Who Is Runa Khan? Bangladesh’s ‘Friendship’ NGO Founder Wins 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award

Friendship NGO founder Runa Khan has been named a recipient of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award, making her the 14th recipient of the prestigious honour from Bangladesh, following, among others, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The formal award ceremony will be held on November 15 in Manila, Philippines.

Khan has been honoured for more than two decades of leadership in developing locally led solutions that empower marginalised communities to live with greater opportunity, dignity and hope.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is considered Asia’s premier prize and highest honour. Often described as the “Nobel Prize of Asia”, it recognises “greatness of spirit” and transformative leadership across the region.

Who is Runa Khan?

Runa Khan is the founder and executive director of Friendship, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) she established in 2002. According to Friendship’s website, it is an international Social Purpose Organisation guided by a vision of a world where people, especially those who are hard to reach and unaddressed, have equal opportunities to live with dignity and hope.

Before founding Friendship, the 67-year-old co-founded Contic, a tourism company offering cruises on renovated traditional wooden boats. She also established the boutique Mearee in Dhaka to support indigenous artisans and create wider markets for ethnic crafts.

Beyond her organisational work, Khan has been invited to speak at various national and international platforms.

Awards and recognition

Over the years, Runa Khan has received several honours for her work, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2006, the DB Prize for Women’s Contribution to Development in 2008, the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award in 2012, and the Green Award by Positive Planet in 2016.

Khan is also a published author of eight books, six on pedagogy and two children’s storybooks.