Bangladeshi Couple to Join 'Connect Live Tokyo 2025' in Google Local Guides Global Gathering

Google Local Guides is set to host its largest global event based on Google Maps, ‘Connect Live Tokyo 2025,’ in Tokyo, Japan on July 24–25. The special event commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the Local Guides program and will welcome over 50 seasoned contributors from 19 countries. Among them, Bangladeshi-origin Malaysian residents Pavel Sarwar and Sumaiya Zafrin Chowdhury will proudly represent their heritage on the global stage.

‘Connect Live’ is considered the most prestigious event for the global Google Maps community. Participants will have the opportunity to explore upcoming features and technological updates related to Google Maps, while also engaging directly with Google’s development teams.

Google Local Guides is a volunteer-driven global platform operated by Google, where contributors from around the world help improve Google Maps. They enrich the platform by adding new places, correcting information, writing reviews, and uploading photos and videos—making maps more informative and accessible.

Since 2016, Google had been organizing annual summits for top Local Guides at its U.S. headquarters. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these events were suspended, and instead, Google launched the "Guiding Star Award" in 2020 to recognize exceptional contributors. In 2023, Tokyo hosted the Connect Moderator Contributor Conversation as a replacement gathering.

Pavel Sarwar and Sumaiya Zafrin Chowdhury have long-standing histories with the Google community. In 2017, Pavel was invited to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California to attend the Local Guides Summit. His journey was later featured in a documentary by Google Local Guides on their official YouTube channel. In 2021, he was honored with the Guiding Star Award in the Community Builder category.

Sumaiya Zafrin Chowdhury was awarded the Guiding Star Award in the Helpful Hero category in 2020. She also served as a Google Local Guides Connect Moderator. She was selected as a delegate for the Local Guides Summits held in San Francisco in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, and participated in the 2023 Connect Moderator Contributor Conversation in Tokyo.

Google Local Guides has featured the couple on multiple occasions. On International Women’s Day in 2017, Google highlighted Sumaiya as “an inspiring woman for the world.” In 2018, on Valentine’s Day, Google’s blog and forum showcased them under the title "Meet the Couple That Guides Together." They were featured again on Valentine’s Day and Bangla New Year in 2023.

Technology expert Pavel Sarwar and development professional Sumaiya Zafrin Chowdhury remain committed to showcasing Bangladesh's culture, heritage, and local initiatives on the global stage through Google’s platforms, thereby uplifting the country's image worldwide.