Dr Fahmida Khatun

Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh 

Dr Dushni Weerakoon 

Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Sri Lanka

Dr Paras Kharel 

Executive Director, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri

Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan

Professor Sachin Chaturvedi

Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada  

Former Finance Minister and Former Governor , Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal 

Dr Ishrat Husain  

Former Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Former Advisor to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity , Pakistan 

 Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe 

Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka 

Mr M A Mannan

Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Planning, Government of Bangladesh, Bangladesh 

Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP  

Hon’ble Speaker, Bangladesh Parliament, Bangladesh 

Professor Rehman Sobhan
Founding Chair, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh

State of Regional Cooperation in South Asia: Revisiting Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) Report, New Context, Challenges, and Opportunities

Chair

Professor Mustafizur Rahman 

Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh 

Panellists

Ms Mandakini Kaul (Online) 

Regional Coordinator, South Asia Regional Integration and Engagement, The World Bank 

Ambassador Farooq Sobhan  

Former Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh  

Dr Nagesh Kumar

Director and Chief Executive, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), India 

Ms Irosha Cooray  

Director, Education Security and Culture, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) 

Mr Abdul Ghufran Memon

Federal Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan

Dr Posh Raj Pandey  

Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, Nepal

Parallel Session A1: Multi-modal Transport (Cross-border Logistics)

Chair

Dr Dushni Weerakoon

Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Sri Lanka

Panellists

Professor Dr Govind Raj Pokharel

Former Vice-Chair, National Planning Commission, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Dr Selim Raihan

Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Executive Director, SANEM

Mr Abdul Ghufran Memon  

Federal Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan

Mr Chewang Rinzin 

Director , (Dy. Chamberlain to His Majesty The King), Royal Institute of Governance and Strategic Studies, Bhutan

Dr Prabir De  

Professor , Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

——

Parallel Session A2: Macroeconomic Cooperation and the Possibility of a Common Currency

Chair

Professor Sachin ChaturvedI

Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Panellists

Dr Zahid Hussain

Former Lead Economist, The World Bank, Bangladesh

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri

Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan

Dr Ahsan Habib Mansur

Executive Director, Policy Research Institute, Bangladesh

Dr Posh Raj Pandey  

Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, Nepal  

Dr Md. Habibur Rahman
Chief Economist, Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh

Dr Priyadarshi Dash  

Associate Professor, Research and Information Centre for Developing Countries (RIS), India 

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

Parallel Session A3: Towards an Integrated Energy Grid

Chair

Dr M Tamim

Professor, Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh

Panellists

Dr Shankar Shrestha

Executive Director, Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI), Nepal

Mr Alias Wardak

Independent Regional Power Integration Expert, Afghanistan 

Professor Badrul Imam

Former Chairman, Petrobangla and

Professor, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Mr Richard Kaniewski

Deputy Country Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India Office, India

Mr Hartmut Behrend

Project Manager, Project for support of the Climate and Development Partnership, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Bangladesh 

Mr Mbuso Gwafila

Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank 

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

Identifying New Opportunities and New Modalities for Fostering Regional Cooperation in South Asia

Chair

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya

Distinguished Fellow, CPD, Bangladesh

Special Guest

Mr Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP (TBC)

Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh

Mr Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury (TBC)

Member, National Standing Committee, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Former Minister for Commerce, Bangladesh

Guest of Honor

Mr Md. Jashim Uddin

President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bangladesh

Panellists

Dr P. Nandalal Weerasinghe

Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Dr Shekhar Shah

Vice Chairman, Academic Advisory Council, Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP), India

Dr Ishrat Husain  

Former Governor, State Bank of Pakistan
Former Advisor to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity, Pakistan  

Ambassador Durga Bhattarai  

Former Foreign Secretary , Federal Democratic Republic of  Nepal 

Geo-strategic Factors Underpinning Contemporary Trends in South Asian Cooperation

Chair

Professor Rounaq Jahan

Distinguished Fellow, CPD, Bangladesh

Panellists

Dr Swarnim Wagle  

Member , Federal Parliament of Nepal, Nepal 

Professor Md Shahidul Haque

Professor, South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) And Former Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh

Dr Syed Kaleem Imam   

Former Federal Secretary, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan 

Professor Amena Mohsin

Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dr Dinesh Bhattarai  

Former Advisor to the PM on foreign affairs and Former Ambassador  , Government of Nepal, Nepal    

Dr Praveen Jha

Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India

Brig. Gen. (Retd) Dr Sakhawat Hussain

Former Election Commissioner, Bangladesh

Parallel Session B1: Climate Change and Resilience

Chair

Dr M Asaduzzaman

Former Research Director, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Bangladesh

Special Guest

Mr Florian Höllen

Head of Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Panellists

Mr Kshitiz Dahal

Senior Research Officer, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal

Dr A Atiq Rahman

Executive Director, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Bangladesh

Professor Dr Babar Shahbaz

Professor and Director, Institute of Agricultural Extension, Education and Rural Development, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan   

Ms Karin Fernando

Senior Research Professional, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Dr Sabyasachi Saha

Associate Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

——

Parallel Session B2: Cross-border Labour Market Management

Chair

Mr Madhu Raman Acharya  

Former Foreign Secretary, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Panellists

Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha

Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, Research Director, SANEM, Bangladesh

Ms Dikshya Singh 

Programme Coordinator , South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal

Mr Raghav Chakravarthy

Senior Research Associate, JustJobs Network, India

Mr K. M. Abdus Salam

Senior Secretary, Parliament Secretariat, Bangladesh

Dr Syed Kaleem Imam   

Former Federal Secretary,  Government of Pakistan, Pakistan 

Dr Praveen Jha   

Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India 

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

——

Parallel Session B3: Value chains and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Chair

Dr N. R. Bhanumurthy

Vice-Chancellor, Dr B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) University, India

Panellists

Dr Priyadarshi Dash

Associate Professor, Research and Information Centre for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Mr Shams Mahmud 

Former President , Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI)

Honorary Consul, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Bangladesh

Dr Biswash Gauchan 

Executive Director , Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Nepal

Ms Huma Fakhar  

Founder and Chairperson, MAP Capital Holdings, Pakistan 

Dr Ch Priyoranjan Singh 

Professor, Manipur University, Imphal, India 

Mr Buwaneka Perera

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/ Secretary General, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka 

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

Parallel Session C1: Role of Knowledge Actors in Advancing a New Political Settlement in South Asia

Chair

Dr Swarnim Wagle  

Member, Federal Parliament, Nepal 

Panellists

Professor Imran Rahman

Vice Chancellor & Dean, School of Business, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Bangladesh

Mr Felix Kolbitz

Resident Representative, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Bangladesh

Mr Rinzin Wangchuk 

JAB Member, Journalists Association of Bhutan (JAB), Bhutan

Professor Sanjib Baruah

Andy Matsui Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, Asian University for Women, Bangladesh 

Professor Dr Babar Shahbaz   

Professor and Director  

Institute of Agricultural Extension, Education and Rural Development 

University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan   

Dr Sabyasachi Saha   

Associate Professor   

Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

——

Parallel Session C2: Cooperation in Public Health

Chair

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman 

Chairperson, BRAC, Executive Chairman, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), Former Advisor to the Caretaker Government, Bangladesh 

Panellists

Dr Ganga Tilakaratna

Research Fellow and Head of Poverty and Social Welfare, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Sri Lanka

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid 

Professor , Institute of Health Economics , University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dr Prabir De   

Professor , Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Ms Sabina F Rashid, PhD  

Professor, Mushtaque Chowdhury Chair in Health and Poverty, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh 

Dr Rudra Suwal

Lead/Coordinator, Economic, Development Programme , Nepal Development Research Institute, (NDRI), Nepal

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

——

Parallel Session C3: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Chair

Dr Beena Pandey

Assistant Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India 

Panellists

Ms Dikshya Singh  

Programme Coordinator , South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal    

Dr Faria Sultana 

Head of the Department, Department of Economics, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Bangladesh 

Ms Neeru Rayamajhi  

Immediate Past President, Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations, Nepal

Barrister Rashna Imam 

Managing Partner, Akhtar Imam & Associates, Bangladesh 

Ms Huma Fakhar  

Founder and Chairperson, MAP Capital Holdings, Pakistan 

Open Discussion

Summing up by the Chair

Dr Fahmida Khatun

Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem  

Research Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh 

Dr Dushni Weerakoon   

Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Sri Lanka  

Dr Paras Kharel   

Executive Director, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal  

Mr Jan Janowski  

Deputy Head of the Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bangladesh 

Mr Stefan Liller  

Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bangladesh 

Ms Irosha Cooray  

Director, Education Security and Culture, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) 

Professor Rehman Sobhan 

Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh