People
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr Mahmudur Rahman
Chairman
Dr Mahmudur Rahman is a Bangladeshi persecuted Editor, Author and Scholar in South Asian Affairs and geopolitics.At seventy, he is one of the most active dissident voices against the despotic
Shibly Sohail
Executive Director
Shibly Sohail is an experienced academic, author, and human rights activist based in Australia with over two decades of leadership and management background in academia.
In addition, he is a community leader, orator, and visionary social-cultural organiser who has established multiple organisations promoting multiculturalism. Through his impactful writings, columns, and activism, he has become a solid voice for supporting and protecting human rights. He is known for his unwavering commitment to promoting democracy, diversity, equity, justice and social inclusion.
Dr Faroque Amin
Director
Dr Faroque Amin is a researcher and writer in the field of politics, human rights and social welfare. He earned his PhD from the School of Social Science at Western Sydney University, Australia. He has studied
religious studies at different universities in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. His research interests include contemporary Islamic movements, social welfare, Islamic theology, Muslim diasporas and the sociology of religion. Dr Amin is the Editor of Suprovat Sydney, the only Bengali community newspaper published in Australia, and he writes extensively on politics, human rights, social justice, and other diverse socio-political issues.
Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman
Director
Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman is Human Rights Defender hailed from Bangladesh living in exile in Hong Kong. He has been pursuing the promotion and protection of human rights with human dignity
and justice for nearly three decades. Ashrafuzzaman's focus is on the behavioural pattern of the institutions that are expected to uphold the rule of law and democratisation. He is interested to the enhancement of the systems of effectively functional accountability in the countries of the Asian region.
Julfikar Hyder
Director
Julfikar Hyder is Involved in various social activities since his student life. Actively participated in the movement against the military dictatorship of Bangladesh to restore democracy
in the 80โs. In addition to carrying out professional responsibilities with integrity, actively contributed to social and community development. Apart from participating in social welfare activities in the diaspora, presently playing an active role in the establishment of democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and social justice in South-Asian region.
Minar Rashid
Director
Minar Rashid is a Marine Engineer by profession, but his tireless efforts towards restoring democracy and upholding human rights in the country have gained him widespread recognition. Through his
incisive and impactful columns in national dailies, he has been drawing attention towards the depoliticization of the so-called โneutralโ agenda. His unwavering commitment to democracy, transparency, social justice, and gender equity has made him a formidable advocate for human rights. He strongly believes that human rights must be upheld in their entirety, rather than in a partial or selective manner.
Shamsul Alam Liton
Director
Shamsul Alam Liton is a British Bangladeshi journalist, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and peace activist. He has been living in London since 2005, and has been working as the editor
of a bi-lingual (English and Bengali) weekly newspaper Weekly Surma, published in London since 1978. He is an enthusiastic and proactive person who promotes multiculturalism and civil rights activities. As an entrepreneur, he has also contributed to the establishment of a private university in Dhaka on the name and ideals of an ancient Buddhist monk, Atish Dipangkar. He is the co-founder of the Wasatia (The Middle Path) movement in London, which works to promote peace and stability in the war-torn and disturbing conflict zones of the world.
Oliullah Noman
Director
Oliullah Noman is a prominent journalist who has been a vocal critic of the authoritarian government in Bangladesh. He has fearlessly reported on issues related to human rights
violations, government corruption, and judicial misconduct. His exposรฉs led to a jail sentence along with his editor for revealing the highest judicial corruption. Despite these challenges, he has continued to be a strong voice for press freedom and human rights in Bangladesh. He is currently in exile in London and operates the news outlet Amar Desh online from the UK.
Barrister Afzal Zami Syed-Ali
Director
Afzal Zami Syed-Ali is a practicing barrister in England who specializes in complex fraud and serious and organized crime. He is also a registered advocate in Bangladesh. Zami
has served as an expert for the OSCE/ODIHR database of international Political and Electoral Observers until December 2022. He has advised the EU-EOMB on electoral laws, regulatory reforms, and security and public order enforcement issues. Zami was previously a trainer for JCWI and the ICRC and started his career as a UNHCR trainer on the laws of international and non-international armed conflict.
Mohammad Imran Hossain (Ansary)
Director
Mohammad Imran Hossain (Ansary) is an educator, journalist, and International Security Analyst. He completed his Masterโs in National Security from New Jersey City University,
USA and his bachelorโs degree Political Science from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is currently doing his Ph.D. at Robert Morris University, USA. For more than 18 years, he worked in the media and communications sector of Bangladesh in channels such as ETV, Diganta TV, Boishakhi Television,Tara Newz and, the Daily Somakal, etc.
Currently, Mr. Ansary is an adjunct faculty member for the State University of New York (SUNY). Democratization, peace, and security are the main areas of his work. He recently presented his paper on โRadicalization of South Asia and Its Impacts on Human Securityโ at the International Studies Association Global Conference of 2021.
Mahtabuddin Ahmed
Director
Mahtabuddin Ahmed serves as the United States Country Representative for the South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI). Born in Bangladesh,
he has been a resident of the United States since 1991. Mr. Ahmed's commitment to public service and community engagement began early in his life, being actively involved in children's organizations during elementary school and later participating in boy scouts during high school. His passion for politics led him to engage in student activism during his pre-university college years, despite facing adversity from notorious Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini in Bangladesh. Inspired by the legendary politician Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, he took pride in attending the historic "Farakka March" during his teenage years. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Social Sciences from Dhaka University and has a strong background in student politics, having contested elections for various positions at Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU). Recently retired as a teacher in New York City public schools, Mr. Ahmed remains actively involved in social work, American politics, voluntary collaborative activities with the police department, and advocacy for Bangladesh human rights issues. His influential presence is widely recognized among the Bangladeshi diaspora, particularly in New York, where he continues to make a significant impact.
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr Abdullah al-Ahsan
Dr Abdullah al-Ahsan, an US citizen, is a former professor of Comparative Civilization in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul Sehir
University and Department of History and Civilization at International Islamic University Malaysia. He is an eminent author and scholar on the relationship between contemporary Islamic and Western civilizations. His works have been translated into Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Bengali and Urdu. He now lives in Chicago.
Professor Abid Bahar
Professor Abid Bahar, PhD, is a distinguished feature columnist, playwright, accomplished public speaker, and researcher with a specialization in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Dr Hasmat Ali Sikder
Dr. Hashmat Sikder has been a biomedical researcher and teaching faculty in several US academic institutes like Johns Hopkins University and Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Sikder
Dr Taimur Sharif
Dr. Taimur Sharif is a Professor of Finance and Economics with a long track record of teaching, research and leadership in the higher education sector. Currently the Head of
Business School at Newman University Birmingham, Taimur has served in a wide range of universities in Bangladesh, Middle East and United Kingdom over more than 2.5 decades. He is a recognised Chartered Manager in the UK and Canada, and a Senior Fellow of the Advance HE, UK. Taimur has published widely in reputed journals such as Annals of Operations Research, Research in International Business and Finance, Journal for Policy Modelling, etc., and presented in leading international conferences. His research area of interest covers topics in energy economics, sustainable finance and development studies.
RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr. Imtiaz Khan
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, an Associate Professor specializing in Data Science, is on a mission to enhance the accuracy and significance of big data.
He holds a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from Cardiff University, UK, and completed a prestigious Marie Curie post-doctoral fellowship at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT in the USA. Presently, as the founding director he leads the Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research at Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK.
In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Khan actively contributes to various media outlets, such as the East Asia Forum (https://shorturl.at/xyEGI) and the Conversation (https://bit.ly/3knNQSv), where he addresses issues related to societal disparities and the evolving role of technology. Beyond this, he generously dedicates his time to volunteer work with organizations like the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), as well as governmental bodies like the British Council and the Royal Academy. Through these endeavours, he provides invaluable mentorship to Syrian academics who are living in exile, as detailed in his publication (DOI: 10.1002/jid.3792). His commitment aims to ensure that Syria's intellectual and cultural wealth continues to play a crucial role in the nation's future.
Dr Fazlul Hoque Tuhin
Dr Fazlul Haque Tuhin is a well acclaimed writer, researcher, and editor in Bangladesh. Two of his research volumes widely recognized and referenced in public universities.
To date, he has published a total of 15 books including two highly regarded research volumes. He has also held leadership positions in various organizations for over thirty years, and currently serves as the editor of โNew Dimensionโ magazine, known as โNotun Ek Matraโ in Bengali. Dr. Tuhin has made significant contributions to preserving traditional literature and cultural practices in his country, promoting self-identification, and advancing cultural practices.
Dr Farjana Mahbuba
Dr Farjana Mahbuba is a researcher, teacher, writer, and womenโs rights activist. Specializing on Islam and South Asian Muslim women, Farjana is passionate about investigating the
intersections of religion and gender with politics, history, theology, migration, and culture. Through her social media presence, Farjana promotes knowledge as a tool of empowerment and an opportunity to change the world for the better. Her writings advocate citizensโ continuous critical inquiry and observation of existing political jurisdiction as to be the most important estate of a society.
Mohammad Hossain
Mohammad Hossain is a PhD candidate in History at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul, Turkey. He is also an avid follower of current geopolitical developments in South Asia and the
Sumaiya Rabeya
Sumaiya Rabeya is a researcher and content writer. She co-founded a Malaysia based media-production company. She is also a community volunteer, actively working on various
projects related to Dawah, refugee rehabilitation, youth engagement and women. Sumaiya graduated in Politics and International Relations and currently, pursuing her Ph.D. in Gender studies. She has also been working as a media content writer for over a decade. As a Bengali young mother, she feels responsible to keep contributing to the society creatively to build resources for the next generation. Coming from a well-known political and philanthropic family, she has the nag to be a voice for socio-political injustice. And she is determined to do so through her research and social works.
GENERAL MEMBERS
General Members Australia:
General Member UK:
1. Md Abdullah Yousuf, Editor in Chief, Suprovat Sydney
2. Md. Mosleh Uddin Arif, Community Leader and Human Rights Activist
3. Sohel Mahmud Iqbal, Telecom Engineer, Community Leader and Social and Human Rights Activist
4. Habib Rahman, ITS Project Manager at Downer Group, Chairman at International Rapid Intervention Gear for Humiliated & Tormented โ Iright
5. Rahat Shantonu, Singer, Poet & Human Rights Activist
6. Rashed Al Hossain Khan, Entrepreneur, Community Leader and Human Rights Activist
7. A N M Masum, Entrepreneur, Community Leader and Human Rights Activist
8. Faruk Hossain, Community Leader and Human Rights Activist
9. Rashedul Islam, Community Leader and Human Rights Activist
1. Barrister Md Iqbal Hossain, Chairperson, Society for Democratic Rights (SDR)
2. Barrister M Alimul Haque Liton, Secretary, Society for Democratic Rights (SDR)
3. Md Rayhan Uddin, President Executive Board, Fight for right international
4. Muslim khan, President, Nirapod Bangladesh Chaai UK
5. Md Dolar Biswas, Cheairman: peace for Bangladesh