Maheen Sutan is a Senior Fellow of Practice at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.
She is one of the founders of the Centre for Gender and Social Transformation—a regional centre on research, teaching and policy related to gender and social transformation—at the BRAC Development Institute, BRAC University.
Maheen Sultan has been a development practitioner with over 25 years of experience working for NGOs, the UN, Grameen Bank, and the Bangladesh Government in a range of capacities, from direct program management to policy formulation. She has worked on issues of social development, poverty, civil society and community participation, and gender equality. She is a member of Naripokkho, a Bangladeshi women’s activist organisation, and the co-editor of Voicing Demands: Feminist Activism in Transitional Contexts (Zed Books: London, 2014).
Date: 2025
Author(s): Roelen, Keetie; Rohwerder, Brigitte; Al Mamun, Saklain; Sultan, Maheen
Publisher: Journal of Poverty and Social Justice
Date: 2025
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Roy Nath, Shravasti; Rabbi, Abu Sayem; Islam, Mohaiminul
Publisher: Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2025
Author(s): Hassan, Mirza; Aziz; Syeda Salina; Shahan, Asif; Proma, Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy; Nur, Jahid; Tasnim, Sumaiya; Ahamed, Raihan
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2025
Author(s): Adiba, Afsana; Ahmed, Shakil; Das, Narayan; Islam, Md. Karimul; Mozumder, Tanvir Ahmed; Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Publisher: Journal of Development Studies
Date: 2025
Author(s): Islam, Mohammad Sirajul; Proma, Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2024
Author(s): Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Sultan, Maheen; Jahan, Nusrat
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2024
Author(s): Hossain, Faruq; Asrar, Jumana; Proma, Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy; Zaman, Shahaduz
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2024
Author(s): Rashid, Mufassir; Tasnim, Nishat; Proma, Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy
Publisher: Journal of Global Politics and Current Diplomacy
Date: 2024
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Mahpara, Pragyna
Publisher: Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2024
Author(s): Roelen, Keetie; Ahmed, Md. Shakil; Chowdhury, Kabita; Diwakar, Vidya; Huq, Lopita; Al Mamun, Saklain; Rabbi, Abu Sayem; Tahreen Rahman, Nuzaba; Rownak, Raisa; Sultan, Maheen; Sumanthiran, Shilohni
Publisher: Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2023
Author(s): Adiba, Afsana; Ahmed, Md. Shakil; Das, Narayan Chandra; Islam, Md. Karimul; Mozumder, Tanvir Ahmed; Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Roelen, Keetie; Al Mamun, Saklain; Chowdhury, Kabita; Diwakar, Vidya; Rabbi, Abu Sayem; Rownak, Raisa; Sultan, Maheen; Sumanthiran, Shilohni
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Roelen, Keetie; Al Mamun, Saklain; Chowdhury, Kabita; Diwakar, Vidya; Rabbi, Abu Sayem; Rownak, Raisa; Sultan, Maheen; Sumanthiran, Shilohni
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Mahpara, Pragyna
Publisher: BIGD,Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2023
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Islam, Touhidul
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Mahpara, Pragyna
Publisher: IDS Bulletin
Date: 2023
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Islam, Touhidul
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Islam, Touhidul
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2023
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen; Chowdhury, Nobonita
Publisher: Development in Practice
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Akter, Marufa; Mahpara, Pragyna; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Tasnin, Fariha; Hossain, Sara; Titir, Abdullah; Sidddiki, Esrat Jahan; Antor, Sadiul Islam
Publisher: BIGD,GIZ Bangladesh
Date: 2022
Author(s): Rahman, Sultan Hafeez; Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Topic(s): Economic Development, Macroeconomics
Publisher: SN Business & Economics
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Huq, Lopita; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur; Arman, Md. Raied
Topic(s): Social Transformation, COVID-19
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2022
Author(s): Oosterom, Marjoke; Huq, Lopita; Namuggala, Victoria Flavia; Nazneen, Sohela; Nankindu, Prosperous; Sultan, Maheen; Sultana, Asifa; Azim, Firdous
Topic(s): Gender Justice
Publisher: Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Huq, Lopita; Sultana, Asifa, Al Mamun; Saklain
Topic(s): Gender Justice
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Huq, Lopita; Sultana, Asifa, Al Mamun; Saklain
Topic(s): Gender Justice
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2022
Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Faruk, Avinno; Matin, Imran
Topic(s): COVID-19, Economic Development
Publisher: BIGD,Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Mahpara, Pragyna; Tasnin, Fariha
Topic(s): COVID-19, Gender Justice
Publisher: BIGD,Institute of Development Studies
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Aktar, Taslima; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Noshin, Maliha; Nath, Shravasti Roy; Labib, Mahir; Islam, Md Zahirul; Kabir, Farhana; Huq, Lopita; Hossain, Md Rakib; Chowdhury, Kabita; Arman, Md Raied; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Mamun, Saklain Al
Topic(s): Social Transformation
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2022
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Akter, Marufa; Mahpara, Pragyna.; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Tasnin, Fariha; Hossain, Sara; Titir, Abdullah; Sidddiki, Esrat Jahan; & Antor, Sadiul Islam
Topic(s): Gender Justice, COVID-19
Publisher: BIGD,GIZ Bangladesh
Date: 2022
Author(s): Baird, Sarah; Murphy, Maureen; Seager, Jennifer; Jones, Nicola; Malhotra, Anju; Alheiwidi, Sarah; Emirie, Guday; Rashid, Sabina; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): Gender Justice, COVID-19
Publisher: Journal of Adolescent Health
Date: 2021-2023
Author(s): Dr Shahaduz Zaman; Faruq Hossain; Fariza Rahman; Md. Rohmotul Islam; Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy Proma; Jumana Asrar; and Ajmain Fayak Al Nasif
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2021
Author(s): Guglielmi, Silvia; Seager, Jennifer; Sultan, Maheen; Alam, Farhana; Baird, Sarah; Jones, Nicola; Asaduzzaman, T.M.; Ramachandran, Deepika; Sabarwal, Shwetlena
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2021
Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Islam, Md. Saiful; Arman, Md. Raied
Topic(s): Economic Development, Gender Justice
Publisher: Research in Applied Economics
Date: 2021
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Akter, Marufa; Mahpara, Pragyna; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Tasnin, Fariha
Topic(s): Gender Justice, COVID-19
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2021
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Saeger, Jennifer; Rashid, Sabina F.; Haque, Mohammed Ashraful; Khondaker, Sahida
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Skills and Jobs
Publisher: European Journal of Development Research
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
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
Date: 2021
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen, Akter, Marufa; Mahpara, Pragyna; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Tasnin, Fariha
Topic(s): Gender Justice, COVID-19
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2021
Author(s): Jones, Nicola; Tapia, Ingrid Sanchez; Baird, Sarah; Guglielmi, Silvia; Oakley, Erin; Yadete, Workneh Abebe; Sultan, Maheen; Pincock, Kate
Topic(s): Social Transformation, COVID-19
Publisher: International Journal of Educational Development
Date: 2021
Author(s): Huq, Lopita; Khondaker, Sahida; Mahpara, Pragyna; Sultan, Maheen; Khondoker, Zarine Anan; Syed, Samia
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Digitization
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Islam, Md. Saiful
Topic(s): Digitization
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Huq, Lopita; Sultan, Maheen; Khondoker, Zarine Anan
Topic(s): Digitization, Social Transformation
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Rahman, Sultan Hafeez; Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Topic(s): Macroeconomics
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Faruk, Avinno
Topic(s): Macroeconomics, COVID-19
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Baird, Sarah; Seager, Jennifer; Sabarwal, Shwetlena; Guglielmi, Silvia; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): COVID-19, Social Transformation
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE),South Asia Gender Innovation Lab
Date: 2020
Author(s): Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain; Ahamed, Raihan
Topic(s): Climate Change, Cities
Publisher: Environmental Processes
Date: 2020
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Mahpara, Pragyna
Topic(s): Women Empowerment, Social Transformation, Governance
Publisher: Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre (ESID)
Date: 2020
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Chowdhury, Kabita; Naim, Sayada Jannatun; Hossain, Md Shanawez; Islam, Mohammad Sirajul; Huq, Farah
Topic(s): COVID-19, Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2020
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Hossain, Md Shanawez; Islam, Mohammad Sirajul; Chowdhury, Kabita; Naim, Jannatun; Huq, Farah
Topic(s): COVID-19, Social Transformation, Governance and Politics
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2019
Author(s): Hassan, Mirza; Sultan, Maheen; Hasan, Bayazid; Mahmud, Erina; Razzaque, Farhana; Jahan, Miskat; Khondaker, Sahida Islam; Acharjee, Susmita
Topic(s): Governance and Politics
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2019
Author(s): Alam, Farhana; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Camfield, Laura; Sultan, Maheen; Farzana, Malisha; Zafar, Anushka; Hossain, Riaz; Muz, Jennifer
Topic(s): Disability, Social Transformation, Skills and Jobs, Cities
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2019
Author(s): Alam, Farhana; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Camfield, Laura; Sultan, Maheen; Muz, Jennifer
Topic(s): Disability, Social Transformation
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2019
Author(s): Khondaker, Sahida; Camfield, Laura; Sultan, Maheen; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Muz, Jennifer
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Economic Development
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2019
Author(s): Mohammad, Zia; Sultan, Maheen; Camfield, Laura; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Muz, Jennifer
Topic(s): Disability, Social Transformation
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2019
Author(s): Alam, Farhana; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Camfield, Laura; Sultan, Maheen; Farzana, Malisha; Zafar, Anushka; Hossain, Riaz; Muz, Jennifer
Topic(s): Disability, Social Transformation
Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
Date: 2019
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Shafi, Salma A.; Chowdhury, Kabita; Khondaker, Sahida; Mahpara, Pragyna; Huq, Lopita
Topic(s): Social Transformation
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2016
Author(s): Mahmud, Simeen; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Gender Justice
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2016
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Hasan, Bayazid; Khondaker, Sahida Islam; Enam, Ahmed Asif; Mahmood, Towhid Iqram; Nazneen, Sohela
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Gender Justice, Governance and Politics
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2016
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Jahan, Ferdous
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Gender Justice
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 2016
Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Hasan, Md Bayazid; Khondaker, Sahida Islam; Enam,Ahmed Asif; Mahmood, Towhid Iqram; Nazneen, Sohela
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Gender Justice, Governance and Politics
Publisher: BIGD
Date: 2012
Author(s): Mahmud, Simeen; Sultan, Maheen; Huq, Lopita
Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute
Date: 2011
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute
Date: 2011
Author(s): Hossain, Naomi; Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute
Date: 2011
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen; Hussain, Naomi
Topic(s): BRAC Programs
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute,Pathways of Women's Empowerment
Date: 2011
Author(s): Mahmud, Simeen; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): BRAC Programs
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute,Pathways of Women's Empowerment
Date: 2011
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): BRAC Programs
Date: 2011
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen; Mukhopadhyay, Maitrayee
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute,Pathways of Women's Empowerment
Date: 2010
Author(s): Nazneen, Sohela; Sultan, Maheen
Topic(s): BRAC Programs
Publisher: BRAC Development Institute,Pathways of Women's Empowerment
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Humanitarian, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Gender and Social Development, Gender Justice
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2025
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Year: 2023
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Humanitarian
Year: 2023
Topic(s): Digitization, Economic Development, Social Transformation
Year: 2023
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Skills and Jobs, Social Transformation
Year: 2023
Topic(s): Cities, Humanitarian, Skills and Jobs
Year: 2023
Topic(s): Gender Justice
Year: 2021
Topic(s): Digitization, Gender Justice, Social Transformation
What does justice look like in a country where the legal system is widely seen as politicised? Can reform be meaningful in a context marked by weakened institutions and an institutional culture that discourages transparency and accountability? Can elections, long treated as ends rather than means, be reclaimed as instruments of genuine democratic renewal? The road Bangladesh chooses now will determine whether it emerges from this moment of crisis with a more inclusive political compact or slides further into a more sophisticated form of managed democracy.
Bangladesh’s youth-led civic groups step in where institutions fall short — running food banks, legal aid, and advocacy, often without legal protection or donor access. They navigate bureaucratic barriers, digital threats, and exclusion. Their work deserves more than praise for resilience; it demands structural support, simplified registration, and recognition of their critical role in civic life.
As Bangladesh makes strides towards gender equity, significant gaps remain in ensuring all women benefit from progress. With recent shifts in policies and global support, there is a unique window of opportunity to address these disparities. This blog underscores the importance of seizing this moment to push for transformative changes that will make gender equity a reality for all women in Bangladesh.
Status: Ongoing
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Syeda Salina Aziz, Rabeena Sultana Ananna, Masafi Mustafa Haider
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Gender and Social Development
Status: Ongoing
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Saklain Al Mamun, Taslima Aktar
Topic(s): Governance and Politics
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, PhD, Marjan Hossain
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation, BRAC Programs
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Lopita Huq, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, PhD, Md. Raied Arman, Iffat Jahan Antara
Topic(s): COVID-19, Gender Justice
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Pragyna Mahpara, Iffat Jahan Antara
Topic(s): Gender and Social Development, Gender Justice
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Lopita Huq, Maheen Sultan, Kabita Chowdhury, Saklain Al Mamun, Taslima Aktar
Topic(s): Social Transformation
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
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Pragyna Mahpara
Topic(s): COVID-19, Gender Justice
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Saklain Al Mamun, Maheen Sultan, Taslima Aktar
Topic(s): Gender Justice, COVID-19
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Lopita Huq, Pragyna Mahpara, Saklain Al Mamun, Taslima Aktar
Topic(s): Skills and Jobs, Social Transformation, Gender Justice
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Saklain Al Mamun, Lopita Huq, Kabita Chowdhury
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Mohammad Sirajul Islam
Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation, COVID-19
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Saklain Al Mamun, Taslima Aktar, Kabita Chowdhury
Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Lopita Huq, Pragyna Mahpara, Taslima Aktar, Saklain Al Mamun, Kabita Chowdhury
Topic(s): Digitization, Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Pragyna Mahpara, Iffat Jahan Antara
Topic(s): Gender and Social Development, Gender Justice, Governance and Politics
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan, Lopita Huq, Pragyna Mahpara
Topic(s): BRAC Programs, Gender Justice, Social Transformation
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan
Topic(s): Gender Justice, Governance and Politics, Social Transformation
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Maheen Sultan
Topic(s): Social Transformation, Gender Justice, Governance and Politics
