Executive Committee

Dr. Manzoor Ahmed is the Director of BRAC University Institute of Educational Development. He is a member of the advisory committee and a former Convenor of Education Watch Bangladesh, an independent education research and monitoring organization.

Dr Ahmed served in various education and development-related positions in Bangladesh and abroad. He began his professional career at the Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University and was placed on deputation for a short time with the Ministry of Education of Pakistan as Deputy Education Adviser. He later joined UNICEF in 1978 and served in various senior positions including the Associate Director of the Programme Division, Senior Education Adviser, and UNICEF’s Country Director in Ethiopia, China and Japan. He was also for several years the Associate Director of Studies at the International Council for Educational Development in the United States.

Dr Ahmed was educated at M.C. College, Sylhet, Dhaka University, American University of Beirut, University of Northern Colorado and Princeton University. He is the author of several books on education and development, published in the United States, and has written numerous journal articles.

Mahmuda Akhter
Member Secretary

Ms. Mahmuda Akhter did her honors and masters in science from the University of Dhaka. She received professional courses on child development, special education, speech therapy, English as Second language for children and child-to-child approach from the Southampton University, London University, Society for Rehabilitation and Research of the Handicapped New Delhi India and international experts and specialists. In January 2005 she joined BRAC University –Institute of Educational Development as head of Early Childhood Development Resource Center. She worked on Early Childhood Care and Development Program of Plan Bangladesh since 1997 in various capacities. She had a lead role in preparing the early childhood development packages for Bangladesh Shishu Academy and the Integrated Community Development Program in Chittagong Hill Tracts. In 1994 she joined in BRAC education program and designed and developed teacher’s training manual, supporting materials like chart and work book, monitoring format for Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) program. She worked for four years with hearing impaired children at National Centre for Hearing And Speech (NCHS).Society for Assistance to Hearing Impaired Children (SAHIC) as a Special Educator and speech therapist.
She has been nominated as one of the members of the Committee on formulation of Pre-primary curriculum guideline and ECD policy, constituted by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.(MOPME) and Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWCA) She is involved with Inclusive Education Consultative Group and published many books on Early Childhood Development.

Mr. Tapon Kumar Das is an M.A. in Islamic History, Under National University. He got a Graduation Certificate Course on Education Management from Leeds University, U.K. Mr. Das attended Different short courses sponsored by Open University-New Delhi, UNESCO-Bangkok, Phildhra-Philippine and World Bank Institute-Washington D.C. etc.,

Mr. Tapon Kumar Das has been working with Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) a Coalition of more then Seven hundred NGOs having education Program as Program Manager of Institutional Development and Continuing Education (IDCE) Unit from 1993. Mr. Das worked in Mass Education Program (MEP) at DANIDA from 1981-1993 under different capacities such as Coordinator, Consultants and Trainer etc. He also worked as an Assistant Teacher in a High School from 1979 to 1981.

He is expert on presentation, facilitation, preparation of project proposal, reports, assessment on educational issues. He is a script writer of a television program.
Mr. Tapan Kumar Das authored many publications from CAMPE and Unesco-Dhaka along with DNFE on various issues such as literacy, Early Childhood Development, CE on Bangladesh.

Mr. Rahman is an education specialist working in Bangladesh for more than 20 years in various sub-sectors of education. But his key qualifications are designing, implementing, evaluating and managing non-formal education programs including formulating policies and strategies for establishing popular and basic education of governmental and non-governmental institutions.

During 1977-79 he was a Junior Research Associate/ Research Fellow in the Center for Urban Studies, Department of Geography. He joined the National Museum of Bangladesh as a Research Officer in 1980. During 1983-84 he was a Senior Scientific Officer of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka.

In May 1984, he joined Lutheran World Federation (LWS)/Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) as Head of Materials Development Section and subsequently upgraded as Education Coordinator in 1988. He conceptualized and developed new kinds of adult literacy package which was popularly known as ‘social literacy’. During 1989-90, he worked with Dhaka Ahsania Mission as Member Director of its Institute of Literacy and Adult Education where he builds a group of literacy personnel. In September 1990, Mr. Rahman joined Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) as its first Coordinator and help build CAMPE with others. During 1996-97, he was a National Program Officer/National Consultant of UNESCO, Dhaka. He also worked for the ACTIONAID Bangladesh as Head of REFLECT Coordination Unit from 1996 to 1999. During 1999-2001 he was an Education Specialist of World Bank, Dhaka. And in 2001, he joined Save the Children USA as Director of its Education Sector and till today he is serving there as a key program strategist and designer.

He contributed in formulating National Education Policy as a member of the sub-committee on Pre-primary, Primary, Non-formal and Mass Education in 1997. Currently, he has been nominated as one of the members of the Committee on Formulation of ECD Policy, constituted by the Ministry of women and Children Affairs (MOWCA).

He wrote many articles and features on education. He also published a few books on non-formal education, early childhood and primary education, adult literacy etc.

Mohammad Mohsin, has completed his academic degree in education from the IER, Dhaka University. He joined the large Mass Education Program (MEP) under Noakhali Rural Development Project assisted by Danida. As the practitioner in child development he gained valuable hands on experiences and contributed in framing the national non-formal education policy and packages during late eighties and early nineties.

Since 1992 to 1997, he worked for several cross sectoral project where social aspects and community participation were the main theme. In 1997 he joined the WB as community development specialist. Being the employee of the bank, Mr. Mohsin served the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for its project ITN Bangladesh (International Training Network-centre for water supply, sanitation and waste management), linked with sub-centers at all lead technical universities in the country.

With the multi-disciplinary development experience, Mr. Mohsin has rejoined the movement of quality primary education and early childhood development in 1999 and associated with the reputed International Organization Plan (Bangladesh) as the Learning Advisor. Since joining Plan, he has devoted himself in research works and design of community appropriate interventions for quality primary education and early childhood development.

Professionally, Mr. Mohsin is actively involved with the Education Watch, Sushikkha Andolon (movement for quality education), Bangladesh ECD Network, Bangladesh Forum for Educational Development, Inclusive Education Consultative Group and Educational Local Consultative Group (ELCG) in Bangladesh.

Hasena Afroj is an M.S.C.(Physics) from Eden Girls University & College, Dhaka.

She is now the team leader of SUCCEED technical assistance team at FIVDB. She have been coordinating a team which is designing and developing learning games, toys and materials for the children of Succeed Project. Succeed is Early Learning for School Success Program. It’s a USAID project coordinated by Save the Children-USA along with five partner organizations .The team is also providing direct assistance publishing children magazine in Succeed Project. She have been leading this position since March 2005.
Hasena Afroj have working experience on designing and developing low cost locally available learning material for the disadvantaged children of rural areas. She also have work experience on Curriculum and Material Development of Child Education Program for the organization Gono Shahajjo Sangstha (GSS).She also worked on "Curriculum Revision and Material Development Project" of FIVDB supported by OXFAM (GB) Bangladesh.

She worked as Co-author of basic literacy material for the adults Sonjog, Udjog, Proyog to be used all over the country by FIVDB and other NGOs. She got work experience as a core member of consultant team on "Curriculum Revision and Material Development Project" of Directorate of Non-Formal Education (DNFE) of Bangladesh Government. She was involved Coordination and conduction Need Assessment Study on Adult Literacy in Bangladesh. She completed a brief study on adult literacy material of various organization in Bangladesh. Hasena Afroj worked as a School supervisor cum teacher in Ananda Niketan English School of Gono Shahajjo Sangstha (GSS) since 1996-1999.

Dr. Mostafa started his professional carrier in 1974 as a medical officer in Companigonj Health Project a joint initiative of the Government of Bangladesh and John Hopkins University for piloting of interventions in the area of community based MCH-FP service delivery in Bangladesh. He continued in the same organization till 1982 in the capacity of Deputy Director and Director. For a period of one year he worked as medical officer under the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Later he joined UNICEF in 1985 and till 1998 worked in various capacity with UNICEF in the area of maternal and child health and development. He has vast experience in conceptualization, planning, development, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of ECD and MCH-FP program at sub-national and national level. Dr. Mostafa lead a team of professionals for development of advocacy package for policy makers, manual for trainers & trainees in ECD, Oral Re-hydration Therapy (ORT) and Emergency Obstetric Care. He also posses extensive practical experience in training of medical professionals and Training of Trainers in ECD with focus on early learning.

Dr. Mostafa obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the Chittagong Medical College, Bangladesh, Master of Community Health (MCommH) from the School of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, Liverpool, England and Post Graduate Diploma in maternal and child nutrition from the International Agriculture Centre, Netherlands