Parveen Mahmud FCA

Chairperson, Trustee Board

Ms Parveen Mahmud is the Chairperson of RDRS Bangladesh and has been associated with RDRS Trustee Board since 26 April 2014. She is the First among many Firsts. She is the first woman President and 39th President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) in 2011. She was the first female board member and the first female President among professional bodies of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) till now. She was the Founding Chairperson of CA Female Forum- Women in Leadership Committee, ICAB in 2017 and was the founding Vice Chairperson of the Women in Leadership Committee of SAFA till 2019. Ms. Mahmud started her career with BRAC and later served BRAC International Board and Chaired Audit and Risk Committee since 2011- 2022. She was Partner, ACNABIN & Co., Chartered Accountants, and was the Founding Managing Director of the Grameen Telecom Trust. She sits in numerous Boards including Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bishsho Shahitto Kendro (BSK), Manusher Jonnyo Foundation (MJF), PKSF, Ghashful, Friendship, HerStory Foundation, CholPori, Moner Bondhu, Heroes for All, Cider International School, Chittagong. She is the Independent Director of Marico Bangladesh, Apex Footwear Ltd. and Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd… She was the Chairperson, Shasha Denims Ltd., UCEP – Bangladesh, MIDAS, Acid Survivor’s Foundation. Ms Mahmud served as a member of the National Advisory Panel for SME Development of Bangladesh, and was a Founding Board Member of SME Foundation and founding Convener, SME Women’s Forum. Ms. Mahmud was a Working Group Member of the Consultative Group on Social Indicators of UNCTAD/ISAR. She is a Melvin Jones Fellow. She was the President, Lions Club of Chittagong Parijat Elite, Lions Clubs International, District 315- B4, Bangladesh and now serving as District Cabinet Treasurer 2022-2023. She has received few accolades for her services and contribution to the society.

Dr. S. M. Akbar

Treasurer, Trustee Board

Dr. S. M. Akbar has over 40 years of experience at various levels with different international banks and joint venture financial institutions in different countries of Asia and Europe. He attended international management training programme on different areas of Banking and Finance. He had demonstrated remarkable skills in turning around sick enterprises. He has also gained field level experience in managing operations of small and medium micro finance organisations of Bangladesh.

Dr. Akbar has been awarded by different organisations for his outstanding management contribution in banking, including Gold medal for outstanding contribution in investment banking. He was member of various chambers of commerce and trade bodies including Foreign Investors Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries. He is also member of various social and voluntary organisations including Red Cross, Anjuman Mafidul Islam and Mother & Child Hospital.

Dr. Akbar achieved an MBA from UK and a PhD from USA.

Professor M. Moynul Haque PhD

Member, Trustee Board

Prof. Dr. M. Moynul Haque has more than 39 years experiences in the field of education and research. Currently, he is serving in the Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur. He also served as Dean (Faculty of Agriculture), Registrar, Director (Planning and Development), Director (Outreach Program), Director (Transport), Additional Director (Institutional Quality Assurance Cell), Head of the Department and Syndicate Member of the university. Professor Haque was awarded certificate of scientific achievement by BARI-ACIAR in recognition of his outstanding contribution to research and development of pulses. He also developed 10 high yielding varieties of different crops popularly cultivated in the country. He supervised 45 MS and PhD students and published 145 research articles in different national and international journals. Professor Haque has been associated with RDRS Trustee Board since 16 April 2016.

Professor Haque has MS and PhD degree in Agronomy. He is also fellow of different international institutions including IRRI, Philippines; Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre, Taiwan; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Danish Plant Directorate, Denmark; Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi and MTC Global, Bangalore, India.

Faruque Ahmed

Member , Trustee Board

Faruque Ahmed has long experience in the development field. He was the Executive Director of BRAC International before joining RDRS’ Board. Mr. Ahmed also served in the World Bank office in Dhaka. He was also a member of various professional groups for instance the World Bank Civil Society Consultative Group on Health, World Health Organization strategic and advisory group on Tuberculosis. He was on the board of GAVI Alliance, Geneva. Currently, he is a board member of Social Marketing Company Enterprise and working as one of the members of the Bangladesh Health Watch Working Group. Mr. Ahmed has publications on public health related issues in various journals and books. Faruque Ahmed has been associated with RDRS Trustee Board since 16 March 2020.

Mr. Ahmed has a Masters in Economics from Dhaka University. He has another Masters in Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University, USA.

Philip Biswas

Member , Trustee Board

Philip Biswas has specialization in organization Development & Management, Microfinance Operation & Management, and Children Scholarship Program. He is Founder Executive Director of Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF). He has served as member of Board and Executive Committee of different national and international forums and organizations. Mr. Philip has joined in RDRS General Board on 23 December 2019.

Philip Biswas has Bachelor Degree in Arts from Notre Dame College, Dhaka. He has also a Diploma in Development Studies from Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada.

Hasin Jahan

Member , Trustee Board

Hasin Jahan is a development professional with specialised work experience in water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and humanitarian response. She has a proven track record of providing strategic leadership with a unique blend of programme development, large scale implementation and advocacy at national level. She has notable experience of leading innovation especially in geographically and technically challenged areas and mainstreaming gender and equity. She is recognized as an influential WASH leader who promotes gender equality and youth empowerment as underlying solutions for sustainable development. She has a particular interest in using ICT based platforms and communication campaigns to address social problems. She has dynamic leadership quality and led country strategy development process both in WaterAid and Practical Action. She is a TEDx speaker.

Hasin Jahan completed BSc Engineering (Civil) from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Bangladesh. She has a Master Degree in Science (Water & Environmental Management) from Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC), Loughborough University of Technology, UK. She also has Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management from Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka.

Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury

Member , Trustee Board

Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury is the Honorary Advisor of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM). He has a long professional career in the field of Development. Mr Chowdhury has started his career with BRAC as a field worker in 1976 and became Director BRAC Microfinance Programme, Training Programme, and later BRAC International Programme. During his splendid professional career, he was a Consultant to the Family Bank (Bank Ul Ushra), Khartoum, Sudan to develop Microfinance program for the Bank, a consultant to UNICEF, East and South African Region to develop Strategic Plan document for the UNICEF funded organisations held in Mauritius, Africa and conducted many workshops, developed strategic plan document and training courses in microfinance, management, group dynamics, team building and many other subjects for National and International Organisations in Bangladesh and abroad. He was also a consultant to Shree Project of DFID to conduct a study on Saving systems of the extreme poor. Involved in developing BRAC Post-Graduate Diploma Curriculum in Leadership and Management jointly with School for International Training (SIT), USA, Organisation of Rural Association for Progress (ORAP), Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Mr. Chowdhury has joined InM in 2013 as Director Education Programme. While in InM he developed and implemented a six-month Diploma in Microfinance Programme of twenty-one credits. Trained over 300 mid and senior-level microfinance staff of MFIs, Banks and Government officials.

Mr. Chowdhury was awarded Honorary Citizenship by the Municipality of General Trias, Cavite, Peoples Republic of Philippines. Professional member of the Microfinance Network (MFN), Mexico 2006-2009, General Body member of InM from 2019-2020, Lifelong member of Dhaka University Alumni Association, General Board Member of Association of Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Association for Realisation of Basic Needs-ARBAN and Uddipan.

Mr. Chowdhury has a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka and another M.A. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands. He was awarded a certificate on Strategic Leadership for Microfinance from Harvard Business School, USA. Awarded certificate on Boulder Microfinance Training, Naropa University, USA organised by CGAP, World Bank. Awarded certificate on Micro Banking Internal Control Practices, in Jakarta, Indonesia organised by the Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

Zahida Ispahani

Member , Trustee Board

Zahida Ispahani is the Director of M. M. Ispahani Limited, Ispahani Tea Limited, ISPI Securities Limited, The Free School Street Property Limited, ISPI Travels Limited, and Financial Express. She is the Chairman of A.B. Ispahani Securities Limited, and MIDAS Limited. She is an honorary Adviser of the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital since 2001. She served as a Secretary at United Nations Women’s Association in Bangladesh. She was the Founder Secretary and President for two terms at the SAARC Women Association in Bangladesh.

She is a Philanthropist, serving several orphanages, social and community trusts, and organisations. Zahida Ispahani is a graduate in Economics from the University of Punjab, Pakistan

Tapan Kumar Karmaker

Secretary, Trustee Board and Executive Director, RDRS Bangladesh

Mr. Tapan Kumar Karmaker is currently serving as the Executive Director of RDRS Bangladesh. Immediately before taking the present responsibility, he served as the Cluster Director, Microfinance of BRAC International Holdings B.V.

Mr. Karmaker is an experienced development professional with more than 35 years of experience in implementing integrated development program in the areas of Microfinance, Health, Food Security & Livelihood, Education, WaSH, and Adolescent Empowerment. He has served more than 18 years in a senior management position in both national and international organizations of which 2 years as the CEO of BRAC Rwanda Microfinance Company PLC, 2 years as Managing Director, BRAC Microfinance of West Africa, 4 years as Country Representative of BRAC Sierra Leon and 10 Years as Director (Microfinance) of RDRS Bangladesh.

He has in-depth knowledge and skills in program management including planning and monitoring, resource mobilization, finance and budgeting, human resources management, training facilitation, risk management, and successful & effective implementation of Microfinance programs in post-conflict countries. He is highly committed to the transformation of the lives and livelihood of underprivileged and economically disadvantaged population of the country.

Mr. Tapan Kumar Karmaker has a Master’s of Commerce in Management from Dhaka University.