(Note: This is a tentative list, subject to change.)
Dr.-Niaz-Ahmed-Khan is a professor of governance and politics at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Centre on Budget and Policy of Dhaka University. Previously he taught University of Rajshahi where he served as the Chair of Public Administration. Working in the development field since 1998, Prof Islam has spent most of his career teaching and development research. He looks at politics of development, manifested in different areas of concern in a postcolonial context. His areas of expertise include health governance, local governance, political institutions, political violence and climate change policy. He was actively involved in drafting the Decentralisation Policy for Democratic Local Governance submitted to the government. He currently teaches Politics and Public Administration, Public Policy Analysis, Poverty and Inequality, and Qualitative Research Methodology. He chairs the Governance and Resilience Research Group at the Department. He received his Master of Philosophy from University of Bergen, Norway and doctorate from University of Heidelberg, Germany with a DAAD Scholarship. Prof Islam is a reviewer of several international journals. He is a member of South Asian Governance Research Network, International Association of Public Policy Analysis, Executive Committee Members of Democratic Budget Movement, Bangladesh, Democratic Local Government Forum, Governance Advocacy Forum and Bangladesh Citizens Network on Climate Change and Convenor of Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt.
Runa Khan, an Ashoka fellow and Schwab Foundation social entrepreneur, is the Founder and Executive Director of Friendship. Friendship was founded drawing upon Runa Khan’s wide range of practical experiences of teaching, setting up small businesses, tourism, and communication among others. She is a published author with eight books, six on pedagogy and two on children’s stories. She is the board member of Global Dignity and country chair of Global Dignity Bangladesh and the founder of Friendship International that is working in four European countries, fundraising and building relationships for Friendship in Bangladesh. Her work is based on simple logic, empathy, respect, deep sense of justice and innovation. She received several international awards and recognition, including Green Award by Positive Planet (2016), Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneur Award (2012), IDB Award for contribution toward Women in development (2008), Rolex Awards for Entreprise (2006), and Ashoka Fellowship (1994).
Dr.-Shuchita-Sharmin is a researcher, pedagogical engineer and facilitator with Learning Planet Institute, Paris, France and co-founder of IKIGAI Lab.
KAM Morshed is the Senior Director of BRAC Bangladesh and leads their advocacy, partnership, social innovation lab, technology, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning teams. He facilitates BRAC’s policy engagements and stimulates technology adaptation to help reimagine BRAC’s internal processes and programme interventions. He is also responsible for fostering partnership between BRAC and the government to help expand BRAC’s impact. Before joining BRAC in October 2015, Morshed led Bangladesh’s Policy, Innovation and Communication teams at UNDP for over 10 years. In that role, he managed UNDP-government partnerships and supervised various programme interventions in the areas of ICT4D, MDGs, aid effectiveness, trade, and south-south cooperation. Morshed has contributed, in various capacities, in the formulation of a number of policies, such as the e-Payment Policy (2005), the Bangladesh ICT Policy (2005, 2010 and 2015), the PPP Policy (2010), Bangladesh Social Safety Net Policy (2015), 6th Five Year Plan (2011-2016), and the 7th Five Year Plan (2016-2020). Morshed sponsored four successful start-ups, including the country’s first GIS Data Management/BPO company (1993), the first chain supermarket (2001), and the first Business Process Reengineering Consulting House (1999). He joined his alma mater as a teacher in 1998, teaching MIS and public/development finance. As a professor and specialist, he led and participated in several notable process reengineering projects. He has published in peer-reviewed journals, newspapers and periodicals. Morshed received both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees with honours from the Department of Finance and Banking of the University of Dhaka. His interests include innovation, behavioural insights, future casting, and social enterprises.
Dr. Taiabur Rahman is a Professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka. He was the former Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). He had been the Chair of the Department of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka from 2006 to 2009. He served as Associate Professor and Chair of Public Administration at the Kazakhstan Institute of Economics, Management and Strategic Research (KIMEP University) from January 2011 to June 2014. Previously, he taught at the University of Rajshahi from 1998 to 2004. He served as an adjunct professor at North South University, BRAC University, East West University and Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). He started his career as a Deputy Manager at Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), Dhaka in 1995 and served the same for three years. He earned his PhD. in Public Policy and Governance from the City University of Hong Kong. He received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Administration from the University of Dhaka and obtained his MPhil degree in Public Administration from the University of Bergen, Norway. He has published extensively in national and international referred journals and contributed chapters to numerous books. He is the author of ‘Parliamentary Control and Government Accountability in South Asia: A Comparative Analysis of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka’ (London, Canada, and USA: Routledge, 2008, 2012). He is a reviewer of article submissions to a good number of international journals and manuscripts submissions to reputed international Publishing Houses such as Routledge, Sage, and Springer. His research interests are in the broader areas of Public Policy and Governance, Comparative Politics, and Development Studies. He has travelled extensively and presented papers at many international seminars and conferences. A prolific author, resource person, and development researcher/practitioner, Dr. Rahman has rendered extensive consultancy services (including program evaluation and survey) to a host of national and international organizations. It is worth mentioning that he had been the Research Director of Unnayan Shamannay (a reputed think tank in Dhaka) from September 2009 to December 2010. Moreover, he is an expert in the realm of international accreditation for tertiary educational institutions.
Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Development Studies of the University of Dhaka. He is currently holding the charge of the Chairman of the Department. He has worked in diverse constituencies, namely, academia, governments, think-tanks, international organisations and media. He is engaged in research for pioneering approaches to developmental public policies and innovative solutions on the ground. He has led numerous projects for diverse organisations including governments, development partners and international organisations at home and abroad…
Zinat Ara Afroze is a development professional with more than 12 years of experience as a communication expert. She joined CARE’s flagship program SHOUHARDO III as a Senior Team Leader in October 2021. Before that, Zinat worked as a communication expert for several international organizations such as British Council, Winrock International, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and ActionAid Bangladesh. Zinat is a Commonwealth Scholar who obtained her MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. Zinat introduces herself as a storyteller, environmentalist and agriculturalist. Zinat enjoys her vacation traveling and working in her family farmhouse in her hometown.
Maruf Kabir
Md. Tawhidul Islam is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in Monitoring and Results Management (MRM) within the development sector. Since 2016, he has been an invaluable member of Swisscontact, contributing his expertise and dedication to various projects.
Tawhid embarked on his journey with Swisscontact, joining as an MRM Officer in the project Making Markets Work for the Chars (M4C). He was promoted to the position of Senior Manager, Innovation, Knowledge Management and MRM in 2021 of the same project (M4C). In addition to his managerial responsibilities in M4C, Tawhid also holds the role of Regional MRM Advisor, South Asia, within Swisscontact. His breadth of knowledge and hands-on experience allowed him to prepare modules and train national and international Swisscontact professionals to make a difference in the world of project monitoring and evaluation.
Prior to his tenure at Swisscontact, Tawhid garnered valuable experience at Enroute International Ltd., where he served as a Project Coordinator in the Katalyst project, Phase III. Beyond his professional endeavors, Tawhid is known for his easy-going nature, ambivert personality and an ardent foodie in exploring different cuisines.
Md. Abdul Khaleque is Associate Professor at Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka. He has completed his PhD in Development Studies in particular focus on water security with funding support from School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford under the project REACH. Earlier, he was Senior Research Associate at Institute of Microfinance (InM) up to July, 2013. He completed his B.S.S (Honors) and M.S.S in Economics at Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. He has a core team member of various research works for CARE Bangladesh, World Vision, UNICEF, and UNDP. His research interests include various development issues, impact evaluation, enterprise development and their constraints, water security, macroeconomic issues and so on.
Md. Faruk Shah is Associate Professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to joining this university, he served as a faculty member of Anthropology at Rajshahi University. Shah holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research interest includes medical anthropology, health, sustainable development, social history, and ethnicity.
Farhana Hafiz is a specialist on advancing gender justice and women’s rights, and Regional Gender Equality Advisor for Nurtition International.
Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan is currently Pro Vice Chancellor, Independent University, Bangladesh. His other positions include Professor (Grade 1) and former Chair at Departm ent of Development Studies, University of Dhaka; Senior Academic Adviser, National Defence College (NDC), and Senior Academic Adviser, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development. He pursued higher education and research in the University of Oxford, University of Wales Swansea, and Asian Institute of Technology. His career reflects a rich blend of academic and practicing development management experiences gained in Bangladesh, Thailand and UK. He has published prolifically (170 publications including some 45 in Web of Science/Scopus indexed).
Dr. Kazi Golam Rasul is a medical graduate (MBBS) with a Master’s in Public Health along with a diploma in Health Systems Management. He is currently Senior Director and Head of Health at Friendship. Having more than 26 years of professional experience, including 16 years at the senior management level, he has been consistently contributing to the organisational growth through successful management of health-related projects and programmes. He has a proven track record in designing, developing, implementing and achieving desired results from time-bound, innovative, and challenging projects including resource mobilization. He worked consistently on Diversified Service Delivery Approaches to increase access to the poor, vulnerable and marginalised with a focus on ensuring a good balance of sustainability of health programs and ensuring safety-net. He has a successful history in developing and implementing several innovative outreach-based programs in hard to reach remote areas. He also has experience in Social Franchising Model, Social Marketing, and Demand Side Financing model in this sector.
Dr. Asif M. Shahan is currently working as an Associate Professor at Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka. He has worked on difference issues related with administrative system, government performance, accountability, social protection and governance of Bangladesh for more than 10 years. He has provided consultancy services to different agencies of the Government of Bangladesh (including the Prime Minister’s Officer, Cabinet Division, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, PKSF) and international organizations including World Bank, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, IDS (University of Sussex), Agropolis France, Swisscontact Bangladesh, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, The Asia Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Centers on the Public Service, George Mason University etc. As part of his assignment, he analyzed the institutional capacity of different institutions of accountability (e.g. Election Commission, Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, Judiciary, Public Service Commission), analyzed the overall governance scenario of Bangladesh, assisted in developing activity plans for different government ministries (e.g. activity plan for Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in implementing the National Social Security Strategy), designed policy advocacy plan (e.g. policy advocacy plan for UNFPA), evaluated the performance management system and National Integrity System of Bangladesh, conducted strategic review to understand the current status and future challenges of Bangladesh in the domain of food security and nutrition, evaluated different programs carried out by different organizations (e.g. ENRICH by PKSF) and explored the policy process in Bangladesh. He is a member of SDG advisory committee convened by the Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Bangladesh and is currently leading a technical team that is working for designing the National Adolescent Strategy in Bangladesh. He has authored a number of book chapters and several journal articles in different peer reviewed journals.
Fahmidul Haq has written extensively about film, media, and culture, with a particular focus on Bangladesh and Asian cinema. He is the author of the books Cinema of Bangladesh: A Brief History (2020); Digital Film in Bangladesh: Call for a New Cinema? (2011); coauthor of Journalism Education in Bangladesh: From Aspiring Journalists to Career Professionals (2019); and numerous other titles in Bengali. His publications also include articles in Continuum, Bangabidya: International Journal of Bengali Studies; Journal of Anthropology; Journal of Social Studies; Society and Change; Media Asia; and others, on such subjects (as they relate to Bangladesh) as the conflict between secularism and religiosity, environmental documentary films and environmental reporting, the role of media in creating consumer culture, gender sensitivity in school textbooks, and identity, nationhood, and cinematic representation. He previously taught at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also a visiting fellow at the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, and, in Bangladesh, at the University of Dhaka, University of Rajshahi, and University of Chittagong. At Notre Dame, he taught courses in nonwestern cinema and, more specifically, Asian cinema; other course subjects have included media research and cultural analysis, film criticism, cyber journalism, and globalization and contemporary media.
Chandan Z Gomes is the Senior Director of Operations and Programme Quality at World Vision Bangladesh. He has been a member of the World Vision Bangladesh since December 1988. Chandan has a career spanning decades with WVB, holding leadership roles in the organisation’s advocacy, programme quality and humanitarian affairs departments. Chandan became the first director of the advocacy team in January 2013 and inaugurated WVB’s advocacy programme. He mobilised advocacy efforts within the organisation’s area programmes and at the national level to promote the rights and protection of women and children. His journey as a speaker for children’s justice began at this time, a role he passionately fills to this day. His accomplishments as advocacy director quickly got him appointed as Director Advocacy and External Engagement for South Asia Regional Office. After 32 years at World Vision Bangladesh, Chandan has gained invaluable knowledge about the humanitarian and advocacy efforts in Bangladesh and he uses this knowledge to push the conversation forward on innovative means to deliver services to vulnerable children. He has served as the Divisional Director of Strategic Programme Support and Advisory Services Group and has held numerous leadership roles in administration, operations, programme and national strategy development and numerous other roles since he first started as a programme officer. Chandan also spent four years serving as a Secretary of Students Affairs Directress at Holy Cross Girls College, Bangladesh.
Kazi Amdadul Hoque is an experienced professional in the field of community development for qualitative changes and building innovative mechanism for integrated services. He is currently working with Friendship as Senior Director, Strategic Planning and Head of the Climate Action sector. He is overseeing the quality and continued development of Friendship’s programmes as well as transformational leadership for better life through collaboration with community, public and private sectors. He worked with UNICEF, Save the Children, IOCH/USAID, INIP and some other organisations. He has significant experience in developing dynamic approaches and systems for programme implementation and linking with policy formulations. He is the author/co-author of many publications including Compendium of Education, IPC-Counseling for Adolescents and more than 12 papers internationally. He has received two Chancellor Gold Medal Awards from Chittagong University and the University of New Castle respectively. He is the chair of Strategic Alliance and Partnership for Environmental Rotary Action Group and a member of many professional and voluntary organizations.
Marc Elvinger is a lawyer and a member of the Luxembourg Bar since 1985. He has held the offices of chairman of the Young Bar Association of Luxembourg and member of the Bar Council. Marc has been active in the field of overseas cooperation within several NGOs since the early 1980s. In that context, he has been a member of the board and chairman of the platform of Luxembourg NGDOs and its representative on the NGDO Liaison Committee with the European Commission. He has also been a member of the board of the Foundation of Grand-Duke Henri et Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa. He is a member of the investment committee of Luxembourg Development and Microfinance Fund (SICAV). In addition to being Chair of Friendship Luxembourg, Marc Elvinger is, along with Runa Khan, Co-Chair of Friendship International.
Dr. M. Abu Eusuf is an economist by training and has an excellent track record of leading and managing multiple projects. He was awarded PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester as a Commonwealth Scholar. He also completed his MA in Development Studies at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands, under the UN fellowship program.
Dr Eusuf is an active researcher and has worked for UNDP, the World Bank, the EU, Center on the Budget and Policy Priorities in USA, University of Manchester, The Asia Foundation, Bangladesh Planning Commission, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International in India, Action Aid Bangladesh, Care Bangladesh, Oxfam, World Vision, Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development and so on.
Md Rafid Abrar Miah is a Research Officer at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). He studies various development aspects of contemporary world majorly form a political economic and human security parlance. His research interests draw on his background of being a student of Development Studies, previous experience of working in different research organizations and development projects. He is currently studying different non-traditional security issues that includes humanitarian crisis, prospects and challenges of economic engagement with different superpowers for Bangladesh, different governance issues, and economic diplomacy. His previous research includes different issues of violence against women, disaster governance, ICT skills of the local government officials, and pandemic management in the South Asia.
Mr Abrar completed his Honours (2019) and Masters (2021) from the Department of Development Studies, Bangladesh University of Professionals. He has been serving at BIISS since April 2021.