Zahirul Alam

Founder & Executive Director, IDF
Bangladesh

Mr. Zahirul Alam, Founder and the Executive Director, IDF (Integrated Development Foundation) Bangladesh, started his career with Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus as his assistant at REP (Rural Economics Program), Department of Economics, Chittagong University in 1973 where Grameen Bank Model was developed in the 1970s. He completed his Master’s with honours in Economics from the same University. Mr. Alam also worked as Action Research Fellow at BARD (Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development) for 8 years and about 9 years in ILO as an Economist in Addis Ababa. He returned from Addis Ababa in 1992 and established IDF (Integrated Development Foundation) in the same year. IDF started its operation in 1993 with the replication of Grameen Model in Chittagong Hill Tracts – a remote, difficult and politically sensitive area of Bangladesh. IDF is now working on sustainable development through piloting and expansion of social business in its command areas under the guidance of Mr. Alam.