Serene Planet was founded in 2023 by Khondker Srijon and five other university students who shared a simple yet serious intention: to contribute meaningfully to the development of a more just, sustainable, and inclusive Bangladesh. Our founding members came from diverse academic backgrounds but were united by a common experience- each had spent time working in different volunteer and community-based settings where they saw, firsthand, how underserved communities often lacked access to education, basic services, and environmental security.
Before the official founding of Serene Planet, several of us were involved in a campus-based initiative called the Initiative for Sustainable Education and Equality (ISEE). ISEE focused mainly on educational outreach, mentoring, and small-scale development projects. While this work gave us valuable grassroots experience, it also revealed the need for a broader platform—something that could respond to the interconnected challenges communities were facing, especially in the face of climate change, urban poverty, and rising inequality. It was from this realization that Serene Planet emerged.
Unlike many organizations, our beginning was informal. We started with small, locally driven activities- peer-led study circles, awareness campaigns in rural schools, youth training in digital literacy, and basic advocacy around social inclusion. These weren’t large-scale interventions, but they were consistent and grounded in the communities we came from. Over time, the trust we built helped us grow organically.
Within a year, Serene Planet had developed a decentralized structure with active teams in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Dhaka, Manikganj, Rajshahi, and Chapainawabganj. Each team works semi-independently but shares a commitment to five focus areas that continue to define our work: Quality Education, Peace and Justice, Climate Action, No Poverty and Hunger, and Urbanization. Our projects vary depending on local needs- from soft skill and computer training for youth, to climate resilience sessions in disaster-prone coastal areas, to urban planning awareness initiatives for students.
Though we are not yet a formally registered organization, we take our responsibilities seriously. Every team is built on local knowledge, volunteer-led decision-making, and shared accountability. Rather than rushing toward rapid growth, we have focused on building a foundation based on real community needs, collaboration, and long-term sustainability.
Serene Planet is not a story of dramatic transformation, but of steady, ongoing work. We don’t claim to have all the answers. What we do have is a growing network of young people across Bangladesh who are willing to listen, learn, and act—without waiting for perfect conditions or external validation.
Looking ahead, we hope to formalize our structure, strengthen our partnerships, and expand our reach to more underserved communities. But no matter how much we grow, we intend to stay rooted in the principle that brought us together in the first place: that meaningful change begins when people take responsibility for the world around them, starting from wherever they are.