Eshrat Sharmin is a research professional, serving as a Deputy Director at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) with extensive experience in research across various domains, including gender issues, economic policy, youth development, and socio-economic interventions. With a Master’s in Economics from Jahangirnagar University, her research interests span topics such as technological change, climate transition, digital infrastructure, gender budgeting, and youth vulnerability. She is also the Associate Editor of “Thinking Aloud” and has several published works including journal articles, policy briefs, and newspaper articles focusing on development challenges in Bangladesh

Md. Al-Hasan is a Deputy Director at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), a leading think tank based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this role, he designs and oversees research on poverty, inequality, labor markets, women’s empowerment, and agricultural transformation, with a focus on generating rigorous evidence to inform policy across South Asia.

Prior to joining SANEM, Al-Hasan was a Research Analyst II at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 2021 to 2026, specializing in impact evaluation and large-scale survey management. At IFPRI, he designed and implemented a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Maharashtra, India, evaluating a digital ag-tech platform for smallholder farmers, and led analytical work on a Gates Foundation-funded INCATA project examining inclusive agricultural transformation across Odisha, India.

Al-Hasan managed large-scale household surveys for USAID’s Feed the Future programme in Bangladesh, analyzing the 2018/19 baseline and co-leading the 2022 midline rounds. His responsibilities included survey design, enumerator training, field coordination, and high-frequency data quality checks in Stata. He also collaborated with the World Bank to develop poverty imputation methodologies supporting geographic targeting under the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy.

His peer-reviewed publications examine Bangladesh’s labor market, including informal employment, wage inequality and the gender pay gap, the employment-poverty nexus, and returns to schooling using IV quantile regression approaches.

Before IFPRI, Al-Hasan was a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) from 2017 to 2021, and earlier served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at East West University, Bangladesh, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics.

Al-Hasan has presented at international conferences including the IFPRI-RISE 2025 Conference (Washington, D.C.), the Dhaka Winter Conference in Economics, and the UNU-WIDER Conference (Bangkok, Thailand). He is fluent in English and Bangla, with extensive experience collaborating with UN agencies, government counterparts, and international donors to deliver policy-relevant evidence.

Md. Tuhin Ahmed is a Lecturer at the Department of Economics, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Bangladesh. Currently, he also holds the position of Honorary Deputy Director at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). He completed his MSS (Master of Social Science) and BSS (Bachelor of Social Science) in Economics from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has been awarded the Shah A.M.S Kibria Gold Medal, Dr. Jalal Alamgir Memorial Gold Medal and Advocate Md. Edris Memorial Gold Medal by the President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for achieving the highest CGPA in MSS in Economics from the University of Dhaka for the year 2018. His areas of research interest include labour economics, poverty & inequality, renewable energy, power and energy sector, and business economics. Before becoming a faculty member at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, he held the position of Lecturer of Economics at Netrokona University, Netrokona. He also gained experience as a Research Associate and later as a Senior Research Associate (SRA) at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). As a researcher at SANEM, he was engaged in 22 more research projects. As a team member, he worked with several development partners such as the World Bank Group, UNICEF, Microfinance Opportunities (USA), Nathan Associates Inc. (USA), The Asia Foundation, British Council, Advocata Institute (Sri Lanka), ESCAP, TARA Climate Ltd., etc. As a Principal Investigator, he conducted three research projects, two with Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and one with Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University. Moreover, he has led three research projects as Principal Investigator—two with the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) and one with Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University.

With over eight years of research and policy experience, Farhan’s scholarship is situated at the intersection of energy economics, tourism economics, and green finance. His work particularly emphasises fossil-fuel shocks and renewable energy deployment, energy security, energy market reforms, and tourism–environment–energy linkages in developing economies. Previously, he served as a Research Associate at the School of Business and Economics (SBE), North South University and a Research Assistant at SANEM, where he contributed to numerous government- and non-government-funded research projects. He completed his Master’s in Economics as the top of the class, earning the highest distinction, from the SBE.

Farhan has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Energy Policy, Energy Strategy Reviews, Energy Reports, Current Issues in Tourism, and Resources Policy. He has also contributed chapters to volumes published by Frontline Publishers, including Elsevier, Routledge, Springer, and Edward Elgar. Besides, he regularly attends national and international conferences, where he presents papers on his areas of expertise. Additionally, he actively serves as a voluntary Reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Farhan’s ongoing research focuses on energy transition pathways, macroeconomic and distributional implications of renewable energy adoption, green tourism, and transition finance mechanisms, and the application of advanced econometric and dynamic macroeconomic modelling techniques to inform evidence-based sustainable development policies in developing and emerging economies.

Afia Mubasshira Tiasha is working as a Senior Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). Before being promoted to Senior Research Associate, she worked as a Research Associate and Research Assistant at the same organization. She has completed both her Master of Social Sciences (MSS) in Economics and Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS) in Economics from the Department of Economics, Jagannath University, Dhaka with an outstanding result in MSS. She has secured the first position in the MSS examination in her respective batch. Her areas of interest are International Trade, Health Economics, and Environmental Economics. She has joined the SANEM team on June 2, 2021. As a part of the SANEM team, she was engaged in several research projects. Currently, she is working on the projects titled “Has the COVID-19 pandemic worsened multi-dimensional poverty and vulnerability? Evidence from a Unique National Longitudinal Household Survey Dataset in Bangladesh” and “Baseline Survey and Create Evidence on Perceptions, knowledge, and Attitude towards MHPSS issues among adolescents and youth in Rohingya camps and host community”. In the project titled “Bangladesh Regional Connectivity Project 1: To explore bilateral and regional trade potentials’’, she conducted KIIs and FGDs as well as assisted in writing drafts of the policy papers. She was also engaged in collecting secondary data and analysis for specific policy papers. Moreover, she was also involved in the project of ‘’Bangladesh Mohila Parishad’’ and assisted in preparing draft write-ups. Also, she was engaged in the “Bangladesh Trade Facilitation: Time Release Study (TRS)’’ project and assisted in preparing the survey questionnaires. Apart from these, she is assisting in writing proposals for several projects. From her student life, she has research interests and co-authored a paper on Remittance and Economic Growth in Bangladesh. Throughout her student career, she was engaged with various voluntary and social organizations and depicted her leadership skills. She hopes to become a good academician.

Dipa Das is a motivated and determined individual with a passion for education and research to make a positive impact on society. Dipa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, India, and recently completed her Master’s degree in Economics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, under the Study in India scholarship program. In her MSc dissertation, she analysed efficiency and productivity in the Bangladesh Insurance Industry. She is proficient in using STATA, EViews and DEAP.
She has also completed a summer internship from Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore on “Trend and Relationship of Unemployment and Inflation in India and Bangladesh: The Short Run Philips Curve Approach”.
Dipa also served as Hostel Coordinator for ISAC, fostering a supportive environment for international students, and representing Bangladeshi students at IIT Roorkee. With a strong background in economics and research, she aims to contribute to her country’s development. Therefore, with a thirst for continuous learning and a desire to contribute to the field of research, she has joined SANEM, as a research associate.
As she embarks on the next phase of her professional journey, she remains committed to making a meaningful difference through her research and endeavours. She is enthusiastic for learning, combined with her compassionate nature, and ready to take on the challenges of the future.
She possesses research interest in Development Economics, Gender, Public Economics , Public Policy and Health Economics.

Fariha Khan is a Research Associate at SANEM. She obtained an MSc in Economics for Development from University of Oxford, UK, with the support of the Commonwealth Scholarship. Before that, she worked for over two years at BRAC Advocacy for Social Change as a researcher. She was involved in various research projects including the learnings of the poor from the pandemic, post-Covid economic recovery of women informal sector workers and entrepreneurs, and Rohingya adolescents. She holds a BSS and MSS in Development Studies from University of Dhaka. Graduating at the top of her class in both, she is a recipient of the Dean’s Award for her BSS result. Her research interest lies in gender and development, and labour market dynamics.

Shafa Tasneem has joined SANEM as a Research Associate. She holds a BSS in Economics from the University of Dhaka and is currently pursuing an MSS in the same department. Shafa has previously worked as an intern at SANEM, Economic Intelligence Lead at The Financial Express Bangladesh and later as an intern at Aspire to Innovate (a2i). Her research interests revolve around the realms of development economics and political economy.

Md. Razib has joined SANEM as a Research Associate. He has completed BSS degree at Economics in Dhaka University. He has also completed MSS degree recently at the same department and same university. From the moment he joined at Dhaka University, he felt depth fascination for research. He has developed strong research capabilities through rigorous coursework and independent projects during his academic studies. His research interest lies in international trade, environmental economics, macroeconomics and development economics.

Sudeepto Roy is an Economics graduate from the University of Dhaka, where he also completed his Master’s degree. ​Currently, he ​works as a Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM),​ following his previous roles as a Research Assistant and Intern within the same organization. His professional journey includes an internship at Bangladesh Bank, the Central Bank of Bangladesh, and two years at Medisquare Smart Health Ltd., where he worked as a Business Research and Development Executive and Business Executive.​ Sudeepto’s strong research background is demonstrated by his award-winning paper, “Bridging Growth and Sustainability: Biomass Energy in South Asia’s Circular Economy,” which earned the Best Research Paper ​accolade at the 19th South Asian Economics Students’ Meet (SAESM) 2024, organized in collaboration with the World Bank. He has actively participated in and won several business competitions. Beyond academics and research, Sudeepto served as the Vice President of the Economics Study Center (ESC) at the University of Dhaka, the pioneering student chapter of the Department of Economics. His research interest lies in development economics, health economics, environmental economics​, and​ international trade.

Neeladri Naviya Noveli is currently working as a Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Economics from the University of Dhaka, where she developed strong analytical and research skills through rigorous coursework and independent projects. Her areas of interest include development economics, international trade, environmental economics, and public policy. Prior to joining SANEM, she worked as a writer at The Daily Star and contributed to various research and media projects at Omnispace’, where she collaborated with organizations such as BRAC, IFC, The British Council, and UN Women. With a strong focus on the intersection of economic policies and real-world challenges, she is passionate about contributing to sustainable and impactful solutions.

Arpita Chakraborty is currently working as a Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), having previously served as a Research Assistant within the same organization. She holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Dhaka, where she honed her research skills through intensive coursework, hands-on training, and independent projects. Her areas of interest include development, environmental, health, energy, and behavioral economics, along with international trade. Beyond her academic and research engagements, Arpita also contributed as the Joint Secretary of the Economics Study Center (ESC) at the University of Dhaka—the Department of Economics’ flagship student chapter.

Mohammad Iftekharul Islam is an economics graduate from the University of Dhaka and is currently working as a Research Associate for the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM). Prior to joining SANEM, Iftekhar worked as a Programme Associate for the research division at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), interned at the Bangladesh Bank, and Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID). He also served as a feature writer for The Financial Express Bangladesh for an extensive period. He has gained practical skills in econometric analysis, academic writing and project coordination, using advanced statistical tools to support research on pressing socio-economic issues. Alongside his professional work, he takes a keen interest in both creative and analytical writing, and remains committed to continuous learning and contributing to inclusive growth and evidence-based policymaking.

Nafis Mubarrat is a Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). He previously worked as a Programme Associate at SANEM. Nafis completed his Master of Social Sciences (MSS) and Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS) in Economics from the University of Dhaka, where he received a Government Merit Scholarship. His work focuses on applied microeconomics, labor markets, and energy economics. He has contributed to multiple research projects, including studies on skill development in the garment sector and the economic impacts of energy transition policies in Bangladesh. He has experience in survey design and implementation, data analysis, impact evaluation methods, and econometric techniques using Stata and other statistical tools. He also worked as a Survey Audio Auditor with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), where he reviewed survey recordings to ensure data quality and enumerator consistency. In addition, he has received training in key research and data analysis tools and methods, including Impact Evaluation using Difference-in-Differences (DiD), Stata workflow and econometric analysis, KoboToolbox for survey design and monitoring, survey data cleaning, and capacity building on energy economics and macroeconomic impacts of energy price fluctuations. He has actively participated in a wide range of co-curricular and voluntary activities, contributing to academic, cultural, and organizational initiatives throughout his academic and professional journey. His research has appeared in policy publications and newspaper outlets such as The Daily Star and The Business Standard, as well as SANEM’s “Energy Outlook.”

Afsana Ahmed is an Economics graduate with a minor in Mathematics from North South University and the President of the Young Economists’ Forum. Her academic journey is rooted in a strong foundation in research, having worked as a Research Assistant at North South University on projects exploring income inequality, carbon emissions, and energy economics. She has also served as a Teaching Assistant, supporting core economics courses. Afsana previously interned at the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM), where she contributed to policy-oriented research. Her primary interests lie in development economics, behavioral economics, and the care economy. Beyond academia, she is a writer, a volunteer translator for Translators without Borders, and a self-taught visual artist.