BloodBridge, a digital platform designed to link blood donors with recipients, has launched the beta version of its mobile application.
The launch took place on August 14 at the DMK Lecture Gallery on the campus of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), as part of Thalassemia Awareness Week held from August 11 to 14.
Founded by K.M. Ferdous Hasan Foysal, a student of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at IUB and CEO of BloodBridge, the platform facilitates rapid connections between donors and patients through app notifications, Telegram alerts, and location-based SMS.
The forthcoming version 1 of the app will introduce live donor tracking, diagnostic support, and specialised services for thalassemia patients.
“About 11.4 percent of Bangladeshis are thalassemia carriers. Each year, 6,000–8,000 children are born with the disease, with 60,000–80,000 patients nationwide,” Foysal said at the event, stressing the importance of mandatory thalassemia screening in universities.
He highlighted the potential of student-led initiatives and digital solutions to improve Bangladesh’s blood donation system.
The launch ceremony was attended by IUB Vice Chancellor Prof. M. Tamim, Division of Student Activities (DoSA) head and BloodBridge advisor Atif M. Safi, lecturers Afia Nowshen, Arrafy Rahman, and Mariz Sintaha, along with other academics and industry representatives, including A&A Global Consultants’ Managing Partner Asir Haque and ESCO Bangladesh’s Deera Mahasin. Also present were Dr. Syeda Masooma Rahman, Vice-Chairman of the Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, Dr. Razia Sultana, Transfusion Medicine Specialist at the Foundation, and Dr. AKM Ekramul Hossain, Executive Director of Bangladesh Thalassemia Samity and Hospital (BTSH).
Thalassemia Awareness Week was jointly organised by BloodBridge, the Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, BTSH, and supported by ESCO Bangladesh and A&A Global Consultants. Activities included free blood grouping, low-cost Complete Blood Count (CBC) and thalassemia screening tests, and an interactive quiz competition.
The awareness campaign, led by Foysal, involved 72 students from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 15 faculty members, 10 administrative staff, and 5 security personnel from IUB. Over the week, 72 bags of blood were donated for thalassemia patients.
Key members of the BloodBridge team included Angkita Averi Noor (Personal Secretary), Rahima Tasnim Rashfi (Executive, Operations), Saifullah Khan (IT Executive), Mahanaj Alamgir (IT Trainee Executive), and Raiyan Anwar Amir (Content Strategist). The group drew support from a wider team of student volunteers.
As part of the campaign, a membership drive was held near the IUB Medical Center from August 11–12, encouraging students and staff to register for future donations. On August 13, the quiz contest “Bridge the Gap” brought together 42 teams from 42 universities, including North South University, BRAC University, East West University, Jahangirnagar University, Khulna University, and IUB.
The contest, inaugurated by DoSA head Atif M. Safi, tested participants’ knowledge of thalassemia, blood donation, and public health. A soft skills session on public speaking, led by Associate Professor Dr. Md Shanawez Hossain from IUB’s Department of Global Studies and Governance, was also held.
Team BetaBlockers from BRAC University won the competition, followed by Team Tahsin from East West University as runners-up and Team Kitty Paws from IUB in third place. All participants received certificates, T-shirts, and tokens of appreciation, while the top teams received crests and prize money.
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