Our Expert Consultants
Khodeja Sultana
A seasoned development leader and gender analysis expert with over 17 years of experience leading large-scale development programs, managing donor funds, and championing gender integration and rights-based initiatives across Bangladesh. She served as the Country Director for Diakonia Bangladesh country office, a Sweden based development organization. Her background includes a significant tenure at DFID Bangladesh managing private sector development and an early career in finance at Ain o Salish Kendra. Ms. Sultana holds an MBA from East West University with extensively trained in international development standards, including Gender Statistics (Sida/SCB Sweden), Resilience Action Planning (UNISDR), and CHS/Sphere Standards. She is a frequent contributor to national outlets like The Daily New Age, The Financial Express. Her work focuses on gender budgeting, education, and climate policy, leveraging her unique professional transition from financial management to high-level NGO leadership.
Muhammad Taher
Distinguished management and social development consultant with more than 30 years of experience in organizational development and policy evaluation across South Asia. Specializing in governance, human rights, climate resilience, and WASH, he currently serves on the Independent Review Panel of Accountable Now, Berlin. Throughout his career, Mr. Taher has held prominent leadership roles, including Country Director of ITDG Bangladesh (presently Practical Action) and Chair of Duryog Nivaran, a south Asian platform of disaster management. As a consultant, he has led many assignments for national and international organizations such as MKP, UTSA, BRAC, Nagorik Uddyog, SDC, NETZ, Diakonia, the World Bank, UNDP, and USAID. His academic background includes an M.A. in Development Studies from the Netherlands and an M.A. in English from the University of Dhaka. An accomplished author, he has published extensively on rural development and disaster risk reduction, providing critical rights-based insights for regional practitioners and policymakers.
Md. Iqbal Alam Khan, PhD
An international development expert with over 25 years of experience in project management, qualitative research, and academic teaching. He holds a Ph.D. in International Development from the University of Bath (UK), an M.A. in Developmental Studies from Erasmus University (Netherlands), and an M.S.S. in Sociology from the University of Dhaka (Bangladesh). His research centers on displaced migrants, social capital, climate change adaptation, and rural livelihoods. , with numerous publications in books and peer-reviewed journals. As a prolific researcher, he has authored numerous publications and co-edited a key book on rural livelihoods in Bangladesh. Dr. Khan is a Professor of Development Studies at Daffodil International University. He held senior management and research roles for major international organizations—including CSIRO, UNDP, the World Bank, and PROSHIKA—and taught at institutions across Canada, the UK, and Bangladesh.
Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan
A Bangladeshi academic, political ecologist, and Professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka. He served as a full-time member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh. He is also widely recognized for his public intellectual work, active involvement in civil rights issues. He holds BSS and MSS in International Relations, University of Dhaka and MA in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK and PhD in Political Ecology, University of New England, Australia. Dr. Khan’s scholarly work primarily focuses on critical theoretical approaches in international relations. His primary areas of specialization in political ecology, international political economy, higher education and governance.
Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam
A Professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka, where he also serves as Director of the Centre on Budget and Policy. With over 25 years of academic and professional experience, he specializes in parliamentary strengthening, democratic governance reform, civil service reform, and political economy analysis. He holds a PhD from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, an MPhil from the University of Bergen, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Dhaka. Throughout his career, Dr. Islam has actively advised donor-funded initiatives, government bodies, and international organizations like UNDP and TAF. Notably, he served as a Member of the Local Government Reform Commission and led high-impact projects, including national governance assessments and health sector evaluations. An accomplished researcher and public analyst, he has authored numerous studies on public policy and local governance.
Dr. Eshita Dastider
An anthropologist and independent researcher specializing in migration, mobility, and indigenous land rights. Her landmark doctoral research focused on the mobility and belonging of the Khasi community. Dr. Dastider had academic positions at Jahangirnagar University and the Asian University of Bangladesh. She has numerous consultancies with national and international organizations like Badabon Sangho,Action Aid, Marie Stopes. She earned her PhD from Jahangirnagar University in 2024 and holds postgraduate degrees from the University of Chittagong. Beyond her academic contributions in journals like Nrvijnana Patrika, she is a frequent writer for The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and The Business Standard on gender and displacement. Her work effectively bridges academic inquiry with socio-cultural analysis of marginalized and indigenous identities in Bangladesh.
Khaleda Rockshana Mahbub
A researcher and development practitioner with over 22 years of experience. As a gender and transformative research expert and specialized in safeguarding, impact evaluation, and rights-based programming, she has developed critical safeguarding frameworks for national government bodies and international partners like UNFPA and World Vision. Her career includes roles with RFSU Sweden and the International Republican Institute. Ms. Rockshana holds a Professional Master’s in Disaster Management and an M.Sc. in Soil Science from the University of Dhaka. A multifaceted professional, she has authored numerous gender audits and research reports on disability rights and drug trafficking.
Md. Tajul Islam
A legal researcher and access-to-justice specialist, he served as the Adviser for Advocacy, Research, and Capacity Building at the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) With over 20 years of experience, he has led more than 30 studies that directly shaped national legislation, including the Village Court Act. His expertise covers formal and informal justice systems, indigenous rights, and gender-based violence. An Enrolled Advocate of the Bangladesh Bar Council, he has held senior roles with UNDP and DFID’s Community Legal Service project. Mr. Islam holds an LL.M. from Rajshahi University and an MSS in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Dhaka University. He is widely recognized for bridging the gap between grassroots research and legal reform, authoring numerous publications on procedural law, racial discrimination, and the application of customary law in gender-based violence cases.
Mostafa Kamal (Jatra)
A pioneer in combining theatre and mental health in Bangladesh as mental health social researcher and theatre director. He is a part-time lecturer in the Department of Dramatics at the University of Chittagong and the founder of Unite Theatre for Social Action (UTSA). With over three decades of background in theatre arts, he developed the concept of “Therapeutic Theatre” to deliver psychosocial care, trauma support, and post-disaster mental health first aid in using creative arts, Expressive Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Playback Theatre. He has invented 5 distinct theatre formats: Meeting Play, Dramamagic Play, Photographic Drama, Time Switch in Theatre, and Verbal Drama. With his expertise, he conducted workshops and presented in Afghanistan, USA, Philippines, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Australia. Having completed his MA in Dramatics, he is now pursuing M.Phill in Chittgagong University.
Mr. Mehrab Goni
A distinguished development professional with over 25 years of expertise in strategic communications, advocacy, partnership building, and knowledge management. Throughout his career, he has translated complex technical initiatives into compelling narratives that drive action. Mr. Goni excels at the intersection of communication, policy, and multi-stakeholder engagement. He has successfully spearheaded advocacy campaigns, guided institutional profiling, and collaborated closely with governments, research institutions, civil society, and the private sector. Passionate about evidence-based storytelling, he has overseen the creation of numerous publications, policy briefs, and audio-visual assets that shape programs, influence policy, and bolster fundraising. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is passionate in photography.
S. M. Shahidullah
A public health and environmental management specialist with over 20 years of experience in large-scale research in the area of water quality and safety, public health. He has wide experience in WASH interventions across the country including Rohingya refugees and host communities including women and child protection and arsenic mitigation. He has carried out a number of research studies, project evaluations and survey. He managed as a senior management staff in implementing projects collaborating with UNICEF, UNDP, CARE, DANIDA, EC, SDC, Save the Children, AAR-Japan, DPHE etc. He has also represented his institution at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Mr. Shahidullah holds an MPH from the State University of Bangladesh and M.Sc. in Chemistry from Rajshahi University. A prolific researcher, his technical research is featured in journals like Environmental Science & Technology. He has also developed numerous training modules, IEC/BCC materials focused on arsenic mitigation and water safety, women and child protection in humanitarian context.
Md. Mazharul Islam
A senior development professional with over 20 years of experience in human rights with special focus on Dalit, Adibasi and minority rights, gender and climate justice, and disaster risk reduction. Mr. Islam is a founder member of the Council of Minorities, Partnership of Women in Action (PaWA), Dalit Education Trust, a Life Member of BAPA and vice-president of Al-Falah Bangladesh. His career includes leadership roles at the Diakonia, Bangladesh Freedom Foundation and Nagorik Uddyog, and he has represented at major international forums like UNFCCC and CBD COPs and the UN Global Platform for DRR, World Social Forum. He holds an M.A. in Development Studies from East West University and an M.A. in English from Rajshahi University. An influential researcher, his work focuses on mainstreaming resilience and advocating for the rights of Dalit, Adibasi and Urdu-speaking populations, addressing climate-induced vulnerabilities in Bangladesh.