Our Team in Bangladesh

Carol Flore-Smereczniak of Mauritius has assumed her duties as the United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim in Bangladesh on 23 March 2026.

Ms Flore-Smereczniak brings more than 22 years of experience in development, security, and humanitarian and conflict and post-conflict settings. She worked until recently as the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations in Burkina Faso. Prior to that, she worked as UNDP Resident Representative in Cote D’Ivoire, as UNDP Resident Representative and UNDP Country Director in Chad, as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Malawi and Papua New Guinea, as Regional Sustainable Development Specialist at the UNDP Pacific Centre in Fiji, covering 15 island countries.

Ms Flore-Smereczniak holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and French from the University of Keele in the UK; a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Miami, USA and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Leeds, UK.

Alamgir Hossain is an international development professional with more than 23 years of experience leading development programmes across Asia Pacific and Central Asia regions. He has extensive expertise in climate change adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency, sustainable consumption and production, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, forestry, water governance, and sustainable development. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles with UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, bilateral development partners (USAID and GIZ), academia, and research institutions, managing large-scale portfolios and multidisciplinary teams. He has successfully designed and overseen programmes funded by major international climate and environmental financing mechanisms and bilateral donors, while supporting governments in developing and implementing national policies, strategies, frameworks and international environmental convention reporting.

Prior to joining UNIDO as the Country Representative in Bangladesh, Alamgir served as the Chief Technical Adviser on climate change, energy and environment with UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic, Regional Technical Expert covering Asia Pacific portfolio on Urban Ecosystem based Adaptation with UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific based in Thailand, Chief Technical Adviser with UNDP in Timor-Leste and Programme Analyst of Climate Change, Energy and Environment portfolio of UNDP in Bangladesh.

Complementing his international development expertise and skills, he is an established thinker and writer, with formal training on Environmental Management and Development from the Crawford School of Economics and Government of the Australian National University and technical skills through his engineering studies at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.

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.

Ms. Coco Ushiyama, the newly appointed Resident Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme, Bangladesh has officially joined the mission on 14 June 2026.

Coco is a Japanese national and has devoted three decades to public service through the UN system. She has extensive experience in strategic management, multistakeholder coordination, partnership and advocacy in complex development and humanitarian contexts. Until recently, she served as the Country Representative for WFP Pakistan. She has also served in other leadership and management positions, including as the Director of the UN system and Multilateral Engagement Division in New York, Country Representative for WFP Malawi and Indonesia, as well as Deputy Country Director for WFP Cambodia and has carried out other field, regional bureau and headquarters assignments in Nairobi, Manila, Bangkok, and Rome, respectively. She also served in the UN Secretariat and the regional Economic and Social Commission. Prior to joining the United Nations, she worked in the private sector in Tokyo.

Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed officially assumed the responsibilities of WHO Representative 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 a distinguished career in his home country, the Maldives. He served as the Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health, Maldives, from 2012 to 2013 and held several key leadership roles in the public health sector. He played a pivotal role in shaping the technical and policy frameworks of the nation’s health services.

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. Laura Tomm Bonde is the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh. A Canadian national with over two decades of international experience, she brings extensive expertise in migration management, public and global health, and humanitarian operations.

Prior to her assignment in Bangladesh, Dr. Tomm Bonde served as Chief of Mission for IOM Mozambique from 2020, where she led complex humanitarian and development responses in a highly challenging operational environment, while strengthening inter-agency coordination and government partnerships.

She began her career as a nurse, working in specialized intensive care before transitioning into global health and humanitarian programming, including field leadership roles in Mozambique. Since joining IOM in 2017, she has held senior programme management and advisory positions in migration health and labour migration, leading multidisciplinary teams and overseeing large-scale, integrated portfolios.

Dr. Tomm Bonde holds a PhD, a Master’s degree, she is a Family Nurse Practitioner, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria, Canada. She is fluent in English and Portuguese.

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.

Ms. Gillian Mellsop began her international development career in 1979 with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1982, she joined the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), serving in Australian Missions in Bangladesh, India (also covering Nepal and Bhutan), Laos, the Pacific, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and lastly as director of AusAID’s UN and Commonwealth Programme.

Gillian joined UNICEF in April 2003 as representative in Suva, Fiji, where she was responsible for the Pacific sub-regional programme covering 14 Pacific island countries. She then served as a representative with UNICEF in Nepal (2006–2011), in China (2011–2015) and Ethiopia (2015–2019).

Since retiring, Gillian has acted as director of the Division of Human Resources in New York (2021), representative in India (2022) and senior HR advisor in Afghanistan (2024). She holds a bachelor’s in anthropology and history from the University of Auckland, a postgraduate diploma in community counselling from the University of Canberra and a master’s in development management from the Australian National University.

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.

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.

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.

Mr. Shah Mohammad Naheeaan is an international development and governance specialist with more than 18 years of professional experience spanning the United Nations system, the private sector, and national development organizations. He has served with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for over six years in South Asia and brings more than 15 years of experience across four United Nations agencies, providing strategic policy advice, technical expertise, and programme leadership in governance, rule of law, and sustainable development.

Mr. Naheeaan possesses extensive expertise in crime prevention and criminal justice, countering organized crime, drug control and law enforcement, anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), illicit financial flows, community-oriented policing, counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism, human rights, gender equality, gender-based violence, health and HIV, and alternative development. His work encompasses policy development, institutional capacity-building, legislative and regulatory reform, intergovernmental cooperation, and multi-stakeholder engagement at the national, regional, and international levels.

In his current role with UNODC, Mr. Naheeaan provides strategic policy advisory services and technical guidance to the Government in South Asia on issues related to drugs and crime, criminal justice, human rights, and gender equality. He leads the development of multi-sectoral partnerships and supports the design and implementation of integrated programmes that strengthen national and regional capacities to prevent and respond to transnational organized crime, illicit financial flows, terrorism, violent extremism, and other emerging security and governance challenges. He also contributes to advancing international cooperation and the implementation of global normative frameworks within the UNODC mandate.

Prior to joining UNODC, Mr. Naheeaan served with UN Women, where he contributed to initiatives on Ending Violence Against Women, Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Planning, and Gender and HIV. He also worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supporting programmes on Business and Human Rights and gender-responsive public policy and governance. Earlier in his career, he held positions with UNAIDS, Cairn Energy Bangladesh Limited, and SHURID-Bangladesh, where he gained extensive experience in corporate affairs, environmental management, occupational health and safety, participatory development, and community engagement.

Throughout his career, Mr. Naheeaan has worked closely with governments, law enforcement agencies, criminal justice institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, and the private sector to strengthen governance systems, promote the rule of law, and support the achievement of national development priorities and international commitments. Mr. Naheeaan holds two master’s degrees—one in Governance Studies and another in Development Studies—and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. His multidisciplinary academic background, combined with extensive field and policy experience, enables him to bridge the domains of governance, security, justice, and sustainable development in support of evidence-based policymaking and institutional reform.

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.

Mr. Stephen Rodriques has joined UNDP Bangladesh as the Resident Representative.

Prior to this role, Mr. Rodriques served as Resident Representative for UNDP Afghanistan. He also held the position of Resident Representative in UNDP Liberia and UNDP Rwanda, where he additionally served as Country Director for several years. Earlier in his career, he was Deputy Country Director for UNDP Indonesia.

From 2005 to 2010, Mr. Rodriques worked as an Advisor in the Executive Office at UNDP Headquarters in New York. He also served as Head of the Governance and Poverty Unit at UNDP Jamaica and was a part-time Lecturer in Political Science at the University of the West Indies.

Before joining UNDP, Mr. Rodriques held various positions in the Government of Jamaica, including Director of Social Policy in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Head of Planning and Development at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, and Assistant to the Director General at the Planning Institute of Jamaica.

Mr. Rodriques holds a Master of Business Administration from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of Philosophy in Government, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations (First Class Honours), from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.

He is married and has two daughters. He speaks fluent English and Spanish.

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.