A public speaking mistake that once made him the target of online ridicule has become the inspiration behind a youth-led child protection initiative in Bangladesh.

In 2021, Shahi Al Sadat took the stage as the newly appointed captain of his school’s debate team to represent his institution in a nationwide Bengali debate competition organised by the Ministry of Public Administration.

During his speech, he unintentionally repeated the word “so” 28 times. The moment drew laughter from the audience, and videos of the debate quickly spread across social media. As the clip went viral, it triggered widespread mockery, memes and cyberbullying, with many online referring to him as “SO Sadat”.

According to Sadat, the experience severely affected his confidence and gradually distanced him from public activities.

During that difficult period, he found support from his childhood friend, Nishi, who encouraged him not to let a single mistake define his future. Their conversations eventually inspired the creation of TeenX, a youth-led initiative aimed at supporting young people facing cyberbullying and online harassment.

On 2 June 2021, Sadat and Nishi founded TeenX with a focus on digital safety, cyberbullying prevention and support for children experiencing online abuse.

Sadat said the organisation’s mission expanded following Nishi’s death, whom he described as a victim of sexual violence. The incident prompted TeenX to broaden its work to include child sexual exploitation, online abuse, human trafficking, teenage rape and violence against children.

Over the past five years, TeenX has organised school awareness campaigns, cyber safety workshops, legal literacy sessions, violence prevention programmes and initiatives promoting adolescent mental well-being.

According to the organisation, its awareness activities and victim referral support have encouraged survivors and their families to seek legal assistance and report abuse. TeenX also says its advocacy and reporting efforts have contributed to investigations that led to the arrest of seven individuals accused in rape-related cases.

Now a Class XI student at St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Dhaka, Sadat has received several recognitions for his work in social innovation and youth leadership.

His accolades include the National Tech Award 2024, the PBIF International Business Award 2025, the 71 Media Iconic Award, the Star Bangladesh Award, the South Asian Excellence Award, the Global Excellence Award and the Global Iconic Award 2026. Team TeenX also won a gold medal at the WICE 2026 National Round Bangladesh.

Sadat was also nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize 2024.

TeenX says it has reached thousands of students across Bangladesh through programmes on child protection, cyber safety, digital citizenship, legal literacy and mental health awareness.

Reflecting on his journey, Sadat said the debate incident that once brought him unwanted attention ultimately became the turning point in his life.

“What once felt like the worst moment of my life eventually became the beginning of a mission to ensure that no child has to face violence, exploitation or abuse without support,” he said.

TeenX continues to work with educational institutions, volunteers and community partners to promote child protection, digital safety and awareness across Bangladesh.