Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman
Chairperson
Economist and social thinker Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman is a leading policy and civic voice of Bangladesh. Holding a master’s in economics from Dhaka University, and a PhD in political sociology from the University of Manchester, UK, Dr Rahman was a leading researcher at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and a member of the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation. In 1996, he founded the think tank Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC).
He led Government of Bangladesh’s first poverty reduction strategy paper and played a foundational role in the adoption of the national social protection strategy in 2015. He has published widely on poverty, social protection, decentralisation, universal healthcare, quality education, urbanisation, governance, political change, and inclusive growth. He was awarded Dr John Meyer Global Citizenship Award by the Institute for Global Leadership of Tufts University, USA, in November 2009. He became one of the three awardees of the Gold Medal Award 2013 of Rotary International Bangladesh for his services to humanity.
In 2008, Dr Rahman was appointed as an adviser to the former caretaker government of Bangladesh and put in charge of the ministries of commerce and education. He has been credited with a lead role in the successful return of electoral democracy to Bangladesh.
He is a regular guest lecturer at the National Defence College and sits on the board of the International Panel for Social Progress (IPSP). He is the convener of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum, president of the Bangladesh Economics Olympiad and president of the Bangladesh Senior Citizens Welfare Society. He has been chairperson of BRAC since 2019.
Quais Shafiqul Hassan
Member
Quais Shafiqul Hassan is the Managing Director of Echo Sourcing Limited UK and Echotex Limited Bangladesh. Echotex received Bangladesh’s National Environmental Award, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka’s Environmental Award, and J Sainsbury plc’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award in 2010. Echotex was also awarded Best Clothing Supplier in 2011 as well as Best Clothing Supplier and Supplier of the Year in 2012 by J Sainsbury plc.
Mr Hassan co-founded a premium clothing label called Ninety Percent, launched in 2018, that shares 90% of its distributed profits between social and environmental causes, along with the people who are involved in making the clothes. He is the co-founder of Children’s Hope, an NGO that works to educate slum children in Dhaka.
He obtained his undergraduate degree from City University, London and postgraduate degrees from Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
Melissa Parke
Member
Melissa Dawn Parke has over two decades of experience in international law, politics, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs, human rights and governance. She served as Minister for International Development and is a former federal member for Fremantle.
Prior to entering the Australian parliament Ms Parke served as an international lawyer with the United Nations for eight years in Kosovo, Gaza, New York and Lebanon. Following her retirement from parliament, she worked as an ‘Eminent Expert on Yemen’ for the UN Human Rights Council.
Ms Parke is currently the Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
She holds bachelor’s degrees in business from Curtin University and law from the University of New South Wales, and a master’s degree in public international law from Murdoch University.
Dr Fahmida Khatun
Member
Dr Fahmida Khatun is the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a leading think tank in Bangladesh. Previously, she worked as a Research Fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), an Environment Specialist at the UNDP, and an Economist at the USAID Mission in Bangladesh. She has taught economics at universities in Bangladesh and England and has been a Visiting Fellow at several international research organisations.
Dr Khatun regularly serves on policy-making and advisory bodies at home and abroad. She is a member of the United Nations Secretary- General’s Independent Expert Advisory Panel on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI). She is a member of the High-level Advisory Board on the Productive Capacities Index of UNCTAD and of the Task Force on Climate, Development, and International Financial Architecture, an initiative of Boston University, USA. In 2023, she served as Co-Chair of the T20 India Task Force on “Accelerating SDGs: Exploring New Pathways to the 2030 Agenda” under the G20 process.
Dr Khatun is a member of the Board of Bangladesh Bank. She also serves on the BRAC Board, the world’s largest non-governmental organisation working for the left-behind population. She was a Member of the Task Force on Re-Strategising the Economy and Mobilising Resources for Equitable and Sustainable Development and the Task Force to Strengthen the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), both formed by the interim government of Bangladesh in 2024 to 2025.
She completed her postdoctoral research at Columbia University, USA, and undertook joint research with Professor Jeffrey Sachs. She holds a masters and a PhD in economics from University College London (UCL), University of London. She has participated in the Leadership Decision-Making programme at Harvard University, USA.
Dr Khatun’s areas of expertise include macroeconomic policy, the financial sector, international trade and WTO issues, climate change, environment, energy economics, the digital economy, youth employment, the interlinkages between digital public infrastructure and health, the interests of Least Developed Countries, and women’s contribution to the economy.
She has several publications to her credit at home and abroad. Click here to view the list.
Fathima Dada
Member
Fathima Dada is a global education leader with experience spanning teaching, authorship, policy, executive and board leadership. She has held senior roles across the international education sector spanning all continents, including Managing Director of Oxford Education, Chair of OxfordAQA and Global Managing Director at Pearson. Her work has supported national education reform in multiple countries, including partnerships with UNESCO across Southern Africa. She has served on ministerial committees and quality assurance bodies, and has advised governments and NGOs on curriculum reform, assessment, and large-scale system change. She currently serves on the boards of BRAC Bangladesh, Oasis Asset Management South Africa and MACAT in the UK, and has previously held board roles across several non-profits and affordable school networks in Africa and Asia.
Mirza Salman Ispahani
Member
Mr Mirza Salman Ispahani is the Chairman of M. M. Ispahani Ltd., one of Bangladesh’s most prominent and historic business conglomerates. A respected business leader and a Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn (called to the Bar in 1981), he has contributed significantly to Bangladesh’s corporate, philanthropic, and sports sectors.
He has served in numerous key leadership roles, including Chairman of the Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd., Chairman of the Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh (TTAB) and Chairman of Bangladeshiyo Cha Sangsad.
Beyond his business achievements, Mr Ispahani is deeply involved in social and educational development. He chairs the Management Committee of the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital and is the Chairman of Ispahani Public School & College in Chattogram. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees of Independent University, Bangladesh and Chittagong Independent University.
He holds multiple esteemed positions internationally and nationally, such as: Honorary Consul for Italy in Chattogram; Former President of International Cotton Association (ICA); Vice President, Bhatiary Golf & Country Club and Bangladesh Squash Rackets Federation; Former Director, Bangladesh Cricket Board; Director, Divisional Cricket Committee; Director, International Textile Manufacturers Federation; and Secretary General, Board of Trustees and former Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Foundation, Bangladesh.
Dr M A Sattar Mandal
Member
Dr M A Sattar Mandal is an agricultural economist involved in teaching, research and policy planning in the broader discipline of agriculture, food and rural economy over five decades. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s in agricultural economics from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), earned in 1973 and 1974 respectively. He also holds a PhD from the University of London (1979) and conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Oxford (1986–87). Professor Mandal’s academic interests in agriculture and rural economy, food systems, agricultural policy planning, agricultural technology and agribusiness development continue. He was a visiting professor in many universities abroad including School of Development Studies of the University of East Anglia, UK in 1997 and 2000, and Faculty of Life Sciences of the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Kleve, Germany from 2013 through 2017.
Professor Mandal was the Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, during 2008-2011. He worked for the Bangladesh Planning Commission as the member of General Economics Division (2000-2001) and as the member for Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division (2011-2013).
Professor Mandal’s current affiliations include the first ever Emeritus Professor of agricultural economics at BAU since 2017 and Professorial Fellow of BIDS, Dhaka. He is currently a member of the Governing Body of BRAC in Bangladesh. He is also the principal Adviser to the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation Bangladesh. He advised the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as a member of its Expert Pool. Professor Mandal was a senior Adviser to FAO Bangladesh (2015-2016) and Water Resources Group 2030 of the World Bank. Professor Mandal was a member of the Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (Agricultural Research Foundation) and also a Trustee of the Bangladesh Krishi Gobeshona Endowment Trust (BKGET) of the government.
Professor Mandal led the preparation of a number of national policy documents including Agricultural Mechanization Policy (2019), Reorganisation of the Department of Agricultural Marketing (2010), Reformation of Manpower Structure of the Department of Agricultural Extension- Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Engineering (2012), and Bangladesh Country Position Paper on Food Security for the SAARC Region (2007), Economics of Jute Production (2010), Synthesis of Agricultural Policies (2006), Bangladesh Fishery Research Vision- 2015 (2006), and National Agriculture Policy (1999).
Professor Mandal has published 95 journal articles, 73 research reports, and 15 books and numerous popular articles. His recent publications on agrarian change, rural mechanisation, prantojoner orthoniti, Bangladesher krishi orthoniti, unnoyoner golpo are widely acclaimed. He has received many prestigious awards including the second highest national award, Ekushe Podok 2022, by the Government of Bangladesh.
Tapan Chowdhury
Member
Tapan Chowdhury is a distinguished business leader and industrialist, currently serving as the Managing Director of Square Pharmaceuticals PLC. With over four decades of leadership experience, he has been a key architect in transforming Square Group into one of Bangladesh’s most respected and diversified conglomerates. Over the course of his 42-year career, Mr Chowdhury has played a pivotal role in expanding and diversifying Square Group’s operations across a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, textiles, ready-made garments (RMG), information technology, consumer products, organic tea plantations, capital market operations, and satellite television broadcasting.
The son of the late Samson H. Chowdhury, the visionary founder of Square Group, Mr Chowdhury holds a bachelor’s in science from the University of Dhaka. He further pursued a diploma in marketing and management from the United Kingdom, complemented by specialised training in pharmaceutical product marketing from Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland) and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Belgium). In addition, he has completed advanced business management programs in Europe.
A highly respected entrepreneur, Mr Chowdhury has consistently been recognised as one of the highest individual taxpayers in Bangladesh, reflecting both his business success and strong sense of civic responsibility. His visionary leadership continues to drive innovation, sustainable growth, and excellence across multiple industries.
In 2007, he was appointed Adviser (Minister) to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, where he oversaw the Ministries of Power and Energy; Youth and Sports; Food and Disaster Management; and Science and ICT. His tenure in public service underscores his commitment to national development, institutional reform, and good governance.
Currently, Mr Chowdhury serves as Chairman of Square Textiles PLC and Square Health Limited, and is a Sponsor Director in 25 other private limited companies within Square Group.
Beyond his corporate roles, he has made significant contributions to national policy dialogue and business advocacy. He has served as Former President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC), Bangladesh YMCA, and the National Church Fellowship of Bangladesh.
At present, Mr Chowdhury holds several key leadership and advisory positions, including Chairman of Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL); Adviser to the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI); Trustee of Bangladesh University of Health Sciences Trust (BUHS); and Executive Committee Member of the Bangladesh Herbal Product Manufacturing Association, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He is also an Independent Board Member of NIRAPON, Director of Mutual Trust Bank PLC, Guardian Life Insurance Ltd, and Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Ltd. In addition, he serves as Governor of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) and Core Member of the United Baptist Church Trust Association (UBCTA).
Widely admired for his ethical leadership, strategic vision, and enduring contributions to sustainable economic growth, Mr Chowdhury remains a pivotal figure in shaping Bangladesh’s industrial and corporate landscape.
Muhammad Farhad Hussain
Member
Muhammad Farhad Hussain qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAB) in 1984, and has been the Managing Partner of Hussain Farhad & Co., Chartered Accountants (Member Firm of ASNAF International) since 1997.
Mr Hussain was a council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) from 2003–2018, and President of ICAB in 2007. He currently serves as Chairman of Prime Bank Securities Ltd. and Bay Asset Management Limited, and is a Director of SMC Enterprise Limited. His extensive board experience spans across high-profile institutions such as Agrani Bank, Prime Bank, Sadharan Bima Corporation, Dhaka WASA, and Walton Hi-Tech Industries Ltd.
Internationally, Mr Hussain has served as Board Member of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Accountants (CAPA) and South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), actively contributing to the global discourse on audit and financial reporting standards. He has also served as a World Bank consultant on accounting and auditing standards.
In academia, Mr Hussain was a part-time faculty member at Independent University, Bangladesh and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh.
His career began in the UK, with Calthorpes and Lawrence & Co., Chartered Accountancy firms based in Birmingham, for over 5 years, before returning to Bangladesh to serve in leadership positions at organisations such as IPDC, Bengal Group, and Desh Beverage Co. Ltd. He is a member of Dhaka Club and Cadet College Club, and has travelled extensively across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania for professional and personal engagements.