Economist and social thinker, Hossain Zillur Rahman is a leading policy voice of Bangladesh with over four decades of experience within and outside government. Dr. Rahman is the Founder-Chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), an independent policy centre established in 1996 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and and has served as the Chairperson of BRAC Bangladesh since 2019 and as a Senior Trustee of the BRAC Global Board.
Holding a Masters in Economics (Dhaka University) and Ph.D in Political Sociology (Manchester University, UK), Dr. Rahman was a leading researcher at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies between 1977 and 2000 and led the internationally renowned Analysis of Poverty Trends Project (1989-98) there. He was Lead Consultant for preparation of the first poverty reduction strategy paper (Unlocking the Potential, 2005) of the government of Bangladesh and was a member of the Independent South Asian Commission for Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) associated with SAARC. In 2007-08, he served as an Advisor (Cabinet Minister) for the ministries of Education and Commerce in Bangladesh’s Caretaker Government, significantly contributing to the country’s return to electoral democracy. Most recently, Dr. Rahman was tasked with chairing the Taskforce on Strengthening the National Statistical Organization of Bangladesh – the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Dr. Rahman’s work spans poverty, governance, social protection, sustainable urbanisation, education and public health. In recognition of his contributions to public policy and social development, Dr. Rahman has received received numerous prestigious awards, including the Dr. John Meyer Global Citizenship Award and the Rotary International Bangladesh Gold Medal Award.
