BRAC Institute of Governance and Development

About BRAC Institute of Governance and Development

BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) is one of three institutes of BRAC University. By influencing policy and practice using rigorous research and by building fit-for-future capabilities through quality educational programmes, BIGD aims to promote innovation and improvement in governance and development processes, leading to a just and prosperous society.

BIGD has a special focus on identifying solutions to successful scaleup of policy interventions and development programmes because efficient, effective, and equitable scaleup of interventions/ programmes, even when based on sensible policies and sound theories, is frequently thwarted by major implementation constraints, leading to waste of resources without achieving the intended outcomes.

Over the years, BIGD has developed extensive experience in three broad thematic areas—economic development and growth, gender and social transformation, and governance and politics. Digitisation and climate change are emerging as strategically important cross-cutting agendas for BIGD, in which the institute is investing heavily.

Contact Details

https://bigd.bracu.ac.bd/

Meet the team

Profile photo of Maheen Sultan

Maheen Sultan

Senior Fellow of Practice
Profile photo of Maheen Sultan
Maheen Sultan is a Co-Principal Investigator and Country Lead for Bangladesh on the SuWPR project. She is a Senior Fellow of Practice at BIGD, BRAC University. She is a development practitioner and researcher with over 25 years’ experience in social development, poverty, civil society and community participation and gender equality. Her research interests centre on social movements, gender justice and political economy. Maheen is also a women’s rights activist and a member of Naripokkho, a Bangladeshi women’s rights organisation. She is the co-editor of ‘Voicing Demands: Feminist Activism in Transitional Contexts’ (Zed Books: London, 2014).
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Iffat Jahan Antara

Research Associate
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Iffat Jahan Antara is a social researcher, gender trainer and translator-interpreter. She has worked with BIGD since 2020 as a Research Associate in the Gender and Social Transformation Cluster. She is working on the Sustaining Power for Women’s Rights (SuPWR) and investing the Trade Union Movement for Decent Wage and the female leadership within the movement. Gender and Sexuality, Gender based Violence, Economic Empowerment and Transnational Feminist Movement are her particular research interests. She has working experience in Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and GBV.
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Md. Mohaiminul Islam

Research Associate
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Md. Mohaiminul Islam is a Research Associate under the Gender and Social Transformation Cluster at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University, Bangladesh. For SuPWR, Mohaiminul is working on women’s struggle in Bangladesh within family, community, market and state spaces i.e., anti-child marriage struggle, comprehensive sexuality education, trade union movement, and rape law reform coalition. Besides SuPWR, he is also working on Countering Backlash: Reclaiming Gender Justice research project. His current research interests include gender, political economy, and social movements.
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Pragyna Mahpara

Research Associate
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Pragyna Mahpara is a Research Associate at the Gender and Social Transformation cluster of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, Bangladesh. Her research experience includes analysing domestic violence survivors’ access to justice; unpacking the role of informal networks in negotiating policy and legal measures of Bangladesh; understanding adolescent's voice and agency through the use of ICT; analysing garment's workers’ wellbeing through development interventions, etc. Besides SuPWR, she is also involved with the Countering Backlash and Reclaiming Gender Justice Programme. For SuPWR, Pragyna will be working with the Antisexual Harassment Movement by Jahangirnagar University students in the community space; and the Movement for the Elimination of Domestic Violence in the family space.
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Shamsad Navia Novelly

Research Associate
Profile photo of Shamsad Navia Novelly
Shamsad Navia Novelly is a Research Associate under the Gender and Social Transformation Cluster at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University, Bangladesh. For SuPWR, Novelly is working on women’s struggle in Bangladesh for comprehensive sexuality education, anti-child marriage struggle, trade union movement, and rape law reform coalition encompassing the family, community, market and state spaces. In addition to SuPWR, she is also working on Countering Backlash: Reclaiming Gender Justice research project led by IDS, University of Sussex. Her current research interests include gender justice, feminist movements and comprehensive sexuality education.

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