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Imran Matin, PhD

Imran Matin, PhD

Executive Director

imran.matin@bracu.ac.bd

Imran Matin, PhD, leads BIGD with an intent to transform the organisation into a globally-recognized centre for rigorous research on policy and development interventions. He provides strategic direction and oversees strategy implementation for advancing BIGD’s mission; expands and nurtures critical stakeholder relationships; and is responsible for the overall management of human, financial, and physical resources.

He is a Visiting Fellow of the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Previously, he also served as the Country Director of the International Growth Centre (IGC) in Bangladesh.

Immediately before joining BIGD, he worked as the Chief Research and Policy Officer of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a global research organisation working across twenty countries. From 2012 to 2017, he worked as the International Programs Director of Save the Children International, overseeing the international program portfolio of the organisation operating in over 60 countries around the world. He started working with BRAC in 2001 as a Senior Economist at its Research and Evaluation Division (RED), which he led from 2003 to 2006 and then at BRAC International as the Deputy Executive Director until 2012. Before starting his long career with BRAC, he had worked for a few years with the World Bank and the Springfield Centre for Business in Development in Durham, UK.

He holds several advisory membership positions in different research networks, such as the Centre of Excellence for Development Impact and Learning (CEDIL), 3iE, and the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries (G2LM) program. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Development Effectiveness. Previously, he served as the Member Secretary to the 2003 Civil Society Task Force on Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation. He has been involved in major research studies on microfinance, extreme poverty and social protection.

He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex, UK.

Report

Challenges in the Distribution of School Stipends in Bangladesh: Evidence from a Field Survey

Date: 2025

Author(s): Matin, Imran;  Islam, Ashik Sufi; Tamim, Sheikh Arman

Publisher: BIGD

Evidence and Insights

Effects of Ultra-poor Graduation Program on Mortality and Morbidity

Date: 2025

Author(s): Sheikh Arman Tamim, Narayan C. Das, Imran Matin, and Munshi Sulaiman

Publisher: BIGD

Journal Article

Economic Recovery of the New Poor Created by COVID-19: Evidence From Bangladesh

Date: 2023

Author(s): Gomes, Mohima; Jahan, Nusrat; Shatil, Tanvir; Tahsin, Nabila; Das, Narayan; Matin, Imran.

Publisher: Development in Practice

Report

A Timely Response for the Sudden Poor An Early Evaluation of BRAC’s New Poor Program

Date: 2022

Author(s): Gomes, Mohima; Shatil, Tanvir; Jahan, Nusrat; Tahsin, Nabila; Das, Narayan C; Matin, Imran

Publisher: BIGD

Policy Brief

Social Life of Masks: Experience from Bangladesh

Date: 2022

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Matin, Imran; Shatil, Tanvir; Hossain, Faruq

Topic(s): COVID-19

Publisher: BIGD

Working Paper

Social Life of Masks: Experience From Bangladesh

Date: 2022

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Matin, Imran; Shatil, Tanvir; Hossain, Faruq

Publisher: BIGD

Monograph

Formation of BRAC: A Historical Account

Date: 2022

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Matin, Imran; Ahasan, Abu; Iqbal, Sumaiya

Topic(s): BRAC Programs

Publisher: BIGD

Report

COVID-19 Learning, Evidence and Research (CLEAR) for Bangladesh: Social Protection During Covid Times Research For Building Forward Better

Date: 2022

Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Faruk, Avinno; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: BIGD,Institute of Development Studies

Policy Brief

Education Life of Children During COVID-19: Trends in Learning Loss, Digital Inclusion, Mental Health, and Child Labour

Date: 2022

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Rahman, Atiya; Islam, Md. Saiful; Faruk, Avinno; Kabir, Eradul; Matin, Imran; Wazed, Mohammad Abdul; Zillur, Umama; Hossain, Md. Billal; Haque, Md. Masudul

Topic(s): COVID-19, Skills and Jobs

Publisher: BIGD,Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC)

Journal Article

Ethnography of Community Governance: A Case of COVID-19 Response of an Urban Slum in Bangladesh

Date: 2022

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Hossain, Faruq; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: Community Development Journal

Working Paper

Recovery With Distress: Unpacking COVID-19 Impact on Livelihoods and Poverty in Bangladesh

Date: 2022

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Rahman, Atiya; Islam, Md. Saiful; Faruk, Avinno; Matin, Imran; Wazed, Mohammad Abdul; Zillur, Umama

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research

What ‘Cash Plus’ Programs Teach Us About Fighting Extreme Poverty

Date: 2022

Author(s): Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: Stanford Social Innovation Review

Book/Book Chapter

Youth Employment: A Key to Future Human Development of Bangladesh | National Human Development Report 2021

Date: 2021

Author(s): Matin, Imran

Publisher: University Press Limited

Policy Brief

Governing COVID-19 in Bangladesh – Realities and Reflections to Build Forward Better

Date: 2021

Author(s): Hassan, Mirza; Hossain, Naomi; Islam, Sirajul; Hoque, Rafsanul; Khan, Insiya; Aziz, Syeda Salina; Nahreen, Avia; Hoque, Md. Mahan Ul; Osmani, S. R.; Siddiquee, M. S. H.; Sultan, Maheen; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Zaman, Shahaduz; Hossain, Faruq; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, COVID-19

Publisher: Accountability Research Center,BIGD

Report

State of Governance in Bangladesh 2020–2021: Governing COVID-19 in Bangladesh – Realities and Reflections to Build Forward Better

Date: 2021

Author(s): Hassan, Mirza; Hossain, Naomi; Islam, Sirajul; Hoque, Rafsanul; Khan, Insiya; Aziz, Syeda Salina; Nahreen, Avia; Hoque, Md. Mahan Ul ; Osmani, S. R.; Siddiquee, M. S. H.; Sultan, Maheen; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Zaman, Shahaduz; Hossain, Faruq; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, COVID-19

Publisher: Accountability Research Center,BIGD

Report

Livelihoods, Coping and Recovery During COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from Three Rounds of PPRC-BIGD Survey

Date: 2021

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Rahman, Atiya; Zillur, Umama; Matin, Imran; Das, Narayan; Wazed, Mohammad Abdul; Hossain, Billal; Mahmood, Sakib; Ahmed, Shakil; Haque, Masudul

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: BIGD,Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC)

Working Paper

Slums During COVID-19: Exploring the Unlocked Paradoxes

Date: 2021

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Hossain, Faruq; Ahmed, Shamael; Matin, Imran 

Topic(s): COVID-19

Publisher: BIGD

Journal Article

Finding Out Fast About the Impact of COVID-19: The Need for Policy-Relevant Methodological Innovation

Date: 2021

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Matin, Imran; Banks, Nicola; Hulme, David

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: World Development

Report

“Paradox” of Korail Slum During COVID-19: Ethnography of Governance From Below

Date: 2021

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Hossain, Faruq; Ahmed, Shamael; Matin, Imran 

Topic(s): COVID-19

Publisher: BIGD

Report

Livelihoods, Coping and Recovery During COVID-19 Crisis (Phase II)

Date: 2020

Author(s): Zillur Rahman, Hossain; Rahman, Atiya; Zillur, Umama; Matin, Imran; Gain, Sabrina Miti; Mohammad, Fatema; Ahmed, Shakil

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: BIGD,Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC)

Journal Article

An Adaptive Governance and Health System Response for the COVID-19 Emergency

Date: 2020

Author(s): Khan, Mushtaq; Roy, Pallavi; Matin, Imran; Rabbani, Mehnaz; Chowdhury, Rajiv

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: World Development

Journal Article

Long-Term Strategies to Control COVID-19 in Low and Middle-Income Countries: An Options Overview of Community-Based, Non-Pharmacological Interventions

Date: 2020

Author(s): Chowdhury, Rajiv; Luhar, Shammi; Khan, Nusrat; Choudhury, Sohel Reza; Matin, Imran; Franco, Oscar

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: European Journal of Epidemiology

Journal Article

Lifting the Lockdown: What Are the Options for Low and Middle-Income Countries?

Date: 2020

Author(s): Chowdhury, Rajiv; Luhar, Shammi; Khan, Nusrat; Choudhury, Sohel Reza; Matin, Imran; Franco, Oscar H

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: Social Science Research Network

Report

Phase I: Livelihoods, Coping and Support During COVID-19 Crisis

Date: 2020

Author(s): Rahman, Hossain Zillur; Das, Narayan; Matin, Imran; Wazed, Mohammad Abdul; Ahmed, Shakil; Jahan, Nusrat; Zillur, Umama

Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development

Publisher: BIGD,Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC)

Policy Brief

Crisis of Communication During COVID-19: A Rapid Research Report

Date: 2020

Author(s): Zaman, Shahaduz; Rahman, Sumon; Rabbani, Mehnaz; Matin, Imran; Hossain, Faruq; Ghosh, Dipanwita; Shatil, Tanvir; Kamruzzaman, MD; Sharmin, Sazia; Syed, Samia

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: BIGD

Policy Brief

Trust, Institutions, and Collective Action: Rapid Study of Community Responses to COVID-19 in Bangladesh

Date: 2020

Author(s): Ali, Tariq Omar; Hassan, Mirza; Hossain, Naomi; Hoque, Md Mahan Ul; Rashid, Md. Mamun-Ur; Matin, Imran; Rabbani, Mehnaz 

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Publisher: BIGD

Report

Youth of Bangladesh: Agents of Change? Youth Survey 2018

Date: 2019

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Bhattacharjee, Anindita; Ahmed, Md Shakil; Das, Narayan C; Jahan, Nusrat; Morshed, KAM; Rahman, Mohammad Azad; Islam, Md Mazedul; Hamid, Nimmi Nusrat

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development, Skills and Jobs

Publisher: BIGD

Journal Article

Changes in Extreme Poverty in Bangladesh (2000–2015): Trend, Dynamics, and Implications for Research and Interventions

Date: 2018

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Rahman, Atiya 

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: Practical Action Publishing

Working Paper

Crafting a Graduation Pathway for the Ultra-Poor: Lessons and Evidence From a BRAC Program

Date: 2008

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Sulaiman, Munshi; Rabbani, Mehnaz

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: Chronic Poverty Research Centre

Working Paper

Using Change Rankings to Understand Poverty Dynamics: Examining the Impact of CFPR/TUP From Community Perspective

Date: 2006

Author(s): Sulaiman, Munshi; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Targeting Effectiveness of CFPR/TUP in Scale-Up Environment

Date: 2006

Author(s): Sulaiman, Munshi; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Microfinance Engagements of the ‘Graduated’ TUP Members

Date: 2006

Author(s): Sulaiman, Munshi; Matin, Imran; Siddiquee, M Shahadat Hossain; Barua, Proloy; Alarakhaia, Safeena; Iyer, Vidya

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Monograph

The Wider Social Impacts of BRAC’s Group-Based Lending in Rural Bangladesh: Group Dynamics and Participation in Public Life

Date: 2005

Author(s): Kabeer, Naila; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): Social Transformation, BRAC Programs

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Journal Article

Engaging Elite Support for the Poorest? BRAC’s Experience With the Ultra-Poor Program

Date: 2004

Author(s): Hossain, Naomi; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Social Transformation

Publisher: Development in Practice

Report

School Management: Learning from Successful Schools in Bangladesh

Date: 2004

Author(s): Nath, Samir Ranjan; Matin, Imran; Shahjamal, Mirja M; Dewan, Roohi Zakia; Ahmed, Siraj Uddin; Maleque, Md. Abdul; Ashrafunnesa; Ahmed, Manzoor; Farruk, M Osman

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Social Transformation

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division,National Academy for Educational Management

Report

Struggling TUP Members: Lessons From Case Studies

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Noor, Marufia; Shihab, Abu M

Topic(s): BRAC Programs

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Engaging Elite Support for the Poorest? BRAC’s Experience With the Ultra Poor Program

Date: 2004

Author(s): Hossain, Naomi; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Governance and Politics

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Exploring Changes in the Lives of the Ultra Poor: An Exploratory Study on CFPR/TUP Members

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Walker, Sarah

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Towards a Profile of the Ultra-Poor in Bangladesh: Findings From CFPR/TUP Baseline Survey

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Hadi, Abdullahel; Ahmed, Syed Masud

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Gram Shahayak Committees: A Profile Study

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran 

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Governance and Politics

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Combining Methodologies for Better Targeting of the Extreme Poor: Lessons from BRAC’s CFPR/TUP Program

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Haldar, Shantana R

Topic(s): Ultra-poor Graduation, BRAC Programs

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Stories of Targeting: Process Documentation of Selecting the Ultra-Poor for CFPR/TUP Program

Date: 2004

Author(s): Noor, Marufia; Rashid, Mamun-ur; Shihab, Abu Muhammad; Parveen, Rezvina; Rahman, Hasanur; Ali, Tariq; Zaman, Shahaduz; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

Conversations With Employers: Exploring Graduate Employability in Bangladesh

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Ali, Tariq; Wiebe, Paul 

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Skills and Jobs, Economic Development

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Eighteen Months of Operation: Exploring Geographical Poverty Outreach and Employment Creation of BRAC Bank SME Unit

Date: 2004

Author(s): Iglebaek, Monique; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Process Documentation on the Implementation Aspects of the CFPR/TUP Program

Date: 2004

Author(s): Noor, Marufia; Rashid, Mamun-ur; Shihab, Abu Muhammad; Ahasan, Abu; Rahman, Hasanur; Zaman, Shahaduz; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Case Study

Exploring Changes in the Lives of the Ultra Poor: An Exploratory Study on CFPR/TUP Members

Date: 2004

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Walker, Sarah

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: Aga Khan Foundation Canada,BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Poultry Against Extreme Poverty: An Early Assessment of Poultry in CFPR/TUP

Date: 2003

Author(s): Dada, Ayesha; Matin, Imran 

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-poor Graduation, Economic Development

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Wider Impacts of Microfinance Institutions: Towards Defining the Scope and Methodology

Date: 2002

Author(s): Zohir, Sajjad; Matin, Imran

Topic(s): Economic Development, Social Transformation

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Working Paper

BRAC’s Microfinance Canvass: Financial Services and Strategic Linkages

Date: 2002

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Alam, Amiul

Topic(s): Social Transformation, Ultra-poor Graduation

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Asset-ing the Extreme Poor: Experiences and Lessons From a BRAC Project

Date: 2002

Author(s): Matin, Imran; Begum, Shamim Ara

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

Report

Microfinance in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna Chars: The Context, the Providers and Way Forward

Date: 2002

Author(s): Marin, Imran; Hassan, M. Emrul; Maniruzzaman, Md

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development, Social Transformation

Publisher: BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

UPG & Me: 20 Years of the Graduation Approach | Personal Reflections of Dr Imran Matin

UPG & Me: 20 Years of the Graduation Approach | Personal Reflections of Dr Imran Matin

  • 17 October 2022

As BRAC celebrates 20 years of the ultra-poor graduation (UPG) program within the broader context of the Golden Jubilee of BRAC and Bangladesh last year, I reflect on how my intimate involvement with the program in its formative years has fundamentally shaped my approach to the problem of poverty and, more generally, development and my lifelong passion for learning from people and their lived realities as a principle source of knowledge to design solutions that work.

Remembering November 1970: Catastrophe, Governance and Development

Remembering November 1970: Catastrophe, Governance and Development

  • 17 November 2021

Exploring a New Governance Agenda: What Are the Questions that Matter?

Exploring a New Governance Agenda: What Are the Questions that Matter?

  • 5 October 2021

কোভিড-১৯ এর সামাজিক সংকট: স্বাস্থ্য সুরক্ষা আর অর্থনীতির ভারসাম্য: একটি ২০ দফা প্রস্তাব

কোভিড-১৯ এর সামাজিক সংকট: স্বাস্থ্য সুরক্ষা আর অর্থনীতির ভারসাম্য: একটি ২০ দফা প্রস্তাব

  • 5 May 2020

An Early Evaluation of BRAC’s New Poor Programme

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD, Narayan C. Das, PhD, Nusrat Jahan, Mohima Gomes, Tanvir Shatil

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Economic Development, Ultra-Poor Graduation

Impact Assessment of BRAC’s Disability Inclusive Ultra-Poor Graduation (DIUPG) Programme

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD, Narayan C. Das, PhD, Sheikh Touhidul Haque, PhD, Semab Rahman

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Social Transformation, Ultra-Poor Graduation

The State of Learning in Bangladesh

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, PhD, Marjan Hossain, Hossain Zillur Rahman

Topic(s): COVID-19, Social Transformation, Education

COVID-19 Infections in the Slums: An Anthropological Exploration

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Shahaduz Zaman, PhD, Faruq Hossain, Imran Matin, PhD

Topic(s): COVID-19

Political Economy of COVID-19 Governance in Bangladesh

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Mirza M. Hassan, PhD, Mohammad Sirajul Islam, Syeda Salina Aziz, Siddiqur Rahman Osmani, PhD, Maheen Sultan, Iffat Jahan Antara, Shahaduz Zaman, PhD, Faruq Hossain, Imran Matin, PhD

Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics

Identity, Agency and Networks in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model in Bangladesh: Experimental Assessment of Varying Coaching Intensity and Village Assistance Committees (VAC)

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD, Narayan C. Das, PhD, Munshi Sulaiman, PhD, Atiya Rahman (On study leave)

Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Ultra-Poor Graduation

Governance Within Forcibly Displaced Communities: Evidence From Rohingya Refugee Camps

Status: Ongoing

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Humanitarian

Are the Youth of Bangladesh Agents of Change? Youth Survey 2018

Status: Completed

Researcher(s): Imran Matin, PhD, Narayan C. Das, PhD, Nusrat Jahan, Anindita Bhattacharjee, Md. Shakil Ahmed

Topic(s): Skills and Jobs, Social Transformation, BRAC Programs

Historicizing BRAC

Historicizing BRAC is an ambitious project that aims to meticulously document BRAC's approach to development, growth trajectory, and critical inflection points through historical accounts of the organization's major development programs. It is an investigation and attempt to theorize BRAC’s navigation as well as sustainability within the context of changing socio-economic and political realities.

Hope - আশা

The bilateral chair application involves Swansea University and two institutes within BRAC University, BIGD, and BRAC IED (BRAC Institute of Educational Development). BIGD has a small but growing portfolio of research on psychological and mental health as an instrument for socio-economic development. BIGD and BRAC IED teams will work closely in partnership on the design and content development for the website. We intend to investigate key features of successful long-standing research websites and the websites of relevant organizations and to communicate with our intended audience from the onset.

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