Senior Management Team

Dr. Md. Abdul Karim is currently working as the Executive Director of UCEP Bangladesh and Head of Senior Management Team. He brings 47 years of experience in the Field Administration, Foreign Service, Corporate/Development Sectors, Secretariat level highest positions in the Regulatory, Development and Revenue-related Ministries of the Govt. of Bangladesh. Mr. Karim is the President of Bangladesh Scouts Foundation, Chittagong University Alumni Association and Allama Rumi Society, Bangladesh. He is an Adviser of Bangladesh Scouts and the Advisory Board member of Asian University for Women (AUW), Chattogram. Dr. Abdul Karim is the Secretary General of the Southeast Asian Cooperation (SEACO) Foundation, Dhaka and an Independent Trustee of A K Khan Foundation, Chattogram.
Mr. Karim served as Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh in the Ministry of Commerce, Home Affairs, Fisheries and Livestock, Finance (Internal Resources Division) and Communications (Bridges Division) before his appointment as the Principal Secretary. He was Economic Councilor of Bangladesh Embassy in Brussels; Chairmen of Eastern Refinery Limited, IPDC Finance Ltd. and Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd; President of Bangladesh Scouts, Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), President of Bangladesh Chemical Society and Senior Advisor of BRAC. Presently Dr. Karim is the Honorary Adviser of Credit and Development Forum (CDF), Bangladesh which is the networking organization of the NGO-MFIs of Bangladesh. He was nominated as a member of the Board of Trustee of the International Islamic University , Chattogram (IIUC). Dr. Md. Abdul Karim obtained B.Sc (Hons) and M.Sc (1 st Class) from University of
Chittagong and M.S.S. (Development Administrations) from the University of Birmingham, UK. He obtained Ph.D degree from Bangladesh University of Professionals(BUP), Dhaka for his researches on Sustainable Poverty Reduction Model for Bangladesh. He was trained at home and abroad, travelled to about 60 countries. He represented Bangladesh in many International Forums, Conferences and Summits including UN FCC Climate Summit (Conference of Parties, COP), UN General Assembly, D-8 Summits, LDC Summits etc. Dr. Karim has written books and articles on Local Government, Environment, Sustainable Poverty Reduction; Empowerment of Women, Elderly and Youth; Disaster Management etc. He has lectured at North South University, State University, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center, Bangladesh Military Academy, National Defense College, Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy and various other institutions. Mr. Karim has received the highest Scout Award of Bangladesh (Silver Tiger). He takes keen interest in games and sports and led Bangladesh Karate Federation, Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation and Bangladesh Deaf Sports Federation as Presidents.

Mr. Mohd. Abdul Mannan joined as the Director – Programme and Innovations at UCEP on January 1, 2023. Mr. Mannan is a development professional and TVET expert. He has come with more than 26 years of working experience, out of which 21 years in TVET and education sector at national and international NGOs.

Prior to joining UCEP, Mr. Mannan served as one of the Chief Coordinators of SEIP (Skill for Employment Investment Program of Government of Bangladesh under Ministry of Finance) Program at BASIS (Bangladesh Association for Software and Information Services) for one and half years. Before that Mr. Mannan served around 10 years at Save the Children in Bangladesh with different TVET projects funded by European Commission (EC), FCDO (erstwhile DFID), DFAT, World Bank, Govt. of Bangladesh, C&A Foundation, etc. He also led number of TVET projects as Project Director in Save the Children. His last role in Save the Children was Advisor (TVET and CSR).

During 2003 to 2012, Mr. Mannan served at UCEP Bangladesh in different positions under Technical Education Component. He led the Technical Education Component of UCEP Bangladesh from 2008 to 2012 as Manager (Technical Education). Mr. Mannan started his career in 1995 as a plant engineer at a private textile industry after completion of bachelor degree in mechanical engineering.

Mr. Mannan has long experience in project management. He is a certified (PMD Pro-1 & 2) project management professional. He has extensive skills and expertise on designing skills development project, writing project proposals, project cycle management, project planning, strategy development for project implementation, project operational guideline, risk management, and stakeholder management.

Mr. Mannan holds a degree of Master of Development Studies (MDS) from BRAC University. He did his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical discipline from RUET (Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology). He also did a post-graduation diploma in ICT from BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology).

Ms. Nazmun Nahar joined at UCEP Bangladesh as Director, Finance and Compliance in June 2019. She possesses extensive competencies and experiences of 17 years in financial management, financial reporting, financial analysis, budgeting, grants and compliance, internal control, corporate governance, accounting and auditing in business organizations, local and international NGOs. She is experienced in applying IFRSs, IASs and ISAs; conversant with US GAAP; skilled in developing, implementing and evaluating financial policies and procedures.

Ms. Nahar worked at Apex Foods Limited; ACNABIN, Chartered Accountants, an independent member of Baker Tilly International, BRAC, the world largest NGO, CARE Bangladesh. She handled USAID funded project for more than three years. She was one of the implementers of globally respected financial analysis software Adaptive Planning and PeopleSoft environment at CARE Bangladesh.

She has also worked at BRAC EPL Investments Limited as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for three years immediate before joining to UCEP Bangladesh.

Ms. Nahar obtained her Honors and Master’s degree in Accounting from University of Dhaka. She passed four papers out of five of CA final examination called Professional Examination (PE) – III under Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh. She is currently pursuing the Advance Level of CA examination.

Mr. Abu Noman Md Shibbir Ahmed has recently been appointed as the Director of People and Administration at UCEP Bangladesh. He brings with him over 31 years of professional experience, having previously worked at Trust Technical Training Institute, Senwalia, Savar as Director, and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Ishwardi, Pabna as Chief Coordinator of PPS Project.

Prior to his civilian career, Mr. Noman served the Bangladesh Army in several positions, such as Colonel Staff and Brigade Commander of two Brigades in Savar Cantonment, Deputy Commandant in Bangladesh Military Academy, Bhatiary, Chattogram, and as a faculty member in Defense Services Command and Staff College. He also served twice in the United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast as an Operations Staff Officer and International Military Observer.

Mr. Noman is an alumnus of Faujdardat Cadet College and holds a BSc degree from Chittagong University. He has also completed his Masters in Defense Studies from National University, Bangladesh, and master’s in strategic studies from US Army War College, USA.