Zahirul Alam

Founder and Executive Director, Integrated Development Foundation (IDF)
Bangladesh

Mr. Zahirul Alam, founder and Executive Director of Integrated Development Foundation (IDF), Bangladesh. His illustrious career in rural development began as an assistant to Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus at Rural Economics Program (REP) of Chittagong University, where the groundbreaking Grameen Bank model was conceived in the 1970s. Mr. Alam holds a Master's degree with honors in Economics from Chittagong University. He further honed his expertise as an Action Research Fellow at Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) and an economist at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He established IDF with the mission of replicating the successful Grameen Bank model in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a remote, challenging, and politically sensitive region of Bangladesh. Under his guidance, IDF has expanded its reach, implementing innovative programs and initiatives that empower rural communities. Mr.Alam is a  visionary leader who has played a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development in Bangladesh