Our Team in Bangladesh

Gitanjali Singh is the UN Women Representative in Bangladesh effective July 2022.

An Indian national, Ms. Singh brings over twenty years of experience in the field of women’s human rights and gender equality with expertise on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), across the development-humanitarian continuum. Prior to her assignment to Bangladesh, she served as the Deputy Country Representative and Head of Office a.i. of the UN Women Nepal Country Office. She has been with UNIFEM and UN Women since 1998, serving in the South Asia Regional Office including as the focal point for Bhutan and Maldives.

She holds a master’s degree in applied psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from Delhi University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lady Sriram College in India.

Ms. Catherine Breen Kamkong is currently serving as the Representative for UNFPA Bangladesh.

She has more than 25 years of leadership experience in humanitarian and development contexts, with a strong track record in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), maternal health, gender equality, and humanitarian response. She has served with distinction across multiple countries and regional roles, including as the SRHR Maternal Health Regional Adviser at APRO, and previously as Deputy Representative in Cambodia and Nepal, where she also served as Officer-in-Charge.

Catherine’s career reflects a deep commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls, particularly in complex and high-need settings. She has led large-scale, multi-sectoral programmes and built impactful partnerships with governments, UN agencies, civil society, academic institutions, and donors. Her earlier work includes senior leadership roles with the International Rescue Committee, including as Country Director in Myanmar, and over a decade supporting displaced communities across Thailand, Nepal, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Social Development from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Technology, Sydney. Catherine has authored several regional and global publications on midwifery, maternal health, and humanitarian response.

Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed officially assumed the responsibilities of WHO Representative a.i. in Bangladesh on 1 November 2024. With over 18 years of leadership experience in public health, Dr Jamsheed brings a wealth of expertise to this position. He first joined the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for South-East Asia in November 2013 as a Medical Officer, and in December 2015, he was appointed as the Regional Adviser for NTD Control. From May 2021 to August 2022, Dr Jamsheed served as Deputy WHO Representative in Bangladesh. In August 2022, he was appointed as the WHO Representative to DPR Korea, a role he continues to hold.

Before joining WHO, Dr Jamsheed had an extensive career in his home country, the Maldives, where he held various leadership positions within the public health sector. He was instrumental in shaping both technical and policy aspects of the nation’s health service. Born on the island of Fuvahmulah, Maldives, Dr Jamsheed holds a medical degree from Indira Gandhi Medical College in Nagpur, India, and a Master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Dr Jiaoqun Shi is Representative for Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh. Dr Shi will lead the planning and implementation of FAO programmes in the country.

He joined FAO in 2019 as Senior Compliance Advisor to the Deputy Director-General at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. since January 2021, he had been serving as Special Adviser at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jiaoqun Shi started his career in 1988 as Researcher in the Xiangfan division, Government of China, in Xiangfan, China. From 1996 to 2004, he served as Deputy Director of Personnel in the Appointment Division at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. Between 2007 and 2010, he was Director of the General Division at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. In 2009, he worked as Deputy Prefecture Governor for the Tujia and Miao Autonomous, Government in Xiangxi, China. From 2010 to 2016, he served as Deputy Director-General of the General Office at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. Between 2016 and 2019, he was Deputy Representative at the Permanent Representation of the People’s Republic of China to the three United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) in Rome, Italy.

Dr. Shi, a national of China, holds a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wuhan University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the National Academy of Governance in China.

Dr. Saima Khan is the Country Director of the UNAIDS Country Office in Bangladesh. She joined UNAIDS in 2012.

Prior to that, she worked in various capacities with UNICEF, Save the Children, the World Bank, icddr,b, etc. Dr. Saima has actively applied innovation and strategic thinking in the field of preventing HIV, while upholding the human rights aspects of disease prevention efforts.

She has an MBBS from Dhaka Medical College and an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has also completed Certificate Courses on Health and Human Rights from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg’s School of Public Health and on the AIDS Epidemic Model from the East-West Center, Hawaii.

Sue Vize officially took up her functions as the Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh in November 2023 and was in charge since mid- July 2022 of the UNESCO mandate in Bangladesh covering Education, Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information as well as Social and Human Sciences program.

Prior to this she was the UNESCO Regional Adviser for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok. She is also a qualified teacher and trainer, and founding Principal of FNQ Training, a community based TVET organization working with Aboriginal communities and the unemployed in north Queensland, Australia.

Sue holds a PhD in community natural resource management from the University of Melbourne and a master’s in social science from RMIT University, both in Australia.

Dr Valantine Achancho is IFAD’s Country Director for Bangladesh, effective from July 2024.

Dr Achancho leads the IFAD’s Bangladesh country portfolio advocating for and enhancing national government programmes that strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable rural communities through infrastructure and climate-smart agriculture, while enhancing access to finance, technology, and markets for smallholders and marginalized groups to diversify the economy and create rural jobs.
Before coming to Bangladesh Dr Achancho served as IFAD Country Director and Representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo from 2020 to 2024, and previously held the same position for Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
He also served as IFAD Country Program Officer for Cameroon and Gabon, and Programme Officer for the Indian Ocean region, contributing to rural development projects in the Sahel and Congo basin, mobilizing co-financing, and strengthening partnerships with governments, donors, and civil society to improve rural livelihoods.

Before joining IFAD in 2011, Dr Achancho served as Deputy Director of farmers’ professional organizations and cooperative movement, and senior engineer in charge for prospective analysis and agricultural policies in the Ministry of Agriculture in Cameroon. His earlier positions include national coordinator for Agence Française de Développement (AFD) funded project, visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Dschang in Cameroon, and consultant for IFAD, the World Bank and European Union operations.

Achancho holds a PhD in Sociology for Development from Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech, France), a master's degree in tropical and subtropical Agronomy from CNEARC, Montpellier, France, and a master’s degree in agricultural economics (Ingénieur Agro-économiste) from the University of Dschang, Cameroon.

Mr. Felipe has over 18 years of professional experience acquired within diverse national and international environments.

He started his career in 2005 as an agent of Rio de Janeiro's Harbor Guard. In 2008 he joined Rio de Janeiro State Police Department (PMERJ) where he led the 4th Company of the 20th Battalion and co-led the 1st Company of the 27th Battalion in Rio de Janeiro City. He also worked as the Deputy Commander of the Community Policing Unit in the city of Duque de Caxias, and as the Deputy Chief of the Planning Section of different operational units.

Felipe was deployed to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti from 2014 to 2016. He also worked for INTERPOL from 2019 to 2024, first at the Strategic Planning Unit in Lyon, France, and more recently as a Criminal Intelligence Officer at the Maritime Security Unit in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and in Nairobi, Kenya.

Felipe graduated from Rio de Janeiro State Police Officer’s School in Brazil, holds a Bachelor of Law degree and a master's degree in international public administration and politics.

Ms. Huma Khan is a seasoned human rights professional with over 24 years of experience working across conflict, post-conflict, and development settings in Bangladesh, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, and India. She has led complex programs for the United Nations and civil society, combining expertise in political analysis, international legal frameworks, and high-level diplomacy. Huma has successfully negotiated with governments and armed actors, advanced transitional justice processes, and strengthened accountability and protection mechanisms globally.

Her work focuses on transitional justice, accountability for sexual violence in conflict, women’s rights, and community-led access to justice. Ms. Khan is widely recognized for her ability to bridge global norms with local realities, fostering inclusive governance and participatory solutions. Guided by a commitment to equity and intersectionality, Huma ensures that marginalized voices are at the center of decision-making.

She holds a master’s degree in law from the University of London.

Ivo Freijsen is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Bangladesh.

He previously served as the UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, and prior to that, UNHCR Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ivo brings with him over 30 years of experience in the humanitarian field at the country, regional and HQ levels, including with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), CARE International, the Directorate-General for the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), working across a wide range of situations, including Rwanda, Sudan, Eritrea, Iraq, Egypt and Syria.

Ivo Freijsen holds a Master’s degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and a graduate diploma in International Relations. He speaks Dutch, Arabic, English, and French.

Jesmul Hasan, a development professional with over two decades of experience, is the Country Relationship Manager for UNCDF in Bangladesh.

He plays a coordination role with the UN Resident Coordinator's office, other UN agencies, and the Government. Before joining UNCDF, he worked for DFID, CIDA, UNHCR, ILO, and Save the Children. He also worked as an academic, human rights activist and for print media. He has several publications on human rights issues.

He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School and a lawyer from Dhaka University, Bangladesh.

A graduate of Columbia University, Mr. Bonneau has over 35 years of experience working in the field of migration. Mr. Bonneau joined as IOM’s Chief of Mission in Bangladesh on 20 November 2024. He has extensive programming experience in Counter Trafficking, Disaster Risk Reduction/Disaster Risk Management, Emergency Response, Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration, Regional Consultative Processes on Migration, and working with governments on migration management policy development and programming. Before Bangladesh, his previous postings included Australia, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Papua New
Guinea, Switzerland, Thailand and Türkiye.

Max Tuñón (Mr) is the Country Director of the ILO Office in Bangladesh effective 1 August 2025.

Prior to this, he was the Head of the ILO Office in Doha. In this position, he worked closely with the Government of Qatar and partners on a comprehensive labour reform agenda. He also served as a Technical Specialist in the same office, overseeing the programme on wage protection, labour inspection and occupational safety and health.

From 2016 to 2018, Mr Tuñón was the Labour Migration Specialist for South Asia, based in the ILO Sub-regional Office in New Delhi. There he supported policy formulation on the governance of labour migration, in six countries and at the regional level, including through research, capacity building and consultative platforms with governments and social partners.

From 2009 to 2016, he was based in the ILO Regional Office in Bangkok, managing the TRIANGLE project. This work focused on strengthening recruitment and labour protection policies and practices across six countries in Southeast Asia, and at the ASEAN regional level. He also worked on programmes to improve working conditions in Thailand’s fishing and seafood processing industries.

He has also worked in China for four years, with a focus on rural-urban migration and youth employment, including as part of a joint programme of the United Nations.

Mr Tuñón is a national of the United Kingdom and Panama. He has an MA in Social Development from the University of Sussex and a BA in Business Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

Ms. Rana Flowers joined the UN Country Team in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, as the Country Representative for UNICEF Bangladesh.

A native of Australia, Ms. Flowers brings more than 35 years of experience in international development, child development, and policy advocacy. Prior to this appointment, she served as a UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Belize. Ms. Flowers also previously worked in child development and policy advocacy in Australia and the United Kingdom, before joining UNICEF.

Ms. Flowers holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work & Arts, majoring in Psychology.

Ms. Sonia Mehzabeen has more than 20 years of professional experience in both private and development sector in different fields of Operations and Project Management. Before joining UNV Bangladesh, she was with UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific as Management Specialist based in Bangkok. Prior to that, she worked with UNDP Timor-Leste and Bangladesh Country Office as Operations Manager. She also worked with UNDP Maldives, Nepal and Malaysia Country Office operations as well as with the Bureau of Policy and Program Support in UNDP Corporate HQ at New York on short term assignments. In her early years of career, she worked with Private sector Multinational Organizations in the Oil and Gas and Telecom sectors.

She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Dhaka.

Stefan Liller, a Swedish national, is a development worker with 20 years of experience in serving the United Nations at headquarters, regional and country office levels in Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

Prior to taking up his current assignment in Bangladesh, he served as UNDP Resident Representative in Uruguay ; before that he was UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Moldova. He has worked in conflict & post conflict in the context of low, middle and high-income country contexts. He has programmatic and policy experience in a number of thematic areas including, socio-economic development, gender, development finance, energy and environment, governance and rule of law. He has a proven track record of turning innovative ideas into programmes, advocating for the SDGs. He also has experience from the private sector.

He holds a Master of Laws and a Master of Business Administration and Economics, both from Stockholm University.

Sudhir Muralidharan, UNOPS Country Manager

With more than 33 years of experience, including 17 years in the international development sector, Mr. Sudhir Muralidharan is serving as Country Manager for UNOPS in Bangladesh.

Trained as a Chartered Accountant and Cost & Management Accountant by profession, he brings his expertise in programme and portfolio management, supervision of multi-functional and multi-disciplinary teams, supervision of fiduciary aspects of loans and grants, and quality assurance. Mr. Muralidharan joined UNOPS Sri Lanka in November 2015 as the Head of Support Services for the UNOPS South Asia Region and continued to carry out the duties of this role in addition to his country management responsibilities till the end of 2019.

He joined UNOPS as a Senior Financial Management and Systems Specialist for the Global Fund Local Fund Agent (LFA) programme in China in 2005. In 2009 he took over as the Regional Financial Management & Systems Specialist for the LFA Programme in the Asia Pacific region. He was later appointed the Deputy Regional Coordinator for the UNOPS LFA Program for 6 countries in the Asia Pacific region. From 2010- 2014, he functioned as the UNOPS Quality Assurance Lead for the LFA Program in Asia Pacific before moving to UNOPS Cambodia as the Risk and Compliance Advisor for the Global Fund Principal Recipient.

Before joining UNOPS, Mr. Muralidharan functioned as a Financial Management, Loan Administration and Procurement Consultant for International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) based in Rome, covering the Asia Pacific Region. Prior to this, Mr. Muralidharan ran his own accounting and audit practice in New Delhi, India.

An Indian national, Mr. Muralidharan is fluent in English, Hindi and Malayalam languages.