BloodBridge, a digital platform connecting blood donors and seekers, launched the beta version of its mobile app at the DMK Lecture Gallery on the campus of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). The launch was part of the Thalassemia Awareness Week organised by the BloodBridge team from 11–14 August 2025.

The platform was founded by K.M. Ferdous Hasan Foysal, a Biochemistry and Biotechnology student at IUB and CEO of BloodBridge. The app facilitates fast connections between donors and recipients through notifications, Telegram alerts, and location-based SMS. The upcoming version 1 will feature live donor tracking, diagnostic support, and tailored services for thalassemia patients.

Foysal said, “About 11.4% of Bangladeshis are thalassemia carriers. Each year, 6,000–8,000 children are born with the disease, with 60,000–80,000 patients nationwide.” He highlighted his vision of mandatory thalassemia screening in universities and stressed how student-led initiatives and technology can strengthen the blood donation system.

The launch event was attended by Prof. M. Tamim, Vice Chancellor of IUB; Atif M. Safi, Head of the Division of Student Activities (DoSA) and advisor to BloodBridge; Afia Nowshen, Lecturer; Arrafy Rahman, Senior Lecturer; and Mariz Sintaha, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences, IUB. Also present were Asir Haque, Managing Partner at A&A Global Consultants; Deera Mahasin, Pre-sales Coordinator, Marketing, ESCO Bangladesh; Ashraful Amin, Director, Council Affairs, IUB; and Tanvir Ahmed Haroon, Lecturer, Department of Environmental Science and Management, IUB.

Prof. Dr. Syeda Masooma Rahman, Vice-Chairman, and Dr. Razia Sultana, Transfusion Medicine Specialist, Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, and Dr. AKM Ekramul Hossain, Executive Director, Bangladesh Thalassemia Samity and Hospital (BTSH), also attended.

The awareness week, organised in collaboration with BTSH and Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, with support from ESCO Bangladesh and A&A Global Consultants, aimed to raise awareness about thalassemia, promote voluntary blood donation, and strengthen the blood donation ecosystem. Activities included free blood grouping tests, low-cost Complete Blood Count (CBC) and thalassemia screening tests, and an interactive quiz contest.

Led by Foysal, the campaign involved 72 students from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 15 faculty members, 10 administrative staff, and 5 security personnel of IUB. A total of 72 bags of blood were donated during the week for thalassemia patients.

The BloodBridge team included Angkita Averi Noor, Personal Secretary; Rahima Tasnim Rashfi, Executive, Operations; Saifullah Khan, IT Executive, Technology & Creative; Mahanaj Alamgir, IT Trainee Executive; and Raiyan Anwar Amir, Content Strategist. Saifullah and Rahima are Biochemistry and Biotechnology students, Angkita studies Management Information Systems (MIS), and Raiyan is from Global Studies and Governance (GSG).

The volunteer team included IUB students Anik Hassan, Mosfec Sadid, Noshin Anbar, Kazi Nusrat Zia Maliha, Rakib Arafat Nayan, Sanzida Nawal Tanisha, Sharmin Imtiaz Sayka, Tasfia Khan, Tahsin Al Mashrafi, Sneha Jenta Jeha, Farhana Ahamad Oishee, Fahim Abrar, and Mohammad Salman.

A Membership Enrollment Drive was held from 11–12 August 2025 near the IUB Medical Center, encouraging the IUB community to engage in lifesaving efforts through awareness, volunteerism, and blood donation sessions at the IUB Multipurpose Hall.

The quiz contest, titled “Bridge the Gap,” was held on 13 August 2025 at the Multipurpose Hall, with 42 teams from universities including North South University, BRAC University, East West University, Jahangirnagar University, Khulna University, and IUB. The contest tested knowledge on thalassemia, voluntary blood donation, and public health, and was inaugurated by Atif M. Safi. A soft skills session on public speaking was conducted by Dr. Md Shanawez Hossain, Associate Professor, Department of Global Studies and Governance.

Team BetaBlockers (BRAC University) were crowned champions, Team Tahsin (East West University) were first runners-up, and Team Kitty Paws (IUB) were second runners-up. All participants received T-shirts, certificates, and tokens of appreciation, with the winning teams receiving crests and prize money.