CV

Email: M.Bakhtiar AT cgiar.org

I am a Bangladeshi development economist with a passion for using evidence to improve the lives of the poor. I am currently a Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Acting Country Representative of IFPRI-Bangladesh, one of IFPRI’s largest country offices.

My current research explores youth training, agricultural finance, social protection, and nutrition, with a focus on intra-household decision-making and women’s empowerment. I have conducted research in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, and my work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals across disciplines, including the Journal of Development Economics and the Journal of Nutrition.

In my role as Acting Country Representative of IFPRI-Bangladesh, I have helped lead policy engagements, research outreach, and the implementation of national and sub-national surveys in Bangladesh since 2019.

I received my PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from University of Maryland – College Park, where my doctoral research was recognized by the Dr. and Mrs. Bill V. Lessley Dissertation Excellence Award. Earlier, I worked as a Research Analyst at the Africa Gender Innovation Lab at the World Bank. I was also selected in the World Bank’s Young Professionals Program (YPP) in 2019. Before heading to graduate school, I was a Research Coordinator at Innovations for Poverty Action, Bangladesh.