ASHABUL KHAN
Founder & President
Ashabul Khan graduated from Hunter College with a major in Political Science and minor in Mathematics. He aspires to become a lawyer because he is interested in property management and international relations. Outside of education, Ashabul likes stitching and playing piano and table tennis. He also teaches Bengali to students during the weekend.
TAHMID ZAWAD
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Born in Dhaka and raised in Queens, Tahmid Zawad is a Hunter College Yalow Scholar with a degree in Biology and Psychology. He is now completing his Masters of Science in Environmental Medicine at NYU, where he researched on health effects of biomass burning on women in rural Bangladesh. Pursuing a career in medicine, he aims to explore how implementing innovative public health practices with humanitarian efforts can tackle existing healthcare barriers. He wants to understand the plight of disenfranchised people and use his platform through BDP to improve social conditions in Bangladesh. In his downtime, Tahmid loves to play basketball and indulge in retail therapy.
MOHUYA KHAN
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Mohuya Khan is a graduate from Hunter College with a bachelor's in English and a minor in Human Biology. She is currently in the Childhood Education Masters Program at Hunter College. In addition, she is also an artist who gives a voice to South Asians, spreads awareness of unspoken issues, and brings representation with her art. She aspires to teach children in the impoverished communities of Bangladesh and be an educator who can inspire the youth in New York. You will usually find Mohuya with paint all over her hands, skateboarding, or playing with her cat, Monét.
PRIYA SAHA
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Priya Saha graduated from CUNY Hunter College in 2018 with a degree in both Biochemistry and Psychology. You can find her today working in a laboratory that specializes in tuberculosis research as a Research Technician. Her passion is studying and delving into how the human mind works. She aspires to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to dissect mental health challenges in the South Asian community and tackle the stigma behind it in Bangladesh and beyond. During her free time, Priya likes to sing Bollywood songs and spend time with her family.
SHARMIN DELOWAR
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Born in Bangladesh and raised in Manhattan, Sharmin Delowar is pursuing a Bachelor of Art's degree in Biology and Studio Art. Due to disheartening experiences faced in Bangladesh, she has a calling to help people through medicine and wants to work with a population that medicine has neglected. Doing artwork with pediatric patients is therapeutic for her. She wishes to use her platform at Bangladesh Development Project to improve living conditions for underprivileged people in Bangladesh and to build the platform to a position that can offer good healthcare access to communities that need them. In her free time, catch her doing calligraphy or watching Korean dramas.
TANJEELA NEWAZ
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Tanjeela Newaz is currently a senior at The City College of New York in Harlem, Manhattan. She is majoring in Psychology. She aspires to become an advocate for mental health in South Asian communities. For hobbies, she has been professionally dancing for more than ten years, loves film/photography and food!
SHAHRIYAR CHOWDHURY
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Shah graduated from NYIT with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. He currently works at Upward Health as a Product Analyst, where he supports the heroes in our medical community. Shah is passionate about working in the technology field, but his real devotion is helping to make the world a better place. He created the first Muslim Students Association on his campus, hoping to unify students of his demographic and outsiders as well. His aspirations come from his childhood hero, Superman, in hopes of creating a world of peace and prosperity for all. While he isn't busy doing work, you can find him watching sports or attempting to sing despite having no talent.
NAFIUL BAHRI
Co-Founder & Vice President
Nafiul Bahri was born in the county of Queens, raised in Bangladesh for 3.5 years, and spent 17 years counting in his lovely borough of Staten Island. He will graduate from Hunter College during the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor's in Economics, Political Science, and Legal Studies. He hopes to further his career by going to Law School and focusing on Civil Rights Law to represent his community in the legal field and God willing politics one day. Nafiul cannot sing or dance, but many consider him a pretty fine actor if he tries. He's acted his whole life from theater to short film to everyday life.
JAHEEN MOHAMMED HAQUE
COO, CFO & Legal Ops
Jaheen Haque graduated from Fordham University with an honors degree in Economics. He currently works in a mid-sized law firm in NY as a Legal Case Assistant. Jaheen aspires to be a lawyer because he wants to implement public policies that aid people in developing countries. Outside of the legal field & his studies, you will find him refurbishing old cars into tip-top shape.
NOSHIN AHMED
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Noshin Ahmed was born and raised in Queens, New York. She graduated in the spring of 2019 from Hunter College with a bachelor's in English Literature: Preparation for Secondary School Teaching and a minor in Psychology. She is planning to go for her masters and further advance her career in education. A strong surge of Bangladeshi pride flows through her as her maternal grandfather took on many responsibilities during the War of 1971. She won't let you forget this as she reminds those around her, "My nana did not fight for you to neglect your roots!" Noshin has many dreams and goals and can't seem to put her finger on just one and would love to accomplish them all.
KARIMA KHONDAKAR
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Karima was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Usually, people get scared hearing about the Bronx; however, she has many sweet memories, like hearing the famous ringtone of the ice cream truck. She's majoring with a bachelor's in Biochemistry at Hunter College. She wants to become a physician to help those who are unprivileged in Bangladesh to get the healthcare they deserve. She wants to limit the cases of medical falsifications that occur and make sure everyone gets the proper treatment they need. She's the oldest sibling with two sisters and a brother, so she learned how to have patience and be responsible while being their role model. She's always trying to spread a smile on everyone's face, no matter the time. Whether it's making festive holiday cards for children in the hospital from Project Sunshine or working in the soup kitchens with American Red Cross, she always tries to help with her full dedication and respect. Her hobbies consist of cooking, reading mysteries, playing badminton, drawing, and having movie nights with her family. A fun fact is she can read and write in Bengali.
NABELA KHAN
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Nabela Khan is currently a senior at Brooklyn College, where she will be graduating with a BS degree in Business Management and a minor in Organizational Behavior. Almost having finished her degree, Nabela looks forward to enrolling in a graduate school by Fall 2021. Although Nabela has never been to Bangladesh, she aspires to impact the younger generation there while at the same time raising awareness and making improvements to the inequities in Bangladesh. Despite not having visited the country, Nabela is very sentimental about her people and culture. When she isn't busy with school or work, Nabela enjoys her free time by spending a night out in the city with friends or a relaxing day at home with family.
JEBA YASMIN
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Born in Bangladesh and raised in Jamaica, New York, Jeba Yasmin is a Hunter College graduate with a bachelor's degree in Biology and Sociology and a focus study in Psychology. She is now pursuing medicine in Podiatry to better the quality of life of individuals, especially first-generation immigrants who depend on labor jobs to survive. Being a first-generation immigrant herself working long hours on their feet and doing the heavy lifting, but always ensuring their families are comfortable with their needs, she understands health is the key to a comfortable life. In the hopes of educating individuals and helping make lives easier, she aims to give back to the community of Bangladesh and help as many people as possible. She wants to better educate the population on the importance of health and diet and use BDP to advocate for a better quality of life. Jeba is also a huge promoter of gender equality and helping women and men reach their full potential in life.