Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is the first ever woman Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament. She was elected Speaker for the first time in the Ninth Parliament on April 30, 2013. Shirin was elected for the second time as Speaker of Tenth Parliament on January 29, 2014 and for the third time as Speaker of 11th Parliament on 30 January 2019. She is a Member of the 11th Parliament of Bangladesh (24 Rangpur-6) from Bangladesh Awami League. Dr. Chaudhury was elected as Chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive Committee on October 09, 2014 for a term of three years. Dr. Chaudhury received Commonwealth Gender Chair on behalf of Bangladesh for year 2010-2011.

Shirin was the State Minister for Women & Children Affairs (2009-2013). Serving in the said position Shirin actively engaged in promoting gender equality and women empowerment. National Women Development Policy 2010, Children Policy 2011 and Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 were formulated under her leadership. Dr. Chaudhury, an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, enrolled with Bangladesh Bar Council, had been a practicing lawyer for the last sixteen years.

Having obtained Commonwealth Scholarship, Shirin completed Ph.D (Doctor of Philosophy in Law) in year 2000 from University of Essex, United Kingdom. Her Thesis is on “The Right to Life”. Her area of specialization is Constitutional Law and Human Rights. Dr. Shirin was conferred honorary Doctorate from the University of Essex on 16 July 2014. She completed LL.B (Honours) and LL.M. from University of Dhaka, securing First Class First position. She secured first position in the Dhaka Board SSC (Humanities) Examination and second position in Dhaka Board HSC (Humanities) Examination in the Combined Merit List.

Dr. Chaudhury has conducted many cases on violation of human rights involving constitutional issues. Dr. Chaudhury was a panel lawyer for Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2008-2009. Legal area of her practice involves cases on Judicial Review by way of Writs. She also worked on Sustainable Development area- Gender Issues; Pro-bono Public Interest Litigation; issues concerning Human Securities and Right to Life.

Dr. Shirin Chaudhury has teaching experience in different universities and educational institutions . She also worked with many human rights organizations and women rights organizations in promoting the cause of rights based approach. She developed dialogue/concept papers etc. with various relevant NGO’s and Human Rights organizations on human rights issues. Dr. Shirin S. Chaudhury was the Editor of Bangladesh Legal Decisions (BLD), Law Report Series published by Bangladesh Bar Council. (2003-2009 (July) Edition).

Dr. Chaudhury was awarded Asia Society’s Humanitarian Service Award on 09 June 2010 in recognition of her role as a leader in advocating the elimination of violence against women and mainstreaming women’s empowerment and employment in Bangladesh. She received Ananya Award 2013, Agrani Bank Women Honorary Award 2014, World Women Leadership Congress Award 2015 in Mumbai-India and Women of the Decade in Public Life and Leadership Award 2021 at the Asian Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2021 Organized by Bangladesh-India Business Council of the Women- Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI).

Dr. Chaudhury is married to Syed Ishtiaque Hossain, a Pharmacist (Pharmaceutical Consultant). She is the mother of two children. Her elder daughter Lamisa Shirin Hossain is doing job in United States and son Ibtesham Rafiq Hossain is studying in United World College, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha is a professor in the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. She did her bachelors as well as masters from the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and MSc. from the University of Bath, UK. She obtained PhD in Labour Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK. Her research interest lies on labour economics and development economics. Her work involves both empirical analysis as well as policy focused research with emphasis on developing countries. In the context of Bangladesh, she worked on a number of research projects on labour market, gender and women empowerment, gender budgeting, financial inclusion, migration and remittance earning, credit and food security, population and development, poverty and vulnerability, economic growth and exchange rate movements, skill and education, demographic dividend and youth population, child marriage, SDG financing etc. In addition, Dr. Bidisha has also worked closely with the Government of Bangladesh in preparing various policy documents and government flagship objects. In particular, she was actively engaged in drafting a number of chapters of the Five Year Plan of Bangladeh and also Vision 2041 of the country. She has worked with several international as well as national organizations. and has published a number of articles/book chapters in peer reviewed publications. 

Dr. Zahid Hussain worked for the World Bank for 24 years after teaching economics in Bangladesh, USA and Poland for 14 years. He obtained his PH.D in Economics from Boston University in 1992.  Earlier he did Masters in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University, where he taught for 4 years after graduation. At present, he is associated with the World Bank as a Consultant and the Brac Bank as an Independent Director. He writes columns on contemporary issues in various national dailies.

Dr Fahmida Khatun is the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a leading think tank in the global South.

Dr Khatun is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, USA. She is a member of the Panel of Economists for the Ninth Five Year Plan (9FYP) to be formulated by Bangladesh Planning Commission. She is a member of the Governing Body of BRAC, largest non-government organisation in the world. She is a member of the High-level Advisory Board on Productive Capacities Index of UNCTAD. Dr Khatun was the Co-Chair of T20 India Task Force on “Accelerating SDGs: Exploring New Pathways to the 2030 Agenda” to the G20.

Prior to joining CPD she worked as a Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS); as an Environment Specialist for the UNDP; as an Economist for the USAID Mission in Bangladesh. She taught economics at universities in Bangladesh and England. She was a Visiting Fellow at the Christian Michelsen Institute, Norway, at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, India, and at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, South Korea. She is a member of the editorial board of Indian Journal of Human Development.

She served as a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Human Development Report prepared by the Economic Relations Division, Government of Bangladesh. She was a director of state-owned Janata Bank Limited (2008-2011) and a director of the SME Foundation of Bangladesh (2011-2013).

Dr Khatun’s research interests and expertise include macroeconomic policy, climate change, environment, green economy, finance for development, international trade and WTO issues, interests of LDCs, and SDGs.

Amena Mohsin is Professor in the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka. She graduated from the same department and later received her MA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Hawaii, USA and Cambridge University, UK. Amena has received several national and international fellowships, which include the East-West Center Graduate Fellowship, CIDA International Fellowship, Commonwealth Staff Fellowship, SSRC Fellowship and Freedom Foundation Fellowship. She writes on rights, gender and minority, State, Democracy, Civil-Military relations, borders, human security, and violent extremism.

Chief Economist at Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh. A macro economist with interest in FinTech-RegTech in the areas of monetary, trade, financial and development economics. Pursued Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied Economics from Western Michigan University of the United States of America. 

Dr. Sabina Faiz Rashid, who previously served as Dean from 2013 to 2023 at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, now holds the position of Professor in the Mushtaque Chowdhury Chair in Health and Poverty, a position endowed by the late Sir F.H. Abed, founder of BRAC. This transition took effect on September 1, 2023. With her background in medical anthropology and over twenty years of ethnographic and qualitative research experience, her primary focus is on investigating the effects of intersectionality, poverty, and health disparities on the capacity of vulnerable communities to attain well-being. 

Dr. Faria Sultana has a diverse range of experience in academia and research. She serves as an Assistant Professor and also as the Head of the Department of Economics at American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), where she has been working full-time since August 2019. Before her position at AIUB, Faria pursued her doctoral studies as a Ph.D. Scholar in the area of Health Economics. During this period, she engaged in in-depth research, focusing on her field of expertise. Her interested areas for research would be health and development economics. She has published various academic journal articles and newspaper articles nationally and internationally. Previously she has been also a part of research projects on diverse issues like Migration, Governance, Regional Trade Facilitation, Technical and Vocational Education Training Sector, Right to Information Act in Bangladesh. 

Muhammad Abdul Mannan, MP was born in Village- Dungria, Upa-Zilla-Dakhin Sunamgonj, District- Sunamgonj, Bangladesh, in 1946. He received his early education in his village school and obtained “O’-l.evel from Pakistan Air Force school, in Sargodha, Pakistan in 1962. After obtaining graduation from Dhaka University he joined the former Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) cadre in 1974 and served in the Government of Bangladesh in various positions, including as Deputy Commissioner of Kishorgonj, Mymensing and Chittagong Districts. He worked as Joint Secretary (Political) in Ministry of Home Affairs, Director General in the Prime Minister’s office and Director General of NGO Affairs Bureau. He also served in the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in Geneva as Economic Minister. He retired from Government service in 2003 as Chairman of Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).

He joined Bangladesh Awami League in 2005 and was returned as Member of Parliament (MP)  on Bangladesh Awami League ticket in 2008. In the 9th parliament he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Besides he served as member in the Parliamentary Standing Comittee of Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense. In the later position he represented the Honorable Prime Minister. He was elected to the Central Executive Committee of Bangladesh Awami League as member in 2010 and 2013.

Mr. Mannan is married; his wife Zolekha Mannan is a teacher in a women’s college in Dhaka. His daughter Sara is a Doctor and lives in the U.S.A with her husband. His son Sadat is a Managing Director in the Barclay’s Capital (Bank) in the UK and lives in London.Mr. Mannan is interested in Development literature and spends time working for the welfare of the rural people of Bangladesh.Having returned a second time as Member of Parliament in 2014 he was appointed in the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as State Minister of Finance on 12 January in 2014. In April same year he was given the concurrent responsibility of State Minister the Ministry of Planning. After the Eleventh Parliament election, he was appointed minister of the Ministry of Planning on 7th January in 2019.

Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid is a distinguished Professor at the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) at the University of Dhaka. His tenure at the institute includes serving as its Director from 2016 to 2019. He holds a PhD in Economics, which he obtained from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he earned an M.Sc. in Health Economics from the University of York, UK. With over 25 years of experience in teaching and research in the fields of Economics and Health Economics, Dr. Hamid has established himself as a prominent figure in the realm of Health Economics in his country. He has a substantial track record of publishing research articles in peer-reviewed international journals. Dr. Hamid’s expertise in Health Economics encompasses various key areas, including access to healthcare, equity and efficiency in healthcare, financing of healthcare, and cost-benefit analysis. He has played a leading role in more than 50 research projects and has collaborated extensively with government agencies and development partners. Notably, Dr. Hamid served as the Team Leader for feasibility study of several projects within the health sector. These projects included the establishment of three medical universities (Rajshahi, Chattogram, and Sylhet), six medical colleges, two nursing colleges, and hostels for 11 medical colleges. Furthermore, Dr. Hamid has been at the forefront of innovative healthcare initiatives. He led a team in designing a groundbreaking model for primary healthcare solutions in urban areas. This model, known as Aalo Clinic, is currently undergoing pilot testing with the support of UNICEF. Additionally, Dr. Hamid played a pioneering role in introducing group health insurance for university students, highlighting his commitment to improving access to healthcare services for the academic community. 

Dr. Badrul Imam earned his doctoral degree from London University. He also taught at universities in Canada and Saudi Arabia for several years. He has worked and wrote extensively on issues related to problems and prospects of energy resources in Bangladesh. He was a member of the national committee for formulation of coal policy and worked in the national evaluation committee of Asia Energy proposal for Phulbari open pit coal mining. He is active with the National Committee to Protect Sundarbans.  

Shams Mahmud, has been actively engaged with the private sector since 2008. He currently holds the position of Managing Director at Shasha Denims Ltd, GA Garments Ltd, AIM Vision Ltd, Director of Shasha Garments Ltd, EOS Textile Mills Ltd and FlyDhaka Airlines Ltd. He is also appointed as the Honorary Consul of FDR Ethiopia to Bangladesh and is also a Capstone Fellow of the National Defence College. 

Mr Mahmud serves as the Secretary General of Consul Crops Bangladesh.He is serving as the President of Bangladesh Thai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Vice President of Philippines Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Mr Mahmud also served as the President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry in 2020. He is also serving as the Chairman of the Standing Committee For Foreign Mission Cell in BGMEA and Co Chairman of the Standing Committee for Readymade Garments, Knitwear, Sweater etc in the FBCCI. He is also a Director of Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Investors Association and serves as a Trustee for Valor of Bangladesh. 

Previously Mr Mahmud had served as Vice President of Bangladesh Philippines Chamber of Commerce & Industry and was a member of the Board of Directors in Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and Dutch Bangla Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Also he served as a Board Director of Export Promotion Bureau under Ministry of Commerce and was a member of the Governing Body of Bangladesh Export Processing Zone under the Prime Ministers Office. 

Dr Atiq Rahman is a prominent environmentalist, scientist, development expert and a visionary thinker in South Asia. He is well-known worldwide for his pioneering role and contribution to environment and nature conservation, climate change, Poverty alleviation and sustainable development. He was honored with the highest UN- Environmental Award, the Champion of the Earth, for the year 2008 in recognition of his outstanding and inspirational leadership and contribution globally, regionally, nationally and locally, to the protection and sustainable management of the Earth’s environment and natural resources. Another outstanding achievement in the same year given by the Government of Bangladesh was the National Environment Award (Poribesh Padak) for the category of innovative environmental research and technology development. The citation states about “His extensive publications on environment, natural resources, development, poverty, good governance and climate change issues are inspirational to his peers globally and widely quoted references for researchers, academicians, and development professionals at home and abroad”. He is a long standing lead author (LA) and convening lead author of (CLA) of IPCC. As a lead author of the IPCC fourth Assessment, he was a co-recipient of the “Nobel Peace Prize” of 2007, jointly awarded to IPCC and Al-Gore.

Dr Selim Raihan is a Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Executive Director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). He holds a PhD from the University of Manchester, UK. Member of the Board of Directors, Global Development Network (GDN). He is the Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, UK. He possesses vast expertise in empirical research on international trade, economic growth, poverty, labour market, macroeconomic policies, political economy, and climate change issues. He has worked quite extensively on applied economics, especially assessing the impacts of trade and economic policies, using country-specific and global Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models, and micro and macro-econometric modelling and estimation techniques. He has a long experience in teaching international trade, economic modelling, quantitative economics, econometrics, development economics, and poverty dynamics. He has more than 15 years of experience in conducting international and national training programmes on economic modelling in various countries, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He has published several journal articles, books, book chapters, and working papers. He is the editor of Thinking Aloud – a monthly digest from SANEM. He regularly writes columns in leading English and Bengali dailies in Bangladesh. He has worked for several national and international organizations including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, UNDP, UNESCAP, UNCTAD, IFPRI, the Commonwealth Secretariat, FAO, European Commission, ILO, IDRC, DFID, etc. He has led and has also been a member of a number of regional and international research projects on trade and regional integration issues. Also, he has been working on the political economy analysis of economic issues. His forthcoming edited volume from the Cambridge University Press is Is the Bangladesh Paradox Sustainable?  

Ambassador Farooq Sobhan is a Distinguished Fellow and Member of the Board of Governors of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI). Ambassador Sobhan was President and CEO of BEI from the time of its establishment in October 2000 until October 2018. BEI is an independent research institute. Ambassador Sobhan is also currently the Chairman of the Board of the CSR Centre, Chairman of the Board of the Sajeda Foundation, Chairman of the Bangladesh Chapter of the South Asia Foundation, Chairman of the Dhaka Art Summit, and also Chairman of the UN Global Compact in Bangladesh. He is currently serving as an Independent Director of IDLC, the largest non-banking financial institution in the country. 

 Ambassador Sobhan was Executive Chairman, Board of Investment (BOI) and Special Envoy of the Bangladesh Prime Minister from 1997 until November 1999 and Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh from March 1995 until September 1997. He has also served as Ambassador/High Commissioner to India, China, Malaysia and the United Nations in New York.   

President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Chairman of Bengal Commercial Bank, Vice Chairman of Bengal Group of Industries & RTV.  He has awarded CIP in the year 1999, 2009-2010 & 2010- 2011 by the Government of Bangladesh for contributing Bangladesh economy and business arena.  

He has also received Prime Minister National Export Trophy- silver during the FY 1997-1998 & FY 2009-2010, FY 2010-2011, FY 2012-2013, FY 2013-2014 and gold during the FY 2000-2001, FY 2006-2007, FY 2012-2013 & FY 2013-2014.He also received Prime Minister’s Export trophy- Bronze during the FY 2010-2011. He received the Best Enterprise Award 2007.  

Dr. M. Asaduzzaman, a former Research Director in BIDS, has a long career in research in agriculture, rural development, food safety, nutrition, environment, water resource management, renewable energy and climate change. He was Deputy Chair of the International Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change under CGIAR and a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize given to the IPCC for his contribution as a lead author to the Second Assessment Report. He was also for some time Chair of the Consultative Group of Experts under SBI/UNFCCC.  He had major roles in formulation of several of the Government’s guidelines for climate change action including the first Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, 2009  and its recent update in 2022. Most recently he led two teams for the Biennial Update Report 1 for submission by the Government to the UNFCCC.

Professor Shahidul Haque is serving as a Faculty at the North South University, Bangladesh since February 2020. He is also occupying the ICCR Bangabandhu Chair at the University of Delhi, India since March 2022 and has recently been appointed as a visiting professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.  

He is also a Senior Advisor on Migration and Humanitarian Policy of IOM, Dhaka from 2020. He is also advising a number of international charities and consulting firms. He was awarded Honorable Mention for the Robert B. Steward Prize for high academic achievement at Fletcher, USA.  

Mr. Haque served as the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh from January 2013 to December 2019. As a Foreign Secretary, he has chaired the Global Forum for Migration and Development from 2015 to 2016. He had also led the Chairmanship of the Platform on Disaster Displacement from 2015 to 2016, a global body dealing with displacement due to climate change (the Nansen Initiative).  

From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Haque served as the Regional Representative of IOM for South Asia (Dhaka) and the Middle East (Cairo). He also served as the IOM Director for International Cooperation and Policy (ICP) Division of IOM based in Geneva from 2009 to 2012.  

He received the IOM Director General’s Award in 2005 for his contribution to IOM policy, relations, activities, and programs.  

 While he was the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Haque led Bangladesh delegation to the negotiation with Myanmar associated with the Rohingya issue and chaired the Bangladesh National Task Force on Undocumented Myanmar Nationals in Bangladesh from 2013 to 2019.  

From 2013 to 2020, he had served for two terms as an elected Independent Expert to the Committee on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families (High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva).  

Mr. Haque pursued his graduate studies in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, USA (1988). He was awarded Honorable Mention for the Robert B. Steward Prize for high academic achievement at Fletcher, USA. Prior to that he completed his Honor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from the Dhaka University as a top student. He was also awarded the Dhaka University Chancellor’s Award, the Grant’s Commission Award, and the Chancellor’s Gold Medal from Dhaka University for his outstanding academic accomplishments. 

Before joining the firm, Rashna gained expertise as a corporate associate at Baker & McKenzie (London Office) through advising Arcelor Mittal and Schneider Electric on M&A and post-acquisition integration. At the firm, her specializations include corporate and finance, foreign investment and dispute resolution. She advised different entities of Visa Inc. on establishment of a liaison office, payments systems and mobile financial services, British American Tobacco Bangladesh on the scope of trade promotional activities in view of anti-tobacco laws, Department of International Development (DFID), Bangladesh on establishing a Credit Information Bureau for microfinance, Ernst & Young (E & Y) on foreign exchange control laws and closure of branch office and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade organisation in Bangladesh, proposed reform of the Companies Act 1994 to create an enabling business environment in Bangladesh and improve Bangladesh’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Rankings.

Dr. Ahsan Mansur is the Executive Director of PRI, and a former Division Chief of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department.  He has a MSc in economics from McMaster University and a PhD in economics from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Mansur is a macroeconomist with special focus on fiscal, financial, energy, social protection and external sector issues. As part of a long IMF career, he worked on economic reforms and macroeconomic surveillance in Saudi Arabia, Other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Yemen, Malaysia, Jordan, Nigeria, Somalia, the Gambia, Belize, and Sudan. 

Dr. Mansur served as the IMF Fiscal Advisor to the Minister of Finance and helped implement the VAT system in Bangladesh.  He has frequently provided pro-bono technical assistance to the Ministry of Finance on a range of fiscal policy issues, including tax reforms and public debt management. He was a core member of the team responsible for drafting of the Sixth and Seventh Five Year Plans of the Government of Bangladesh; served as Team Leader of the Strengthening of Public Expenditure Management Project (SPEMP)-DMTBF (2010-2011); and thereafter (till June 2012) as the Policy Advisor overseeing the strategic aspects related to the project. He was the Co-Team Leader for the Strengthening Strategic Planning and Monitoring for Results (SPM) Project of the World Bank (with GED), 2013-14. He has advised the central Bank of Bangladesh on banking, stock market and other financial sector issues on numerous occasions. Since August 2019, he is also the Chairman of BRAC Bank Ltd. – the largest SME focused bank in Bangladesh. He has been advising the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, Riyadh on different economic financial policy options, G-20 issues, and economic research. Also worked on several ADB finance studies on macroeconomic/financial management, energy sector strategy, and impact of the global economic crisis on Bangladesh and selective other south Asian countries. Also, supervised several special studies undertaken by Bangladesh Central Bank Research Department staff as part of strengthening their research capability.  

Professor Mustafizur Rahman is an economist by training. He is currently serving as Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka where he was Executive Director between 2007-2017. Earlier Dr. Rahman had taught as a Professor in the Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka, where he was awarded the prestigious Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal for research excellence. Dr. Rahman was educated at Moscow State University where he did his Ph.D, at Oxford University, UK and Warwick University, UK where he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow and at Yale University, USA where he was a Senior Fulbright Fellow. Dr. Rahman has carried out research work in collaboration with World Bank, UNESCAP, UNEP, Commonwealth Secretariat, ILO, ODI, London, among others. His recent works have focused on macroeconomic management, trade policy, LDC graduation challenges, regional and global integration of Bangladesh, and SDG implementation challenges in developing country contexts. He has published widely in Bangladesh and abroad. Professor Rahman has served as member of a number of national bodies set up by the Government of Bangladesh including the WTO Advisory Committee, Regulatory Reforms Commission, National Coal Policy Review Committee and Core Committee on Connectivity with India. He was a member of the Panel of Economists for the Sixth and the Seventh Five Year Plans and the Second Perspective Plan titled Bangladesh Vision 2041. He is currently a member of the National Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation of the SDGs. Professor Rahman is a three-time member of the Dhaka University Senate including the current one, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University. He is a Series Editor of South Asia Economic Policy Studies published by the Springer Publications.

K.M. Abdus Salam,  Senior Secretary to the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, has taken over the charge of the Secretary, Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat on 28 July, 2021. Prior to that he discharged his duties with a distinguished civil service career spanning over 32 years during which he held various high level positions of the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. He joined Bangladesh Civil Service as a member of Administration cadre in 1989. 

Immediately before taking the current charge, he worked as the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment. He was the Director General, NGO Affairs Bureau under the Prime Minister’s Office. Before that, he served as the Managing Director, Hotels International Limited, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Apart from this, he served as the Member (Additional Secretary), Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy & Mineral Resources. 

Mr. Salam held several other important positions in the field Administration, such as Assistant Commissioner & Magistrate of the First class, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Secretary of Rajshahi City Corporation, etc.   

Professor Rehman Sobhan has served as a Professor of Economics, Dhaka University, Member, Bangladesh Planning Commission, Director General, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Founder and Executive Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Executive Director, South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS) and is currently Chairman, CPD. In 1991 he served as a member of the first Caretaker government headed by President Shahabuddin Ahmed. He was actively associated with the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s and the Bangladesh liberation struggle in 1971 and has been awarded the Shadinata Purushker, the nation’s highest civilian award. He has published extensively on subjects relating to the political economy of development, foreign aid, petropolitics, agrarian reform, regional cooperation in South Asia, democracy and governance. His most recent publications include: Challenging the Injustice of Poverty: Agendas for Inclusive Development in South Asia (Sage) and Untranquil Recollections: The Years of Fulfilment (Sage). The second volume of his memoirs, Untranquil Recollections: Nation Building in Post-Liberation Bangladesh (2021), published by Sage. 

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya is a macro-economist and public policy analyst and currently, he is a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka, where he also served as the first Executive Director. He is also a member of the CPD Board of Trustees.

Dr Debapriya is a member of the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP), a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). He is Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), Washington DC. He is the Convenor of Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh – a platform of more than 100 NGOs and private sector bodies, seeking to contribute to the delivery of the SDGs at the country level.

Dr Debapriya is the former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and UN Offices of Geneva and Vienna. He had been the Special Advisor on LDCs to the Secretary General of UNCTAD, elected President of the governing board of UNCTAD and Coordinator of the LDC Group in the UN System. He is the founding Chair of the Southern Voice – a network of 50 think tanks. He is also the founding Chair of LDC IV Monitor.

Earlier, he was General Secretary of the Bangladesh Economic Association for three consecutive terms. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). He held a number of visiting positions in various overseas institutes.

Dr Debapriya is one of the leading public faces of Bangladesh’s civil society. He regularly features in national and international electronic and print media. He is a member of a number of international networks on trade, investment and finance and sits in the editorial board of reputed journals.

Dr Debapriya did his Master’s and PhD in Economics from Plekhanov Institute of National Economics, Moscow. He was a post-doctorate fellow at the Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. He was also a Senior Fulbright Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), Washington DC.

He edited books including Bangladesh’s Graduation from the Least Developed Countries Group – Pitfalls and Promises (2018) and Southern Perspectives on the Post-2015 International Development Agenda (2016), both published by Routledge. His upcoming edited books include COVID-19 and Bangladesh: Inclusion, Disaggregation and Transition (Routledge) and Delivering SDGs in South Asia in Post-pandemic Context: Issues and Challenges (Springer).

M. Sakhawat Hussain is a Bangladeshi author and speaker. Currently Brig. Gen. (R) M. Sakhawat Hussain, PhD, ndc, psc is a Senior Fellow at South Asian Institute for Policy and Governance (SIPG), North South University, Dhaka. He is a former Election Commissioner of Bangladesh (2007- 2012) and Brigadier General (retired) in the Bangladesh Army. Hussain was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1966 from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. He joined the Bangladesh Army in 1972 upon that country’s independence. He led an artillery unit and a sector of the Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh). He served in the Military Operations Directorate as lieutenant colonel. He led the first Bangladeshi military delegation to Germany to attend military exercises with the British Army on the Rhine. He served on the Board of Directors of Sonali Bank. After retirement Hussain established himself as an individual researcher in national security and defense, a columnist and security analyst. He was awarded by South Asian Community in Luton (2006), UK for his contribution in ‘creating public awareness against terrorism and world peace’. He achieved MPhil degree from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Dhaka on “Electoral Reform in Bangladesh 1972-2008” and obtained PhD from the same university for his thesis titled “Electoral Governance: Role of Electoral Management Body and Other Stakeholders in the Context of Bangladesh”.  Authored 36 books and numerous articles in newspapers at home and abroad. 

Professor Rounaq Jahan taught political science at Dhaka University, Harvard University, and Columbia University; headed women’s programs at UNAPDC, Malaysia and the ILO, Geneva and is currently a Distinguished Fellow of CPD. She was a research fellow at Chicago and Boston universities and the Rajni Kothari Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Society (CSDS) Delhi, India.

Professor Jahan obtained her Ph. D. from Harvard and is the author of several internationally acclaimed books which include: Pakistan: Failure in National Integration, New York: Columbia, 1972; Women and Development: Perspectives from South and South-East Asia (co-editor), Dhaka: BILIA, 1979; Bangladesh Politics: Problems and Issues, Dhaka: UPL, 1980 and 2005; The Elusive Agenda: Mainstreaming Women in Development, London: Zed Books, 1995; Bangladesh: Promise and Performance (editor), London: Zed Books, 2000; and Political Parties in Bangladesh: Challenges of Democratization, Dhaka: Prothoma Prokashan, 2015.

Professor Jahan is the founder-president of Women for Women, Bangladesh, and currently on the board of Research Initiatives Bangladesh (RIB) and the advisory boards of Human Rights Watch: Asia, New York and South Asia Program of Cornell University. She is a recipient of the Radcliffe Institute Graduate Society award of Harvard University.

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem is a prominent industrial economist in Bangladesh. He currently serves as the Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a leading think tank based in Dhaka. With over 30 years of experience, he has published more than 80 papers, reports, and book chapters on diverse topics, including worker’s rights, working conditions, social safety nets, income tax, power and energy, the environment, and Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector.

Aside from this, Dr Moazzem has also conducted extensive research on various subjects, including gender equality, social justice, and environmental sustainability. He actively participates in various policy discussions aimed at improving labour practices and promoting the use of clean and renewable energy as well. Dr Moazzem is also an avid writer, contributing regularly to various newspapers and policy-related websites.

In addition to this, Dr Moazzem has a strong reputation as a policymaker and collaborates extensively with various government committees and trade bodies. These collaborations include active participation in the formulation of the Industrial Policy of Bangladesh (2010 and 2016) and membership in the Committee on Trade Facilitation established by the Ministry of Commerce (MoC). He is also a member of the Eminent Group established by the External Resource Division (ERD) and has previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Accord, Bangladesh. Additionally, he is a member of the panel of advisors for FBCCI, the apex trade body of Bangladesh, and works as an advisor to the Bangladesh Technical Education Board.

Political economist, policy-maker and public health enthusiast, Hossain Zillur Rahman is the founder-chairman of Dhaka-based think-tank Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and Chairperson of BRAC Bangladesh. He served as advisor (cabinet minister) in the caretaker government of 2008 and as commissioner in the Independent South Asian commission on Poverty Alleviation. Dr. Rahman holds degrees in economics and political sociology and is the convener of the civic platform Healthy Bangladesh. Dr. Rahman has worked to bring policy visibility to a range of health issues including birth defects, healthcare costs, urban health and health system strengthening. 

Imran Rahman is serving his second term as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB). He has been with ULAB since 2006, and held the positions of Dean of Business and Professor of Finance. He has been overseeing the activities of ULAB!s Center for Enterprise and Society since its inception. Before joining ULAB, Imran was a finance faculty member at IBA, University of Dhaka for twenty-two years. In 1994, he co-founded a merchant bank, EVRD Ltd., and led it for six years. One of the first professionally set up merchant banks of the country, EVRD was involved in issue management, private portfolio management, private placement, international brokerage, financial advisory, and equity research. EVRD was a local consultant for the ADB funded capital markets strengthening project. Imran is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Teach for Bangladesh (TFB) and the Vice President of the Foundation for Learning, Teaching and Research (fLTR). He served as an independent director in two public limited finance companies. Imran studied at the Manchester Business School, University of Dhaka and the London School of Economics. 

Dr. M. Tamim is a Professor of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering, BUET, Dhaka. He graduated from BUET in Mechanical Engineering and completed his Masters from IIT, Madras. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Alberata, Canada in Petroleum Engineering. He has research interest in reservoir engineering, petroleum economics and energy planning; development and application of various numerical computer models, reservoir management problems. He also has experience in green house gas (GHG) mitigation, energy efficiency improvement and energy related environmental remedies. Dr. Tamim has supervised several M.Sc. Students and published a number of papers in national and international journal. 

He is an experienced academic administrator with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Gas and energy, Analytical Skills, Management, Renewable Energy, and Reservoir Engineering. Strong business development professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Petroleum engineering from University of Alberta

Prof N. R. Bhanumurthy has taken charge as the first Vice-Chancellor of Dr B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru (BASE University). He is currently on deputation from NIPFP, New Delhi, where he has been a Professor since 2009. Prior to this he worked at Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi. His research areas are macro-monetary economics, fiscal policy, international money & finance, macroeconomic modelling and development economics. In these areas, he has authored over 90 research papers, five books, and over 250 short articles in newspapers and magazines. He had brief stints at UNESCAP, Bangkok and at UNDP RCC in Colombo as a Macroeconomist. He was a Visiting Fellow at MSH, Paris, McGill University, Montreal and ADB, Manila. He has been a consultant to UN-DESA (New York), UN-ESCWA (Beirut), UNDP-Nepal, UNDP-Bhutan, UNESCAP, ILO, World Bank, and ADB. He has served on over 25 government committees constituted by the Finance Ministry, Ministry of Statistics, Ministry of Rural Development, National Statistical Commission, Ministry of Education, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, RBI, SEBI, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Government of Karnataka, among others. He is currently serving as Managing Trustee of the Indian Econometric Society Trust and also Managing Trustee of the Indian Economic Association Trust for Research and Development since 2010. He was Secretary of the Indian Econometric Society for over 17 years until 2023. As part of India’s G20 presidency, he was nominated as a Chair for the T20 Taskforce-1 on ‘Macroeconomics, Trade and Livelihoods’ He has received two prestigious awards: Mahalanobis Memorial Medal (National) Award for the year 2014 for his contributions to the field of quantitative economics in India; and “VKRV Rao Prize in Social Sciences (Economics)” for the year 2015, for high-quality research and for significant contributions to social science research in India.

Dr Prabir De is a Professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi. He has over three and half decades of full-time research and teaching experience in India and abroad. He works in the field of international economics and has research interests in international trade and development. He has been conducting policy research for the Government of India and several national and international organisations including UN agencies and multilateral development organisations such as the World Bank and ADB. Graduated in economics from the Scottish Church College in Kolkata, he did his master’s in economics from Calcutta University and PhD in economics from the Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He was a Visiting Fellow of the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), Japan; the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), Tokyo; Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Seoul; and a Visiting Senior Fellow of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok. He has contributed several research papers in international journals and written books on trade and development. He is one of the Founding Editors of the Journal of Asian Economic Integration, published by Sage, and the Journal of Land Ports and Border Economy, published by Routledge.

Dr. Sabyasachi Saha is Associate Professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a public funded policy research organization based in New Delhi. Earlier, he was Assistant Professor at the same institution. He specializes in innovation economics, international trade and development policy. As a policy expert he has worked on means of implementation of the SDGs extensively, focusing on Science, Technology and Innovation for SDGs; financing of SDGs and data. He has co-edited three volumes published by Springer and has made extensive academic contributions in the form of research articles and policy briefs. He is the current Editor of the South Asia Economic Journal published by Sage. He obtained his PhD in Economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi in 2013 and completed his M.Phil (2009) and M.A. in Economics (2007) from JNU.

He has regularly participated in official policy forums at the UN Headquarters and other UN led platforms and has been an active contributor on partnerships, regional cooperation and SDGs. He is a contributor and coordinator for G20, BRICS, IBSA and South-Asia Think-Tank forums and networks. He has been a Member of the Thematic Group on Sustainable Technologies for Govt. of India’s Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. Recently he has served as a Co-Chair for the Task Force 3 of Think 20 India on LiFE, Resilience and Values for Wellbeing. He was also invited by the Wilton Park, UK, OECD and the Global Solutions Summit.

He is a recipient of the WIPO Prize for Young Scholars, DAAD funded fellowship of the Government of Germany and Government of India Travel Award. As PhD scholar he has participated in numerous academic conferences globally including at the National University of Singapore, Georgia Tech, University of Warsaw, and HTW University of Applied Sciences, Berlin. Before joining RIS, he worked as senior research staff at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

At RIS he coordinates annual Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) capacity building courses of the Government of India attended by officials, scholars and diplomats from partner developing countries.

Mr Chakravarthy is a senior researcher at The Just Jobs Network. His work focuses on understanding labour markets in the global south and the socio-economic processes underlying development. Specifically, his areas of interest include labour market dynamics, informality, jobless growth, and structural transformation. Prior to joining Just Jobs Network, he worked at the Centre for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University, where he studied the role of employment guarantee as a social safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, he has worked with grassroots organisations in the Central Indian Tribal belt on issues related to agrarian livelihoods and common pool resource management. He has a master’s degree in Economics from Azim Premji University, a post-graduate diploma in Liberal Arts from Ashoka University and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli.

Dr Praveen Jha is a Professor of Economics at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP) and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies (CISLS), School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India. His research interests include the Political Economy of Development, with particular reference to Labour, Agriculture and Education. His other areas of interest are Natural Resources, Public Finance and the History of Economic Thought from a Marxist perspective. Dr Praveen is on the editorial board of a few well-known journals. Some of his important affiliations are Editor, Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Editorial Board, Notebooks: Journal of Studies on Power, and Editorial Advisory Board, Indian Journal of Labour Economics. Dr Praveen has published widely in many journals and has authored/edited more than twenty books and monographs. His most recent works include: (with Paris Yeros, Walter Chambati and Freedom Mazwi), Farming and Working Under Contract: Peasants and Workers in Global Agricultural Value Systems (Tulika, 2022); (with Walter Chambati and Lyn Ossome), Labour Questions in the Global South, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021); (with Avinash Kumar and Yamini Mishra), Labouring Women: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary India, (Orient Black Swan, 2020); (with Paris Yeros and Walter Chambati), Rethinking the Social Sciences with Sam Moyo, (Tulika, 2020); (with Sam Moyo and Paris Yeros), Reclaiming Africa: Scramble and Resistance in the 21st Century, (Springer, 2019). He has also been a Visiting Fellow/Professor to several Institutions/ Universities, including the University of Bremen, Germany; Tianjin University of Finance and Economics Tianjin, China; Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa; Sam Moyo African Institute of Agrarian Studies, Harare, Zimbabwe; International Labour Organisation, Geneva; University of Leipzig, Germany; and University of Kassel, Germany. He has also been associated with several research studies with well-known institutions such as the ILO, the UNICEF, the UNDP, and the FAO etc. and has collaborated with scholars from across the globe.

Dr Shekhar Shah is the Vice Chairman of the Academic Advisory Council and Board member of the Indian School of Public Policy in New Delhi and a Non-resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington D.C. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability at Monash University in Melbourne and in 2023 was a Senior Adviser to the International Education Commission.

Dr Shah is the former Director-General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), India’s oldest, largest, independent economic think tank. Between 2011 and 2021, Dr Shah led NCAER in its institutional expansion, the deepening of its research and survey capacities, the diversification of its funding, outreach and staff, and the development of its new, world-class campus.

He has served on a number of committees of the Government of India and has published on a range of topics in macro, trade, public economics, and service delivery in education and health. Before joining NCAER, Dr Shah spent over two decades at the World Bank in Washington DC, including as the Bank’s Regional Economic Adviser for South Asia, Sector Manager for Governance and Public Sector Management for Europe and Central Asia, Lead Economist for Bangladesh, and the Bank’s Deputy Research Administrator. He is a principal author of the 2004 World Development Report, Making Services Work for Poor People. During 1984-89 he ran the Ford Foundation’s Program for International Economics in South Asia based out of New Delhi, and before that worked in Washington D.C. consulting for the US Federal Reserve Board, other financial regulators, and US banks. Dr Shah holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Economics from St Stephens College, Delhi University.

Professor Sachin Chaturvedi is currently Director General at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a New Delhi-based Think-Tank. He works on issues related to development economics, involving development finance, SDGs and South-South Cooperation, apart from trade, investment and innovation linkages with a special focus on WTO.

Professor Chaturvedi has persistently endeavoured to build up institutions and launch networks, both at national and international levels. He is credited with the launch of the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST) and the Forum for Indian Development Cooperation (FIDC). He has also created the “Delhi Process”, a major forum for the exchange of ideas on South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Professor Sachin Chaturvedi has been part of several important initiatives of the Government of India and takes a keen interest in transforming economic policymaking towards integrated and evidence-based approaches. He is one of the foremost commentators on India’s external sector economic engagements and partnerships. He is considered as most dynamic and affable by his peers and has mentored several bright scholars and researchers in the profession.

Currently, Prof. Chaturvedi is also Vice Chairman, of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis, and ex-officio Vice Chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Policy and Planning Commission. He is also an Independent Director on the Board of the Reserve Bank of India.  He is holding these subsidiary advisory positions in an honorary capacity. Professor Sachin Chaturvedi was also the ‘Global Justice Fellow’ at the MacMillan Center for International Affairs at Yale University (2009-2010) and has served as a Visiting Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and was a Developing Country Fellow at the University of Amsterdam (1996), Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla (2003), and Visiting Scholar at the German Development Institute (2007).

He has authored/edited more than 22 books, apart from contributing several chapters in the edited volumes and also publishing several research articles in prestigious journals.  He is on the Editorial Board of several journals including the South Asian Economic Journal, IDS Bulletin, Sussex, UK among others.  His book “The Logic of Sharing – Indian Approach to South-South Cooperation” has been acclaimed internationally as one of the best volumes on international development cooperation.

Nagesh Kumar is the Director and Chief Executive of the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID). Prior to taking up this role in May 2021, Dr Kumar served as Director at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), holding several senior management roles during 2009-21 including as Chief Economist, Director of Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division and Social Development Division at the UNESCAP headquarters in Bangkok and as Head of the South and South-West Asia Office located in New Delhi, that he also had the privilege of establishing. He is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Global Economic Governance Initiative at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center.

During 2002-2009, Dr Kumar served as the Director-General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a policy think tank of the Government of India (Ministry of External Affairs). He has also served as an Economist at UNU/INTECH (now UNU/MERIT) in Maastricht, the Netherlands from 1993 to 1998. He has served on the boards of the EXIM Bank of India, the International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva; the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu, and as a consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Commonwealth Secretariat, Commission on Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), ILO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UN-DESA and UNIDO. Dr Kumar has researched extensively on different aspects of economic development, resulting in the publication of 18 books and over 120 peer-reviewed papers.

Holding a PhD in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Dr Kumar is the recipient of the EXIM Bank’s first International Trade Research Award in 1990, and GDN’s Research Medal awarded by the World Bank and the Japanese Government in Tokyo in 2000.

Dr Ch. Priyoranjan Singh is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics at Manipur University. His areas of interest are Political Economy of Development, Agricultural Economics and Border Trade. Professor Ch. Priyoranjan has worked on various projects and studies for the Planning Commission of India, Planning and other departments of the Government of Manipur and the Northeastern Council of India. Prof Priyoranjan is currently the Coordinator of UGC-SAP-DRS-II on International Trade issues in NE India and Industrialisation. He has been a member of various Expert Committees and Boards of the Government of Manipur. He was also an expert member of a Study Team of ASEAN on extending and converting the Trilateral Highway into an economic corridor, besides being a member of the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee, Directorate of Environment, Government of Manipur. He has recently conducted a study for the Northeast Council of India on the India-ASEAN free trade agreement and Act East Policy for NE India, besides running a Research Program of ICSSR on ‘Agrarian Crisis in the Hill Regions of Manipur: Land Systems and Economic Change’. Prof Priyoranjan has published a book entitled ‘Tribalism and the Tragedy of the Commons. Prof Priyoranjan is currently Vice President of the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association.

Dr Priyadarshi Dash is an Associate Professor at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, India. He contributes to RIS work programmes on G20, BIMSTEC, Indo-Pacific and Asia-Africa Growth Corridor. His research interests include services trade, regional financial cooperation, infrastructure finance, macroeconomic and development strategies, and blue economy. Dr Dash has published two books titled “Asia-Africa Growth Corridor: Development and Cooperation in Indo-Pacific” and “Universal Banking in India: Evolution, Trends and Performance” and several papers in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Cambridge Scholars Publishing, London; member of the Editorial Board of Advances in Economics and Business; Member of the Editorial Review Board of Virtual Economics; and Managing Editor of G20 Digest. He visited the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET), Seoul as a ‘Visiting Fellow’ in 2012 under a fellowship by the Asia Foundation. Dr Dash holds PhD in Economics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, India, and has received the “Award for Excellence in Thesis Work” by IIT Bombay.

Dr Beena Pandey works as an Assistant Professor, at RIS, New Delhi. Her research areas broadly cover social sector issues like quality of education, gender empowerment and development issues. Her research areas also include IBSA’s performance across social sectors and Sustainable Development Goals particularly focusing on Goal 4 related to Education and Goal 5 related to Gender Equality. She is also the Chairperson of the Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment of the Women’s Employees posted in RIS.

Mr Madhu Raman Acharya is a former civil servant and career diplomat of Nepal. He joined Nepal’s Foreign Service as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996. During his diplomatic career, Mr. Acharya served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi (1997-1998). Nepal’s Ambassador to Bangladesh (1998-2001), Foreign Secretary (2002-05), and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2005-2009). In 1983, he entered the Nepalese Civil Service as a Section Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He joined the Ministry of Finance in 1990 as Assistant Secretary, and from 1993 to 1996 he was Under-Secretary in that Ministry. Mr. Acharya began his career in 1982 as an Assistant Lecturer at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, from where he holds a master’s degree in science and public administration and a graduate diploma in law. Mr. Acharya also served as Director of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) (2010 -2011). During the 1990s, he also served in United Nations missions in Cambodia, South Africa and Liberia. Mr. Acharya is the author of Business of Bureaucracy (2014), Nepal: Culture Shift! (2001), Nepal Worldview (2019), The Talking Points (2020), Race Against Time (2022).

Mr Biswash Gauchan is the Executive Director at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). He served in UNDP both in Nepal and Africa for 10 years in different capacities and went on to become the Chief Executive Officer of a Commercial Bank in South Sudan where he served for two years. He is the founder chairman of Shangri-la Development Bank and co-founder of Quest International College and Omega International School. He writes extensively on economic policy and geo-strategic issues relating to Nepal and South Asia. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics.

Prof Dr Govind Raj Pokharel has over 25 years of professional experience in public policy, planning, budgeting, international development, and academia. Most recently, he held the esteemed position of CEO of the Reconstruction Authority, where he was accorded a status equivalent to a Cabinet Minister. Additionally, he served as the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission. He has also held the esteemed title of Professor in Energy, Economics, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering. He also served as the Executive Director for two terms of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), a national nodal agency for renewable energy and energy efficiency for about 5 years. Dr Pokharel has a PhD in Economics (Energy) from Germany; an MSc in Appropriate Rural Energy Technology, Policy and Extension Skills from Germany; and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Rajasthan, India. As Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, he led the Government of Nepal’s apex policy advisory body to guide annual and periodic development plans and programs, budgets, and sectoral policy reforms. In the aftermath of the Great Nepal Earthquake of 2015, he led a post-earthquake recovery package and a rigorous Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and helped generate over US$4 billion in pledges from international development partners. Dr Pokharel was the coordinating lead author for the Special Report on Renewable Energy Policy of the IPCC (Chapter 11) and authored or co-authored numerous research papers on sustainable energy, climate change, disaster and financing, among others. He served as Manager of a Dutch NGO across South and Southeast Asian locations, advised international development agencies on the political economy of Nepal, ran high-profile, technically oriented international energy development programs in Nepal (supported by EU, DFID, KfW, ADB, WB, UNDP, Danida, Norad, GIZ and others), and has knowledge of national-level policy, planning, budgeting as well as development activities and movements.

Dr Rudra Suwal is an Economist and Statistician of Nepal. He has over three decades of experience working at the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in Nepal. While at CBS, he has profoundly assisted the Government of Nepal (GoN) in formulating and analysing policies, planning and implementing development projects and assessing social as well as economic impacts. The private sector, both corporations and individuals has immensely benefitted from his works in researching, analysing and processing various demographic, economic, and other data. He joined the CBS in 1988 and retired as Deputy Director General (DDG) and Head of the Social Statistics Division in 2018. As the Division Chief and Program Coordinator, Suwal provided strategic, technical, and managerial leadership in various statistical projects/activities, such as the Nepal Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Survey, Nepal Labor Force Survey, Annual Household Survey, Nepal Living Standard Survey, Gender and Social Statistics, Nepal Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey, GIS and Data Processing, Population Census and Demographic Sample Survey, Environmental Statistics etc. Also, in the capacity of Director /Manager of the Population and Housing Census (PHC), 2011, he served as the Program Chief and Coordinator and provided leadership throughout the stages of census planning, field operation, data processing, analysis, and dissemination of census results. An expert in macroeconomic accounting and analysis (national accounts), government finance statistics, and large-scale census/survey operation and management, Dr Suwal has extensive experience in the areas of Census survey operations, economic and demographic analysis, operational research, analysis, and interpretation of macroeconomic statistics in policy analysis. Suwal has authored/co-authored numerous articles, research papers, and books. He holds PhD in Economics from Lucknow University, India and a master’s degree in economics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has also received a PG Diploma in Economic Statistics from ISPC (US Census Bureau) and in Methods of Economic Research course from the University of East Anglia (UEA, UK).

Paras Kharel is the Executive Director at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), a Kathmandu-based think tank. He has a PhD in Economics from the University of Melbourne with a specialisation in International Trade and Applied Microeconometrics. His publications include two edited volumes on South Asian cooperation/integration, and articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Review of International Economics, International Economics, and East Asian Economic Review.

Ms Neeru Rayamajhi Khatri is the Founder and the Immediate Past President of FWEAN. She is also the founding member & promoter of WEAN Multipurpose Cooperative. She is the past president of the Woman Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal (WEAN- Lalitpur). She is an Interior Designer by profession and a social entrepreneur by passion who is constantly working to mitigate poverty by building women’s capacity in micro-small enterprises and promoting traditional artisans/ craft producers. Ms Khatri has contributed her immense time and energy to improve women’s economic and social status thus representing women entrepreneurs for advocating equal rights and opportunities. She is a certified trainer on gender and entrepreneurship for micro small enterprises to strengthen local economics, maximise opportunities and build the business capabilities of women entrepreneurs. She has attended numerous trainings on Entrepreneurship Development from the US, Philippines, Malaysia & India. Her personal business is Interior Design & Home Decor. She has a Diploma with honours in Interior Designing from J. J. School or Arts, Mumbai.

Dr Swarnim Wagle is an elected Member of Parliament in Nepal. He chairs the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), a South Asian think-tank (est. 1979) in Kathmandu. He is an international development professional with over 20 years of experience, including as the Chief Economic Advisor at UNDP Asia-Pacific in New York and Senior Economist at The World Bank in Washington, D.C. Between 2014 and 2018, he served the National Planning Commission of Nepal for three years, first as a member and then as vice-chair. Dr Wagle holds a doctorate in economics from the Australian National University and a master’s in international development from Harvard.

Mr Durga Prasad Bhattarai was a Foreign Secretary of Nepal from 2011-2013. He most recently served as a Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York (2013-2018), with a concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Earlier, he was Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives (2005-2009), and President of the Colombo Plan Council (2005-2006).  In over three decades of public service, he worked with the country’s national airlines, university, cabinet secretariat, planning commission secretariat, and the ministries of health, commerce, home and foreign affairs. While at the Ministry of Commerce, he served as the Focal Point/Negotiator of Nepal for the SAARC-SAPTA. Mr Bhattarai represented Nepal at a broad range of bilateral, regional and multilateral meetings and diplomatic conferences. He also represented the Asia-Pacific region in numerous elected leadership positions in the UN General Assembly as well as its Fourth (Special Political and Decolonisation) and Fifth (Administration and Budget) Main Committees, and executive boards of Funds and Programmes (UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS and UNICEF). While in New York, he steered Nepal’s successful election to the Human Rights Council, CEDAW, CAT (all firsts for Nepal), and ECOSOC, among others, and coordinated Nepal’s positions for negotiations regarding UN reforms, Nepal’s participation in the UN peace operations, and sustainable development goals in the run-up to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  Mr Bhattarai received a Bachelor of Law and a Master of Business Administration degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and a Master of Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. Currently in Nepal, he sits on the boards of the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) and Kathmandu Valley Public Library (KVPL); serves as Advisor to the Policy Research Institute (PRI) and Nepal Taekwondo Academy, and as a Distinguished Fellow at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IIDS). With geopolitics, soft power, regional cooperation and economic diplomacy as his areas of current interest, he is also associated with several other professional, research/training, and social service institutions in Nepal including the Management Association of Nepal (MAN), Nepal Army War College and Nepal Red Cross Society.

Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada worked as the Minister of Finance, Minister of Communication, Spokesperson of the Government of Nepal, Central Bank Governor, Vice Chair of the National Planning Commission, and Ambassador to the USA, etc.

Dr Shankar Shrestha has been the Executive Director of NDRI since February 2022. He has a PhD (Engineering) in Integrated River Basin Management and a Postdoc from the University of Yamanashi, Japan. He has more than 10 years of interdisciplinary research experience in the areas of water, agriculture and environment. Specifically, his research has covered areas of water and crop quality assessment, wastewater irrigation issues, vegetable consumers’ health risk assessment, solid waste management, climate risk assessment, flood risk assessment and non-point source pollution modelling, among others. Dr Shrestha is the recipient of “The WET Excellent Presentation Award” at the Water and Environment Technology Conference 2016, August 28, 2016, at Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan for his research on health risk assessment from the use of contaminated water. Dr Shrestha is also a Guest Reviewer of various national and international journals (anonymous).

Mr Kshitiz Dahal is an economist at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) with key interests in international trade, development economics, and econometrics. He has worked extensively in various areas including Nepal’s international trade, trade in digital services, migration and remittances, Nepal’s industrial policy, public debt, etc. His publications include journal articles and book chapters. He holds an M.Sc. in Economics from Tilburg University, Netherlands.

Dr. Pandey has more than 25 years of experience working on issues of trade, economy and development. Currently, Dr. Pandey is serving as a senior advisor at the Ministry of Finance, Federal Government of Nepal. He is also the Chairman of South Asia Watch on Trade Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), a consortium of South Asian NGOs, working to build capacity of concerned stakeholders in the context of liberalisation and globalisation. He holds a PhD in economics and has master’s degrees in business management and economics.

Dr. Pandey has served as a member of the UN Secretary-General High-Level Panel on Technology Bank. He is listed as the Indicative Panelist of the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO. He is a member of various committees of the Government of Nepal, including the Board of Trade and Nepal Business Forum. Dr. Pandey has served as an economic expert on Prime Minister’s Advisory Board and was a member of the National Planning Commission. He was one of the negotiators for Nepal’s accession to the WTO. Dr. Pandey has also worked for the UNDP in Nepal on the issues of multilateral trade integration and trade-related capacity building.

He was a faculty at the Central Department of Economics, Tribhuvan University and has extensively published on the issues of international trade, macroeconomics and development.

Ms Dikshya Singh, as a Programme Coordinator at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), specialises in development research in transboundary economic cooperation, entrepreneurship development and finance, and livelihood concerns in South Asia. With more than 10 years of experience working in the areas of economy and development, she has led and been involved in studies that look into cross-border trade in South Asia, gender linkages of trade, private sector finance and development. A former economics reporter at the English language daily in Nepal, she holds an MPhil degree in Economics from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.

Ms Fakhar completed her education at the University of Cambridge, UK in 1998, specialising in Trade and Investment laws and policy and after working at Clifford Chance in London and WTO in Geneva, launched her first venture MAP Services Group. MAP initially kicked off as a boutique trade and investment advisory for Governments and Multinationals, based out of Geneva and later diversified into private equity focusing on raising investments and designing Government funds. In addition, she focussed on her exports of rice and founded, Soultana Health Rice, which is distributed to more than 11 countries in the world. Ms Fakhar is also a Board member of Nestle Pakistan DRDF rural and farmer development and influenced more than half a million dairy farmers primarily women. She runs Pakistan’s Food Bank for the poorest providing food supplies to more than 10,000 needy people and was appointed as an Honorary advisor to HM King Charles III’s development organisation for promotion in Pakistan, wherein they support 3,000 schools and more than 300 orphanages across Pakistan. Ms Fakhar is also a sponsor of Pakistan’s Incubation Centre which raises funds for deserving start-ups monthly. She is also the Founder of the Pakistan Malaysia Businesswomen Forum and has served as Chairperson for Medium Businesses Pakistan Business Council’s India Pakistan Business Council. She was also part of the Pakistan Afghanistan Business Forum of the Ministry of Commerce. She is also engaged with various think tanks in the USA and has been the Chairperson of Brainstrust in Switzerland. Ms Fakhar is also engaged in image-building-related activities and has been a part of supporting the team that was working on GSP Plus. She supported APTMA in technical textiles in Europe. Her work in the food sector with the GCC countries has been focused on commodities. Her food sector events were graced and supported by HH Shiekh Nathan Mubarak Al Nahyan UAE and HH Dr Fakhroo Bahrain, Ms Fakhar is also working with SALIC a subsidiary of Saudi Sovereign Fund. She more recently became part of the prestigious Riyadh Economic Forum and has represented Pakistan at Global trade summits including Economic Forums and also represented Pakistan at the White House in the US.

Dr Babar Shahbaz is Professor and Director at the Institute of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. He has also served as Chair of the Outreach program at the US Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, as a Consultant for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and as a Visiting Fellow Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Islamabad. His specific expertise/research interests include rural livelihoods, sustainable rural development, natural resource management, food systems and agricultural extension. Dr Shahbaz has completed a post-doctorate fellowship from Korea Development Institute, South Korea and Zurich University Switzerland, and has been actively involved in research, teaching and outreach activities in the realm of sustainable livelihoods and rural development. He has also received training from the USA, Switzerland, UK and Philippines on different aspects of sustainable livelihoods, rural development, natural resource management and agricultural extension. He has presented his research work at international conferences around the world. He possesses more than 20 years of experience in planning, management and implementation of inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research projects. He is a prolific writer and has authored/co-authored more than 75 research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, three books, several policy briefs, book chapters and newspaper articles.

Dr Ishrat Husain was until recently Advisor to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity with the status of Federal Minister. During his long and illustrious professional career, Dr Ishrat Husain served as Dean and Director of IBA, Chairman of the National Commission for Government Reforms, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and Chief Economist and Director of the World Bank. He started his career as a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan and served as SDO Patuakhali, Additional Deputy Commissioner Chittagong, and Deputy Secretary Home among many other assignments. Due to his outstanding contributions to Pakistan, Dr Husain has been awarded Nishan e Imtiaz and Hilal e Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan. The Banker Magazine of London declared him as the Central Bank Governor of the Year for Asia in 2005 and he also received the Asian Banker Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Dr Ishrat Husain is the author and editor of more than two dozen books and monographs, and more than thirty refereed journal articles on the issues of Poverty, Structural Adjustment, Debt, African Development, and the Pakistani economy and has written over two dozen policy papers for the World Bank. Dr Ishrat Husain has delivered talks around the globe in different parts of the world held under the auspices of the World Bank, IMF, UN agencies, Research institutions, Think Tanks, Universities and professional organisations. Ishrat Husain obtained a master’s degree in development economics from Williams College and a Doctorate in Economics from Boston University in 1978. He is a graduate of the Executive Development program jointly sponsored by Harvard, Stanford and INSEAD.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). He is a leading expert on sustainable development, poverty alleviation, food security, and climate change. He has served in various national and regional policy-making forums and has represented Pakistan in several official and civil society delegations at the global level. Dr Sulehrie is currently a member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council, the Board of Directors of the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), the Board of Directors of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), and the Government of Punjab’s Vice Chancellors’ Search Committee for Agricultural Universities. Previously, he was a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council/National Economic Advisory Council for three terms (2013-2022), the National Advisory Council of the Planning Commission of Pakistan for two terms (2013-2022), and the National Coordination Committee of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan (2021-2022). He also served as a member of the Finance Minister’s Task Force on the Effectiveness of Social Safety Nets (2016-17), the Board of Management (Board of Directors) of Pakistan State Oil (2009-2011), and three judicial commissions on environmental issues formed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad High Court, and Lahore High Court. Dr Sulehrie is a member of the Permanent Organising Committee of the South Asia Economic Summit. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) Think-Tank Network and a co-chair of the Board of Climate Action Network, South Asia, for two terms. He was the lead expert for the World Economic Forum’s “Transformation Mapping” initiative from Pakistan. Dr Sulehrie has participated in various international events, such as the UN Sustainable Development Summit, the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COPs), and WTO Ministerial Conferences. He is a regular guest speaker and delivers lectures on different aspects of sustainable development to career civil servants, officers of the armed forces, and parliamentarians. He is an acclaimed writer, who publishes in academic journals as well as mainstream print and electronic media. He is Editor-in-Chief of SDPI’s peer-reviewed journal: “Journal of Development Policy, Research, and Practice,” and a series editor of Springers’ South Asia Economic and Policy Studies.

With a career spanning over 33 years, Dr Imam’s profound commitment to law, governance and reform has been a cornerstone of his professional journey. His career’s focal points have encompassed a wide array of responsibilities, including critical roles as Federal secretary and Inspector General in various police organisations across Pakistan. Moreover, his commitment to gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women, particularly in leadership roles, has remained unwavering. Academically, his journey has been marked by continuous intellectual pursuit and growth. Dr Imam holds a master’s in philosophy from Karachi University, an LLB from Quetta, an LLM in Human Rights Law from SOAS in London, and a Doctorate in Politics and International Relations from Islamic University, Islamabad. His role as a federal secretary added a significant dimension to his experience. In this capacity, he has engaged in high-stakes national policy formation and played a pivotal role in organisational restructuring. Furthermore, his international experience includes serving as the first Pakistan Police Commissioner for the UN-AU Mission in Darfur, as well as undertaking crucial roles in UN missions in Liberia and Mozambique. As an academician, he had the privilege of shaping young minds at esteemed institutions like Karachi University, LUMS, NUST, QAU, and IIUI. In addition to his extensive career and multifaceted roles, he also made substantial contributions in the realm of knowledge dissemination. Dr Imam authored hundreds of articles that were published in leading newspapers and research journals. Accolades have recognised his unwavering commitment, including the Sitara Imtiaz, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, two of Pakistan’s highest police gallantry awards, and three UN Peace Medals. In his current role as a consultant for UNDP and contributions to global enterprises like Mol, his journey continues to be marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, policy shaping, knowledge sharing, and influential contributions.

Mr Abdul Ghufran has been working in the Government of Pakistan for the past 36 years and has remained as Consul General of Pakistan in Hong Kong. He has also received a master’s in accounting and finance from Cardiff University.

Mr Buwanekabahu Perera is a veteran Professional Banker with 41 years of experience serving in the Financial Sector in Sri Lanka and is an established leader in Corporate Banking and has vast exposure in the field of Investment and Merchant Banking. Notable positions held include Board Director of NDB Investment Bank Ltd, Acting Chief Executive Officer- National Development Bank PLC (NDB) and 14 years as the Head of Corporate Banking at NDB in the capacity of Senior Vice President. He also held varied positions at Deutsche Bank, Sampath Bank PLC and Banque Indosuez. Mr Buwanekabahu serves on the Boards of Sierra Cables PLC and Cargills Bank Ltd in the capacity of Non – Executive Director. He has a BSc (Hon) in Financial Services from the University of Manchester, UK. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Bank Financial Management from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, is an Associate Member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK, and is an Associate Member of Certified Management Accountants, Sri Lanka. He is a Passed Finalist of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. He is a Past President of the Association of Professional Bankers – Sri Lanka and Past Chairman of the Bankers Association Technical Advisory Committee. Currently, he is the Chair of the Indian Ocean Rib Business Forum [IORBF] of the IORA.

Engr. M. A. Jabbar is the Vice President and Deputy Convenor of the Budget Committee FPCCI, a Former Member of the Privatisation Commission, and a Member Board of Faculty (BoF) at the College of Economics and Social Development in IoBM. 

He is a Member of BoG SDPI, remained Honorary Consul to Ukraine for the last 12 years, a Life Member of SAARC, a Member of PSQCA, and a Former Chairman Site Association of Industry. Engr. M. A. Jabbar is also a Member of numerous government bodies representing Pakistan including WTO Ministerial Conferences, G‐77‐Havana, IPR China, ISO General Assembly Geneva, NISB USA, DIN participation Germany, and Member Task Force on Industrial Policy and Sindh Revenue Board. 

He is the Former Chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills, a Member: of BoD SSGCL, NFC, BoG TIP, Syndicate Karachi University and DUET, PTA, BoG PIM, NCST, SMEDA, BoD EPZA, PEC, Chamber of Engineers Pakistan, and IPO. He was also a Member of the Steering Committee on Rehabilitation Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR), a Member Task Force on the Sindh Revenue Board and also served as Director of Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) and Sindh Board of Investment. 

Dr Ganga Tilakaratna is a Research Fellow and Head of Poverty and Social Welfare Policy Research at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). Her research and publications cover areas related to social protection, sustainable development goals (SDGs), financial inclusion, poverty and ageing. She has nearly 20 years of research experience and has led a number of research projects funded by various bilateral and multilateral organisations. She has also worked as a consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Dr Ganga Tilakaratna holds a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester (UK), an MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a B.A (Hons) in Economics from the University of Manchester (UK).

Dr Dushni Weerakoon is the Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) and Head of its Macroeconomic Policy Research. Her research and publications cover areas related to macroeconomic policy, regional trade integration, and international economics. She has extensive experience working in an advisory capacity for the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), including as an Appointed Member to the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and a Director on the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. She currently serves on a GOSL Committee to Formulate a Strategy for Artificial Intelligence for Sri Lanka 2023-2028. She holds a BSc in Economics with First Class Honors from the Queen’s University of Belfast, U.K., and an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester, U.K.

Dr P. Nandalal Weerasinghe holds a PhD and a master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University and a B.Sc. degree from the University of Kelaniya. Dr Weerasinghe served at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for nearly 30 years in different capacities including Chief Economist/Director of Economic Research, Assistant Governor, Deputy Governor and Senior Deputy Governor. He also served as an Alternate Executive Director for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan, at the International Monetary Fund. Dr Weerasinghe also served as a Visiting Lecturer for the master’s degree Course in Economics at the University of Colombo, Visiting Research Economist at the SEACEN Centre, Malaysia, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian National University. He is also an Advisory Board Member of the Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. He has published several research papers in international and local journals, including the Central Bank’s Staff Studies. After retirement from the Central Bank in January 2021 he worked as an Independent Consultant for economic and financial matters for multilateral agencies and global investment firms prior to assuming duties as the 17th Governor of the Central Bank in April 2022.

Mr Chewang Rinzin is a Dy. Chamberlain to His Majesty The King of Bhutan and the founding director of the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies. Previously, he worked in the Bhutan Standards Bureau and was a member of the Bhutan WTO Negotiation Team from 2004-2008. Chewang has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kerala, India.

Mr Rinzin Wangchuk is a Former President of the Journalists Association of Bhutan (JAB) and Dzongkha Editor. Mr Wangchuk is a dedicated journalist with over 34 years of experience in the field, known for his commitment to promoting transparency and excellence in journalism. Recently he transitioned to freelance journalism, after serving as the President of JAB for three terms from September 2015 to August 2023 and Dzongkha Editor at Bhutan’s National Daily Newspaper, Kuensel from January 2006 to September 30, 2023. At JAB Mr Wangchuk was responsible for overseeing the association’s initiatives, mobilising funds for sustainability and advocating for journalistic integrity. He is the recipient of prestigious awards and is actively involved in various journalistic organisations. Since October 1, 2023, Mr. Wangchuk has been working as a freelance journalist with the aim of contributing to both local and foreign media outlets.

Mr Wangchuk completed the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program with a focus on journalism and communications at Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland in 2010-2011. He received a Diploma in News Agency Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, JNU, New Delhi from July 1 – December 31, 1997. He received a BA in Dzongkha literature. Mr Wangchuk is the first recipient of the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Prestigious Journalism Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to Bhutanese journalism. He received the Best Editorial Award in 2015 and the Best Investigative Award in 2019, highlighting a commitment to excellence in journalism. Mr Wangchuk is a Board member of Asia News Network (ANN), an Executive member of SAARC Journalist Forum, a member of the International Federation of Journalists, and a board director of Bhutan Transparency Initiatives.

Ms Fareeha has over twenty years of experience in strategic management, financial and business planning, auditing, training and socio-economic research. As co-founder, she led FJS in its early years, and with the growth and diversification that FJS achieved, she continues to lead its Assurance and Advisory arm. Ms Fareeha has worked with prominent public sector and international organisations including UNDP, FAO, IFAD, WHO, World Bank and Asian Development Bank in addition to numerous private sector engagements. Ms Fareeha has served as Chairperson of Bank of Maldives PLC and served on the boards of Maldives Pension Administration Office, Maldives Housing Finance Corporation PLC, and Ooredoo Maldives PLC, and presently on the Board of Commercial Bank of Maldives and chairs the Board Audit Committee. Ms Fareeha is a Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK and a Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Maldives. She has a BCom from Lincoln University, New Zealand and a Master of Management Studies from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

A former senior policy advisor to the Minister of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Alias is a senior energy expert with more than 14 years of experience in research, policy advice, project planning, and management, focusing on regional cooperation. 

He is currently a senior energy consultant at GFA consulting group in Hamburg/Germany and a lecturer at the University of Siegen in Germany, where he lectures on international project planning and management in developing countries.  

 Until recently, he was a Regional Power Integration Expert for the EU, where he prepared a comprehensive study on cross-border electricity trade in the BBIN region. Moreover, he was a team leader at the CASA-1000 secretariat, managing, coordinating, and monitoring the first interregional power connectivity project between Central and South Asia.  

 In addition, Alias is also a core member and researcher at the Energy Transition Platform for South Asia, which envisages promoting a carbon-free South Asia.  

 As a policy advisor to the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan, he advised, among others, the Ministry on inter-regional electricity projects, such as TAPI, CASA-1000, TUTAP, and TAP. Prior to that, he was the country director of a German consulting firm, mainly working on power generation and transmission, infrastructure, and capacity-building programs funded by international donor agencies and IFIs.  

 He holds a degree in engineering (Diplom Ingenieur) from Bochum, Germany, and a master’s degree in Energy Management from the University of Liverpool, UK. Currently, Alias is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Siegen