Nazneen Ahmed appointed CPD executive director

Development economist Nazneen Ahmed has been appointed executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), effective from 1 September 2026.

She brings nearly three decades of experience in economic research, policy analysis and development practice in Bangladesh and internationally, reads a press release.

Before joining CPD, she served at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first as country economist at UNDP Bangladesh for two years and later as a policy adviser at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific in New York for three years.

Prior to her tenure at UNDP, she spent 25 years at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). She joined BIDS as a research associate in July 1998 and rose through various research positions to become a research director.

Her research and policy interests cover a wide range of macroeconomic and development issues, including international trade, industry and employment, governance, gender equality, social protection and inclusive growth.

She has published articles in peer-reviewed international and national journals, contributed chapters to books published by international publishers and authored research reports for international organisations.

Throughout her career, she has worked with several international organisations, including the World Bank, DFID, UNCTAD, ILO, IFC, the European Union, IFPRI and the Islamic Development Bank.

Nazneen holds a PhD in Economics from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and a Master’s in Development Economics from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics at the University of Dhaka and is a Chevening Scholar.

According to CPD, her extensive research experience and longstanding engagement with public policy and international development will contribute to the organisation’s efforts to promote evidence-based policymaking and inclusive development in Bangladesh.