As Chairperson of Shuchona Foundation, I developed the framework for developing the plan and determined the objectives and indicators for fulfilling the goals of the strategy. I’ve been involved in supervising research design and content development for several projects related to childhood development, neurodevelopmental disorders, and mental health. These projects have been done in collaboration with our different ministries, NGOs and UN organizations including UNICEF and WFP. Additionally, I was invited to be the lead mental health expert of the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) initiative, ‘Better Health in Bangladesh.’

Due to my technical expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health, I have had the opportunity to develop policy frameworks, strategic multi-sectorial action plans, situational assessments, resource mapping plans, instructional designs and concepts for the implementation of programs. In my capacity as an expert, I contributed to the Declaration and Policy Framework for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2013- 2022. In my role as Chief Advisor of the ‘National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020 – 2030’ working group, I helped conceptualize the overall mission and vision of the plan. My role included identification of the priority areas for mental health and outlining the recommended activities that would help us in achieving those goals. Prior to the development of the national mental health strategy, I provided input on our National Mental Health Policy 2022 and the Bangladesh Mental Health Act 2018, as one of the lead technical experts in the working group.

While working towards creating an inclusive society for persons with disabilities, the need for promoting an equitable learning environment within the mainstream educational settings became a crucial need. In alignment with article 24 of UNCRPD and SDG 04, the ‘National Strategic Plan for Neurodevelopmental Disorders 2016-2021’ of the Government of Bangladesh also prioritized inclusive education. To complement the national goals towards education and its own vision, in 2017 my organization, Shuchona Foundation started working on developing a resource package for the capacity development of educational professionals to create a positive and inclusive school environment. As Chairperson, I provided the vision and mission of the manual, and outlined the content that would be included in the training package, ‘Strategies for Inclusion: Teaching, Learning and Assessment’. This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Government of Bangladesh, and the goal is to roll out the training to approximately 1,30,000 teachers at government primary schools.

When working in the area of early childhood development, I noticed that there is a minimal focus on social communication and emotional skills development for children. In order to address this gap, in 2017, Shuchona Foundation developed a training manual titled ‘Creating an Enriched Environment – Social Communication and Emotional Skills Development’. This training was provided with support of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, and UNICEF. I played a key role in developing the concept of the manual, the design of the training and guidance for content development. The manual provides evidence-based interventions that are easily implementable by caregivers in day-to-day activities with their children. Till date, 62, 000 mothers, caregivers, day-care workers and adolescent club leaders have been trained on our manual.

I have utilized my expertise and extensive experience in the field of mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders, I have participated in numerous national and international conferences, workshops, seminars, and technical meetings. My participation as a member of the working group on disability at the 5th Session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2013 – 2022 of UNESCAP, ensured that the needs of those with neurodevelopmental disorders are also included in the overall plan. Similarly, my participation as moderator and co-organizer of the technical segment at a Side Event on ‘Sustainable Universal Health Coverage: Comprehensive primary care inclusive of mental health and disabilities during UNGA74 in 2019, ensured that persons with neurodevelopmental disorders are not left behind within the overall disability group. In 2015, I was the lead technical advisor during the organization of the International Conference on Disability and Disaster Risk Management, which was a collaborative effort with the Center for Disability and Development, Ministry of Disaster Risk and Management, Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. This conference culminated in the adoption of the Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk Management whose objectives have been included as components necessary in international planning for crisis response by the UNISDR. In 2017, under my leadership and guidance, Shuchona Foundation organized the International Conference on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Bhutan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Health of Bhutan and WHO-SEARO. The major outcomes of the Conference were the Thimphu Declaration and the WHO Collaborative Framework for Addressing ASD in the South-East Asia Region.