Researchers & officials

Md. Sohel
Research Assistant
Md. Sohel has graduated with a Master’s in Public Administration and Governance studies from Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, where he developed a keen interest in social research. With over two years of experience in the field, he has focused on diverse areas such as education, poverty, human rights, social safety-net issues, and gender and women empowerment.
During his post-graduation, he collaborated with faculty member(s) as a data collector and actively participated in the development of research questionnaires for qualitative research projects. One notable study, titled ‘University Education and Labor Market Linkages,’ was published by the Institute of Research and Extension Center (IREC, JKKNIU). This study aimed to explore university students’ perceptions regarding the job market and the alignment of their education with market demands. He has successfully conducted some fieldwork projects, showcasing his expertise in qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. He excels in planning and designing research projects and has the ability to prepare comprehensive data analysis reports. In addition to his research skills, he also possesses experience in service quality and complaint management, project management, and human resource management. Throughout his professional journey, he has worked with renowned organizations such as bKash Ltd, SERAC Bangladesh, BRAC, and Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd.
Beyond his professional endeavors, he is an active member of various social and volunteer organizations. He is driven by a strong passion for human psychology, poverty and education, health and nutrition, climate change, and gender equality. With his diverse skill set and deep commitment to social issues, he continues to contribute to the betterment of society through his research and active engagement in social initiatives.

Md. Mustafizur Rahman Shetu
Research Assistant
Md. Mustafizur Rahman Shetu is a highly motivated graduate with a strong Public Administration and Governance Studies academic background. Throughout his academic journey, he actively engaged in extracurricular activities and leadership roles. His dedication to education, creativity, and research is evident through his extensive list of publications and a keen passion for exploring new horizons. He aspires to contribute his skills and commitment to the dynamic research world.
Beyond academia, he has diverse experiences, including working as a Research Assistant on Exploring Changes and Innovations in Service Delivery: A Study on the Innovative Actions of Bangladesh Post and Impact of Covid-19 on Food Security: A Study in Two Selected Districts. He has been recognized with numerous awards and achievements, including champion in the Hult Prize on Campus two times, champion in an intra-university public speaking competition, and champion in the Bangla debate competition at Cadet College. Prestigious scholarships like the Bangabandhu Merit Scholarship further highlight his dedication to academic and extracurricular pursuits.
In addition to his academic and extracurricular achievements, Shetu possesses strong professional skills, including proficiency in MS Office, leadership, teamwork, and communication. His notable research publication, “Assessing Citizen’s Trust on Local Government: A Study on Muktagacha and Trishal Upazilla,” in the Journal of Governance and Development, and The Impact of Government Surveillance on Individuals’ Right to Privacy and Freedom of Expression in Bangladesh – International Conference on Technology, Business and Justice towards Smart Bangladesh |ICTBJ- 2023 reflects his academic skill. Moreover, he is currently engaged in ongoing research projects covering various topics such as e-governance, sustainable development, the safety of working women in the NGO sector, climate change and urban slums, the socio-economic gender gap in Bangladesh, and the mobile gender gap in South Asia.

Md. Redoan Hossain Bhuiyan
Research Assistant
Md. Redoan Hossain Bhuiyan, Research Assistant at Development Research Initiative (dRi), proficiency in resettlement, Socio-economy, climate change, GIS and RS as well as Social and Environmental study. He started his career at River and Delta Research Centre on 2019. Later on, he joined dRi on January 2022, and has been contributing his knowledge and skills in different studies funded by The World Bank, UNICEF, Oxfam, GoB etc. He has profound knowledge in research design, research methodology, qualitative and quantitative research methods, report writing and other research activities.
Mr. Redoan has completed his B.Sc & M.Sc degree in Geography and Environment form Jahangirnagar University with outstanding academic performance. He has a publication titled “Women’s Involvement in Agronomic Activities in Rural Mohammadpur, Cumilla District” published on The Jahangirnagar Review, Part II: Social Science, Volume XLI. ISSN: 1682-7422 in 2020. He has sound knowledge in MS office, GIS & RS Applications (ArcMAP, Erdas Imagine), SPSS. He attained in several national and international training and conference session whose regard to Climate Change, Disaster Management, Gender Equality, Geospatial Analysis, Socio Economy etc. During his academic period, he was involved in several voluntary and skill development organizations.

Md. Imran Azad
Senior Officer, Data Analytics
Md. Imran Azad is currently working as a Senior Officer of Data Analytics unitat Development Research Initiative (dRi) since January, 2018 to present. The major responsibilities performed under this organization include assisting in planning and designing of the research projects, conducting training session for the field researchers, and preparing questionnaire for survey, preparing Quantitative Data Collection Tools in various platforms such as ODK, Survey CTO, KOBO toolbox etc., operating data collection applications and maintaining servers like Survey Solution, Akvo Flow etc., supervising the field researchers and making sure that quality of data is collected, transcribe, transcript the primary materials and assist in conducting analysis of the data, assisting in cleaning raw data and analyzing it on various data analysis software like SPSS, STATA and maintaining communication with different donors for various research projects.

Md. Mostak Elehy
Junior Officer, Data Analytics
Md. Mostak Elehy has completed his graduation and post-graduation in Public Administration from University of Rajshahi. He is proficient in communicating, writing, reading and Speaking in English and Bengali. He is also expert in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point.His job responsibility includes conducting Focused Group Discussion and Public Hearing/ Consultation Meeting with Project Affected People, Data Entry, assisting In Data Cleaning, preparing EP ID card, and preparing Compensation Distribution List.

Wazida Hasan
Senior Officer, Business Development
Wazida Hasan has 08 (eight) years working experience as Social Researcher and Gender Expert. She has special skill in proposal writing and conducting social research for various international and national development organizations and consultancy firms. Range of her expertise includes conducting mixed method research, training sessions, advocacy on social issues.
She has training and extensive practical experience in gender, social inclusion, SRHR, Child rights, Health and Nutrition, Labour Rights, Humanitarian Crisis etc. She has special training on social and environmental safeguard policies used in the World Bank and ADB funded projects and programs. She is also well versed in project evaluation, policy research and the design of analytical research and evaluation methodologies in both fixed and flexible design approaches. She has expertise in Planning and designing of research projects, Preparing data analysis report etc.
She has been working with Development Research Initiative (dRi) from September 2019 as Senior Officer of Fundraising & Business Development unit and she is responsible for research designing, tools development, successful completion of projects etc. As part of her job she is responsible for maintaining communication with different development partners and other organizations for various research projects as needed. She has worked on projects funded by renowned organizations including UNDP, ILO, World Bank, ADB, Save the Children Oxfam etc

Fahmida Fesrdous Maria
Junior Officer, Business Development
Fahmida Fesrdous Maria has a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from BIGD, BRAC University. She has 4 years’ experience of working in project coordination, management and market research. She has expertise in proposal writing, communication and supervision and has sound knowledge on SPSS and STATA. Currently she is working as a Junior Officer of Fundraising & Business Development unit at Development Research Initiative (dRi) and responsible for writing proposals and Expression of Interest (EOI). She is working with the researchers to ensure quality of information collected and research output. She is also responsible for conducting training sessions for the field researchers and visiting fields for supervising research teams in data collection, FGD, KII, IDI as required for research projects. She is interested in market or enterprise-based research, gender inequality, social safety-net, food security, climate change, disability and child rights.

Ayshee Rani Das
Research Assistant
Ayshee Rani Das has completed graduation and post-graduation in Public Administration from Jahangirnagar University. She has been working as a Research Assistant at Development Research Initiative from November, 2020. After joining at this organization, she has contributed in different projects as a Research Assistant with different organizations including “Investigating the Impact of Mobile Internet Uptake and Use by Women” which was a project with CTIC (Centre for Technology, Innovation and Competition); “FHI 360 – Community Engagement Activities” a project with FHI Solution; “Final Evaluation of Inclusive Response to the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis” a project with Save the Children Bangladesh; “Political Economy of COVID 19 Governance in Bangladesh” a project with BRAC Institute of Governance and Development; “Survival of Small Businesses: How Useful the Stimulus Packages Have Been” a project with Centre for Policy Dialogue; “Public Perception Survey – Partnership for a Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB)” a project with UNDP Bangladesh; “Urban Mobility and Marginal Communities” a project with University of Westminster; “Indirect Effects of Covid-19 on Essential Health and Nutrition Services in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study” a project with Oxford Policy Management and World Bank Bangladesh and many more. Moreover, she is also contributing in Translation and transcription of reports of various projects in Development Research Initiative (dRi).
During her graduation she worked in some qualitative researches with the faculty members as a translator and typist. Those researches were based on health and nutrition, social safety net, climate change and gender discrimination. She is also working with some voluntary organizations Physically Challenged Development Foundation (PDF) which aims at working for the physically challenged students; ‘Badhan- A voluntary blood donation organization and Programs in Youth Ending Hunger and other voluntary organizations gave her some experiences of leadership role in project or program coordination and management, time management, event management, communication, budgeting, and fund-raising.

Afrida Nuzhat Rasha
Junior Officer, Fundraising & Business Development
Ms. Afrida Nuzhat Rasha has recently completed her Masters in Economics from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. During the course of her education, she has developed an interest in social research as she worked on various research projects with faculty members, particularly focusing on areas such as multidimensional energy poverty, impact of gender discrimination on mental health, etc. Her training at university has provided her with a sound understanding of quantitative research methods and data analysis.
She also participated in various Model United Nations conferences while she was an undergraduate student, which further nudged her awareness about contemporary social and political issues. Ms. Afrida has joined Development Research Initiative with a keen interest to build a career in quantitative research.

Nishat Jahan Ananna
Junior Officer, Communication & Public Relation
Nishat Jahan Ananna has pursued her BSS and MSS degree in Disaster and Human Security Management from Bangladesh University of Professionals. She has been working as a Research Assistant in Development Research Initiative (dRi) from September, 2021. She is responsible for assistance in planning and designing of the research projects, conducting training sessions for the field researchers, supervising the field researchers as well as ensuring the quality of data collection and research output, preparing desk reports and providing assistance in preparing final project reports. During her graduation, she was the treasurer of BUP Disaster Management Forum (DMF) and a general member of BUP Research Society.
Besides, she provided translation and transcription services for different organizations in her university days. Furthermore, she is involved with different voluntary organizations which aim to work for social development. She is a development researcher with hands on experience in qualitative and quantitative methods, research design, research methodology, translation, transcription, field work/data collection, analysis and report writing. She has sound knowledge on Microsoft office and ArcGIS. Disaster management, climate change, gender inequality, urban poverty, food security, disability and child rights are the focus of her area of interest.

Sanjida Kabir Chowdhury
Junior Officer, Business Development
Sanjida Kabir Chowdhury has completed her graduation and post-graduation from the Department of Anthropology at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST). She has recently joined as a Research Assistant at Development Research Initiative (dRi). She is responsible for assistance in writing inception report and data analysis in assigned projects.
Prior to this she has done 4 academic fieldwork and has experience in qualitative data collection method. For her bachelor final year research, she has conducted an anthropological research on the changes of burial ritual during covid-19 in North Dhaka City Corporation. She is interested in criminology, criminal psychology, health and nutrition, social stigmatization.

Fariha Alam
Junior Officer, Business Development
Fariha Alam has completed her bachelor’s degree in Environmental science from North South University and previously she completed an internship in the Urban climate change programme of International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) as part of her degree prerequisite. During her academic life, she has conducted both qualitative and quantitative studies as part of her course requirements. In addition, she has experience in secondary research from her undergraduate thesis where she conducted a regional review on urban ecosystem services studies in South Asia. She initially joined dRi as an intern and currently she is working as a junior officer in the Business Development unit of dRi. Her major responsibilities include developing study tools, writing project reports, maintaining communication and coordination with clients, documenting and presenting study findings to clients. She is also responsible for overseeing the training sessions of field research teams and data quality whenever required. She has a special interest in cross-cutting issues like social justice, food security, gender-based violence, climate change adaptation and resilience, urban socio-cultural and environmental sustainability.

Raju Ahammed
Senior Finance and Admin Officer- I
Raju Ahammed has graduated with a Master’s in Islamic History and Culture from Rajshahi University. His responsibilities as a senior finance and administrative officer includes day to day administrative and financial issues, finance and accounts related activities including banking, keeping records of all types of inventory, preparing financial reports for the donors as required, maintaining communication with different donors for various research projects and communication with other organizations. He has also experience in conducting social research including quantitative and qualitative research tool development, field management, data processing and analysis. He has almost 16 years of programme implementation experience in Targeting the ultra-poor (TUP) & research experience in resettlement, rehabilitation and livelihood restoration of development interventions, gender and women empowerment, urban poverty, urban slums dwellers, disaster management, climate change and local adaptation strategies, food security and social safety-net issues. He worked with donor agencies including BRAC, BRAC University, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Manchester, World Bank, World Food Program (WFP), Save the Children, Oxfam, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and other local and international organizations.

Tohidul Islam
Finance and Admin Officer
Tohidul Islam, an accomplished finance professional, holds an M. Com in Accounting from the National University and boasts over 15 years of experience spanning Finance, Administration, and Operations. Currently, he works at Development Research Initiatives (dRi). He hasexperience in Books of Accounts and financial statements, meticulous payroll and tax management, and the overall financial monitoring of projects.
Prior to his role at dRi, heworked at renowned organizations such as FHI 360 and AED. His dedication and proficiency in financial management have been assets to the success of these organizations. He also contributed to the growth and prosperity of Technohaven Company Ltd., where his financial acumen played a vital role in achieving the company’s objectives.

Md. Wahab Ali
Admin Officer
Md. Wahab Ali has an MBA (Accounting) from Institute of Govt. Bangla Collage under Dhaka University. He has been working as an Admin Officer for two years. Before that he worked as a Research Assistant and Back Checker for dRi in different research projects for three years. His current job responsibility includes day to day administrative issues, supporting research teams deployed in different projects, assisting Senior Finance and Admin Officer in his tasks etc. For dRi he had opportunity to work with various national and international organizations including The World Bank, The World Fish, SNV, Save the Children, GRIPS, BRAC etc. in different research projects.

Jubaida Islam
Junior HR & Finance officer
Ms. Jubaida Islam joined dRi as a Research Assistant after completing her Bachelor’s Degree from American International University – Bangladesh. She has been successfully supporting research teams that deploy qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a number of projects. Her research experiences cover different sectors such as education, child marriage, child abuse and exploitation, legal rights and social development. Her expertise includes data processing and transcription of qualitative information.

Hasan Sakib Sarker
IT Officer
Hasan Sakib Sarker has completed his BSc in EEE department of BRAC University. He is a Graphic Designer with extensive experience in various offline and online platforms. He has ability to work with every latest technology used for graphic designing. Collaborated with creative team to design and produce computer-generated artwork for marketing and promotional materials. He has a good understanding of cutting-edge technologies to optimize organizational efficiency. He is an expert of working on different software and tools. He has research experience on Renewable Energy, Environment and technology.

Koushik Roy
Intern
Koushik Roy has completed his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Jahangirnagar University. He has a strong academic background and rich experience in various research projects related to migration, culture, human behavior, indigenous peoples, and the environment. He has recently joined as an Intern at the Development Research Initiative (dRi), where he is involved in conducting quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis for different studies. Besides that, he is proficient in using Microsoft Office Packages, KoBo Collect, and Atlas.ti. He is always eager to learn new skills and explore new opportunities in the field of anthropology. He is a driven, ambitious, and enthusiastic person who loves to challenge himself and grow as a researcher.

Md. Hafigur Rahman
Sr. Office Assistant
Md. Hafigur Rahman is working as a Senior Office Assistant at dRi for 08 years. He has completed BA (Hons) and responsible for assisting senior managers and executives with their daily organizational tasks.He schedules both personal and professional tasks that the executive needs to complete. This involves organizing tasks by level of urgency, taking calls etc. He is also responsible for performing travel arrangements and reservations for senior managers and researchers.

Md. Ariful Islam
Office Assistant
Md. Ariful Islam is a high school graduate and working as a Junior Office Assistant at dRi for 06 years. His responsibilities include assisting the Senior Office Assistant in administrative activities.

Md. Tyzul Islam
Caretaker
Md. Tyzul Islam is working as the Caretaker of dRi since 2018.

Kholesha
Cleaner
Kholesha is working at dRi as a Cleaner. She has joined dRi in 2018