(Honorary)

Shahidur Rahman Choudhary is a Professor of Social Work under the University of Rajshahi. He had completed his MSS in 1998 (held in 2002) in Social Work and securing 1st class with the 1st position and the faculty 1st of Rajshahi University and joined in the Social Work Department. He had been awarded Ph.D. degree on July 2009 from the same University. He had been promoted as Professor in 2016. He is vastly experienced in social research. Over the past 15 years, he has been intensively involved in various types of research projects as an expert and consultant. Under his direct guidance and supervision, many researchers wrote their dissertation and awarded Ph.D. degrees.

He has contributed more than 23 research articles that have been published in various national and international academic journals following both qualitative and quantitative research methods at the field level. He is the author of 6 academic books. Throughout his professional life, he has accomplished so many research works for GO’s, NGO’s and INGO’s and some of the are the Ministry of Planning, the University Grand Commission, the Social Science Faculty of Rajshahi University, the UNDP, the World Vision Bangladesh, The Asia Foundation, the iDE, the Plan International, and the ASK. His research fields are Gender, Women and Child Welfare, Elderly Welfare, Microcredit, Health and HIV/AIDS, Religious Harmony, Market and Sub-Sector Assessment, Welfare of Vulnerable Groups and so on.

(Honorary)

Her current research focuses on Gender Specialization, Leadership in Community Development, Persons with Disabilities, Mental Health Issues, Counseling and Psychotherapy, Development Strategies for Marginalized Communities (Social Inclusion), Community Climate Resilience, and National Social Security Strategies (NSSS). As a team leader, she has completed six significant national development projects in Bangladesh, including the Coastal Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project (CCRIP), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and KfW in 2019; Padma Multipurpose Bridge: Impacts on Lives and Livelihoods of Affected People and Socio-Economic Impact Evaluation Study of Bangabandhu Bridge, Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Bridge Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in 2020 and 2021; Impact of Development Interventions on Lives and Livelihoods of Indigenous People in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Centennial Research Grant (CRG), University of Dhaka in 2022; Provision of Services to Persons with Disabilities or Persons at Risk of Disability from Disability Service Centers, Bangladesh National Social Welfare Council (BNSWC), Ministry of Social Welfare in 2022; Evaluation Study of the Activities of Moitree Shilpo in Improving the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities, Bangladesh National Social Welfare Council (BNSWC), Ministry of Social Welfare in 2023; and a Feasibility Study on the Project for Setting up Housing, Education, Training, Employment, and Rehabilitation Centers in 8 Divisions, Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trust (NDDPT), Ministry of Social Welfare in 2023.

She has published over 50 research and journal articles on various social and development issues in reputable national and international journals such as Palgrave Macmillan (Malaysia), Social Science Review (DU), Public Administration Journal (BPATC), Social Development Journal (ISWR), among others. She has participated in and organized numerous national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops. She is actively involved in expanding social work education and the professional development of social work in Bangladesh. Currently, she is serving as the Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Council for Social Work Education (BCSWE) and President of the Bangladesh Clinical Social Workers Association (BCSWA). She is a pioneer in introducing Clinical Social Work in Bangladesh and the founder of the Specialized Master’s Programme in Clinical Social Work (CSW) at ISWR, DU. Additionally, she has conducted training programs on parent counseling and motivated the officers and staff of various national NGOs under the Bangladesh National Social Welfare Council (BNSWC), Ministry of Social Welfare.

(Honorary)

Md. Emaj Uddin,  an honorable Professor at the Department of Social Work, University of Rajshahi, possesses several years of  golden experiences in Social research field. He has cut a brilliant success in his every academic examination. From 2010 to 2022, he, along with other authors, has 8 publications (books and book chapters) in various aspects of the social science field and 42 published articles. For several times he has been ranked in the AD Scientific Index in the Social Work and Social Science in Bangladesh for his brilliant research works and published articles.

He has vast experience in working on various aspects of social science through research work. He has enriched himself with great communication skill and management capacity.

(Honorary)

Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam Mondol is a Senior Statistical Specialist with vast experience in research field. He has guided 20 M. Sc. Thesis students, 5 M.Phil. students, and 4 Ph.D. students. Besides, 6 M.Phil. and Ph.D. fellows are working in the research field of Biostatistics and Data Science under his supervision. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching and about 90 articles have been published in national and international journals associated with other authors. He also has academic book publications. He has bagged some honorable National and international fellowships awards (9) from Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, Poland and Australia and has been country partner for ERAMUS⁺ Fellowship program.

He has proficiency in computer literacy (MATLAB, SPSS, STATA), in 3 languages (Bangla, English and Arabic). Not only that, he has attended many national and international workshops and seminars in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malaysia. He is a hard working researcher and expert in statistical analysis with great personality. That’s why, he has been honored and renowned in his field.

(Honorary)

Dr. Murshida Ferdous Binte Habib has been a Professor of Psychology at the University of Rajshahi since 2002. She had completed her M.A. in Psychology from the University of Rajshahi and secured 1st class 1st position in December 1992. She had been awarded a Ph.D. from the same University focusing on Child Labor, and Employer Employee Relations in December 2005. Her working areas include psychology, child labor, consumer behavior, culture, and heritage. She has also researched various psychological aspects such as anxiety, academic achievement, ego states, familial factors, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and marital adjustment. She has experience in working with a variety of organizations, including governmental, non-governmental, international non-governmental organizations (GOs, NGOs, and INGOs), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Ain O Salish Kendra, iDE, World Bank and Plan International. Some of her notable research projects include: “Research on Root Causes of Child Marriage in Bangladesh (2022) – Ain O Salish Kendra”, “Assessment of the Efficacy of the COVID-19 Response Activities for WEESMS (Consultant)”, “GESI Need Assessment under AHP Bangladesh Consortium Multi-Year Program (Consultant)” and more.

Dr. Binte Habib has authored 19 articles among the articles, 12 are professional and her popular articles are “Advertisement: The Way it Influences Us”, “Magnificent China”, “Psychosocial Perspective of Child Labour in Bangladesh”, “Moving Eyes Can Heal You” and so on published in national and international journals.

Dr. Binte Habib has authored or co-authored 4 books, including Child Labour, Consumer Behaviour, Culture and Heritage of Bangladesh.

She has attended numerous national and international seminars and conferences “1st Southeast Asian Regional Conference of Psychology (RCP- 2017), Hanoi, Vietnam,2017”, “29th International Congress of Psychology”, Organized by German Federation of Psychological Associations; Berlin, Germany, 2008″ with her presentation skills.

Additionally, Dr. Binte Habib is actively involved in editorial roles, administrative positions, and membership in various learned bodies and organizations. Dr. Binte Habib’s insights and contributions greatly enrich the endeavors of the Pragmatic Consultancy and Research Center.

Dr. Md Abdul Wadud, Professor of Economics at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, was born on October 20, 1968. He completed his MSS in Economics with first class (first position in the Faculty of Social Science) at the University of Rajshahi in 1990. He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied Micro-econometrics in 1999 at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, while serving as a Computer Help Desk Advisor.
Dr. Wadud has vast experience in social research. His research interests are in applied micro-econometrics, labor economics, efficiency and productivity measurement and analysis, agricultural economics and microfinance, empirical macro-economics, and econometrics. His areas of interest are to understand the dynamics of economic development and social issues such as poverty, sustainable growth, and financial inclusion.
Dr. Wadud has been actively engaged in teaching, and supervised 25 Ph.D. students. Dr. Wadud conducts research and provides consultancy services to GOs, NGOs, and INGOs. He has directed and managed various projects funded by organizations like the World Bank, Plan International, IFC, RDRS, UK DFID National Resources Systems, International Finance Corporation, and Institute of Microfinance, Social Science Research Council, Dhaka, University Grants Commissions of Bangladesh and others. Noteworthy projects he has directed include “Studies on the Impact of Micro-credit on Agricultural Farm Performance” “Assessment of Investment Climate in Northern Bangladesh” and “The Sustainability of the Current Account in Bangladesh” among others.
Dr. Wadud has authored 5 books, including “Impact of E-banking on the Performance of Commercial Banks in Bangladesh: Evidence from Panel Data Analysis,” “Measurement of Economic Efficiency: Theory, Methodology and Applications,” “Microeconomics,” and “Orthonithi (Economics).”
Professor Md. Abdul Wadud, with his extensive experience in economics and social research with a strong publication record and leadership in various research projects, is well-suited to serve as a member of the advisory group for the Pragmatic Consultancy and Research Center.

Md. Azizur Rahman, a creative and experienced person, has owned vast experience on working in different development sectors for the past 22 years, and currently is working as a Chief Community Development Officer at Rajshahi City Corporation. He has gained his academic degrees successfully and is known as a freelancer trainer that indicates his brilliant command over computer literacy and digital management system. He has attended 20 training programs on research related works arranged by many renowned organizations in Bangladesh. He not only has attended training programs as trainee but also has conducted 11 training programs as a trainer successfully on research based works. He has vast experience of working in the HIV/AIDS field, health sectors and environment and climate changes for many years. His working experiences bear the testimonial of his excellent communication and presentation skill and proficiency in both Bangla and English Language.