Tofail Ahmed (professor)
Tofail Ahmed is a Bangladesh academic and local governance expert.[1][2] He is the chairman of the Local Government Reform Commission.[3] He is a retired professor and former head of the department of public administration at the University of Chittagong.[4] He is the chairperson of the Knowledge and Action Network Worldwide (Knowledge Trust).[5]
Early life
[edit]Ahmed was born on 4 May 1955 in Chittagong.[6] He completed his SSC and HSC at the Fatehabad High School and Chittagong College respectively.[7] He completed his bachelor's degree and master's degree in politics and administration at the University of Chittagong in 1976 and 1977 respectively.[7] He completed a second master's at the Swansea University in Social Sector Planning and Management in 1981 and where he also completed his PhD in Development Studies in 1991.[7]
Career
[edit]Ahmed joined Fatehpur High School as an assistant teacher in 1975.[7] From 1976 to 1978, he worked at Agrani Bank. From 1979 to 1981, he worked at the Chittagong Port Authority.[7]
Ahmed joined Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development as a faculty in 1981; where he worked till 1994.[7][8] From 1994 to 2007, he worked at the University of Chittagong.[7] He was a Governance Adviser of Shiree from 2007 to 2008.[7] He was a member of the Local Government Commission in 2009.[7][9] Ahmed was an advisor on Local Governance for the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2014.[7]
From 2014 to 2015, Ahmed was a director of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development at Brac University.[7] From 2015 to 2016, he was the governance director of Manusher Jonno Foundation.[7] He was a professor of political science at North South University.[7] From 2018 to 2021, he was the vice chancellor of Britannia University.[7] He was awarded the Mercantile Bank Award in 2018 for his contribution to education.[6] He served on the Bangladesh Planning Commission.[7]
In 2020, Ahmed criticized the framing of charges against Matiur Rahman, editor of Prothom Alo, over the death of school student by electrocution at an event of the newspaper.[10] In 2022, Ahmed's name was suggested for the post of commissioner of the Bangladesh Election Commission.[11] In October 2023, he called on political parties to hold dialogue to avoid conflict at an event of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik.[12]
After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, the Muhammad Yunus led interim government made Ahmed a member of the newly created Electoral System Reform Commission in October 2024.[13] He was appointed chairman of the Local Government Reform Commission.[3]
Bibliography
[edit]- Gender Dimensions in Local Government Institutions (2003)[14]
- Bangladesh: Reform Agenda for Local Governance[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Bangladesh: Reform Agenda for Local Governance". The Daily Star. 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "The future of elections in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b "Govt forms five new reform commissions". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Tofail Ahmed, PhD". BRAC Institute of Governance and Development. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Knowledge Trust formed". The Daily Star. 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b "Prof. Tofail Ahmed, Ph.D" (PDF). COAST Foundation. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Academic Background – Professor Tofail Ahmed, Ph.D". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Professor Tofail Ahmed, Ph.D – Tofail Ahmed Biography". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "20th Anniversary Supplement". archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Prothom Alo Editor: Noted citizens concerned over charge framing". The Daily Star. 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Names to EC search panel: Ex-bureaucrats figure high". The Daily Star. 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Hold dialogues to avoid confrontation". The Daily Star. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Govt finalises 5 of 6 reform commissions". The Daily Star. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ Ahmed, Tofail (2003). Gender Dimensions in Local Government Institutions. Nari Uddug Kendra.