A Singaporean-Bangladeshi's Mission: Giving Back to Her Community

Ms Lutfa Shazneen Hasan’s journey from an NTU history student to a full-time advocate for migrant workers is a powerful example of how personal experience can inspire a mission to drive change. The 23-year-old, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in July, was deeply inspired by her parents' migration from a central Bangladeshi town to Singapore, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.

Her father, Mr Zahurul Hasan, came to Singapore in 1996 as a mechanical technician in the shipbuilding industry. Her mother, Madam Sharmin Akther, joined him in 2001, and their family, including Ms Shazneen and her two younger sisters, were granted Singapore citizenship in 2006. Ms Shazneen recalls growing up "enthralled" by her parents' stories of life in Bangladesh, which instilled in her a "very deep respect for the ways labourers built this country".

This family history fueled her academic pursuits at NTU, where she took modules on topics like the history of migration, urban coasts, and public history. She was taught that history is not just about learning the past, but about "interrogating the systems that produced it, asking who benefits and who is left behind". This critical perspective led her to write a paper on how Singaporean attitudes towards migrant workers changed during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Now, Ms Shazneen applies her academic training in her full-time role as a senior specialist at the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC). She helps foreign workers navigate challenging situations, including salary disputes, unfair dismissals, and housing issues. Her ability to speak the Bengali language allows her to connect with and provide support to vulnerable workers who come to the center for help.

Beyond her work, Ms Shazneen is launching a podcast with her friends called "Stories from Saturday School," which aims to document the lives of under-represented South Asian communities in Singapore. She hopes to "make sure that labour stories are remembered with dignity as part of Singapore’s history, and not just as mere economic labour units". The podcast's name is a nod to the non-Tamil Indian-language lessons, like Bengali or Hindi, that are often held for students on Saturdays.

Ms Shazneen’s journey and her dedication to this cause are a source of pride for her father, who believes Singapore offers great opportunities for learning and career building. Despite her family having Singapore citizenship, Ms Shazneen says she continues to navigate her identity, taking pride in being a "Singaporean-Bangladeshi" and connecting with other immigrants who share similar experiences. A former NTU lecturer, Dr. Joanne Chia, noted that Ms. Shazneen's genuine care for others, demonstrated during an uncommon internship choice at a non-profit serving people with intellectual disabilities, is what truly drives her.