bangladesh’s global image through the beauty pageant industry.
Key figures at the event included Meghna Alam, Chairman of the Miss Bangladesh Organization & Foundation; Dr. Tasin Afrin Diana, Director; Tahrin Jerin, Legal Advisor; Nazim Farhan Choudhury, Managing Director; Mr. Sarker Maswood Hasan, Senior Consultant of Northbrook Consultants Ltd; Tashik Ahmed, Advisor for Program and Broadcast at ATN Bangla; Anisur Rahman, Director of ATN MCL and ATN Education; Sohel A Chaklader (Duke), CEO of Trilogy; and Karin Jongman, Hotel Manager of Le Meridien Dhaka.
The MBBP 2024, organized by the Miss Bangladesh Organization and Foundation, aims to utilize beauty pageants as a platform to rebuild and rebrand the image of Bangladesh globally. The top 10 contestants will serve as goodwill ambassadors and represent Bangladesh at 10 international pageants across five continents.
The winner will be titled *Miss Bangladesh - Earth* and will represent the country in the 24th edition of the *Miss Earth* pageant in the Philippines, one of the world's largest beauty pageants, known for its focus on environmental responsibility. Other pageants that the top contestants will attend include *Miss Asia* in India, *Miss Global* in Cambodia, *Royal International Miss* in the USA, *Miss Freedom of the World* in Kosovo, *Miss Culture Global* in South Africa, and *Miss Heritage International* in Thailand, among others. The Miss Bangladesh Organization is positioning Bangladesh to become a prominent figure in the global pageantry scene.
Auditions for the pageant will be held at the ATN Bangla BFDC Studio on September 30, 2024, and the grand finale is scheduled for October 4, 2024, at Le Meridien Dhaka. The top 20 contestants will undergo extensive training in areas such as pageant walking, public speaking, entrepreneurship, project management, and fitness. The contestants will also engage in discussions on contemporary issues to assess their public speaking and presentation skills.
Women from across Bangladesh can apply online through the official website, www.missbangladesh.com, with registration closing on September 28. Eligible participants must be unmarried, between the ages of 18 and 27, and no restrictions on height, weight, or skin tone are imposed.
Meghna Alam, Chairman of the Miss Bangladesh Organization & Foundation, highlighted the pageant’s mission: "Miss Bangladesh will feature some of the most beautiful, intelligent, graceful, talented, and confident women in our country. The motto, ‘Rebuilding & Rebranding Bangladesh Globally,’ reflects our vision to elevate Bangladesh’s standing worldwide." She added that the top 10 ambassadors will engage in social causes throughout the year, collaborating with diplomats, government officials, and civil society organizations to promote awareness and fundraise for various initiatives.
Alam, who is also an internationally certified leadership trainer, holds the highest number of international pageant licenses globally and is the first Bangladeshi to become a national director for one of the "Big Four" pageants. She also mentioned that *Miss Palestine* is expected to attend the grand finale to show solidarity and participate in the crowning ceremony.
The event will be aired by its media and broadcast partner, ATN Bangla. ATN Media Communications Ltd and Trilogy serve as co-organizers, with Northbrook Consultants Ltd as the PR partner, Anzara as the dress and jewelry partner, and Le Meridien Dhaka as the hospitality partner.