The AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation announced the Ruby Ghuznavi Award for Social Justice in memory of its late Chairperson, Ruby Ghuznavi. The deadline for application submission is December 31, 2025.
Ruby Ghuznavi was a businesswoman and activist who is largely credited with the revival of traditional Bangladeshi textile crafts. As a founding member of several organisations, including the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh and KARIKA, Ruby devoted her life to nurturing and promoting the beauty and ingenuity of local craftsmanship. With the establishment of Aranya Crafts, a fair-trade micro-enterprise specialising in natural dye crafts, she set out to showcase the full potential of these timeless techniques to the world. She was also involved with rights groups such as Naripokkho, Transparency International Bangladesh and Terre Des Hommes.
She also served as the Chairperson of the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation, a charitable trust founded in 1985 by the late Rezaur Rahman, ICS, in honour of his father Abul Faiz Mujibur Rahman, ICS. The Foundation supports a wide range of institutions and activities, with a special focus on education. Ruby Ghuznavi passed away in April, 2023. To honour her memory, the AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation has announced the Ruby Ghuznavi Award for Social Justice. This is an annual award to an individual or organisation selected for their outstanding contribution to social justice in any sphere of life, including crafts. The award is BDT 3 lakhs for an individual or BDT 5 lakhs for an organisation. Previous winners of the award include women’s rights organisation Naripokkho (2023) and Chattogram-based children’s charity Moanoghar (2024).
Nominations for the 2025 award are now open and, ongoing until December 31. The selections will be made by a small committee of eminent personalities known for working towards social justice, appointed by the board of trustees. The winners will be announced in 2026. To find out more about the nomination process, please visit: https://afmrfoundation.com/ruby-award/