After spending seven years at United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh, Khurshid Alam is moving on from the role of Assistant Resident Representative (ARR) to serve as the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR) of UNDP Bhutan. Alam’s career as a humanitarian spans over two decades, with experience in a diverse range of organisations, from government agencies to international NGOs. He has worked in forty countries, and soon he will be adding another country to that list.

On the eve of Alam’s departure from UNDP Bangladesh, we sat down with our wonderful colleague to discuss his journey so far, as well as the exciting journey that lays ahead of him.

A big transition awaits you. How are you feeling?

I have conflicting emotions today. I am excited to be undertaking a leadership position at UNDP after going through such a rigorous assessment. But I also feel that I will dearly miss IDB. I will miss the momentum of Bangladesh, the fact that we would start a lot of new projects considering the country is at a crossroads with graduation from least-developed status and economic development. I see a lot of opportunities everywhere I look in Bangladesh, but there are also many, many challenges. I am leaving at such an interesting time for my motherland that I feel a sense of melancholy both professionally and personally. I love Dhaka, I love my friends here. That’s why I keep coming back to this city despite working in around 40 countries all over the world.

But this is not to say I am not excited about my new role. I feel a sense of satisfaction at knowing I did very well in the assessment for the role. On one hand, I am excited, on the other I feel the sadness of having to leave home. Every day I count how much time I have left in Bangladesh.

Speaking of numbered days, your colleagues at UNDP Bangladesh are also counting the few more days we have left with you. Do you remember your first day here? How was it?

I remember the date and the details. It was a very exciting day -- May 1, 2014. I was ushered in by Dr Aminul Islam, then a senior adviser for UNDP Bangladesh. It was a very interesting moment for me, I always had this idea of IDB as a building that towers over the old airport, and every time I visited as a consultant I would see that view. On my first day as an employee for UNDP Bangladesh, Dr Aminul took me to a room at the back. It was big and beautiful room, but I told Amin Bhai I didn’t want that space.

I wanted a room that overlooked the old airport! So, I said that to Amin Bhai and he said, “Khurshid, on the very first day you’re saying this! This is the biggest and nicest room that we kept just for you!”

It was a very memorable day for me from that point onwards, and the entire journey has given one good memory after another ever since.

What drew you to humanitarian work, and UNDP Bangladesh?

I feel that some context on my life is necessary before I answer this question. I grew up in Rangpur, in a family that was deeply entrenched in the politics of that time. My father held a government job, but he was also a left-leaning leader who spoke for labour rights. From a very young age, I was exposed to culture and the pursuit of knowledge, and I was taught the value of hard work. Since my childhood, I had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I would spend hours and hours in the library, trying to make sense of the world around me. My upbringing was very focused on social change and movements, and while growing up I focused on building technical skills.

I, too, became involved in politics during my college and university days. I was vocal against the dictatorial regime in Bangladesh at the time. But all throughout, I did not give up on my studies.

After completing my education at Jahangirnagar University, I became more entrenched in humanitarian work. I worked at a public health centre for about two years before joining ActionAid. While at ActionAid, I played an instrumental role in the response to the 1998 flood.

I then took on a role with the organisation in London, and from then on, I haven’t looked back. I played a major role in bringing UK NGOs together to shape the Hyogo framework for action. I became a master in lobbying for the intergovernmental process and negotiation.

And finally, I was headhunted by UNDP, and after a few interviews, I decided to join this organisation because I felt that I needed a bigger platform for change. I also wanted to move forward in my career in the direction of international civil service. So here I am still, serving the international community with my humanitarian work.

What would you say have been your biggest achievements as an ARR of UNDP Bangladesh?

Personally, this has been a job that has provided me satisfaction and fulfillment. I felt that I wasn’t working for a boss or a supervisor, rather for a cause and a bigger purpose of sustainable development.

I’d list three things as my biggest achievements here. Firstly, I was able to recruit people who were culturally fit for their roles and had the skills required for their roles. These recruits have been able to take our work to new heights. Secondly, I expanded our partnerships. And finally, I played a major role in the scaling up and growth of UNDP. I created the right pipeline for resource mobilisation, ideation and fundraising.

My legacy has been the scaling up approach. I promoted system thinking in my team and expanded UNDP’s partnerships to the private sector and civil society.

Khurshid bhai, leave us with some advice for young development professionals and for your colleagues.

I always advise young people to not be headquarter-based. Don’t stay in the comfort zone of your office. Go out, meet people of various vocations and backgrounds, find mentors who will help you in your goal. Seek job satisfaction and fulfilment from the work you do.

Do not be afraid. Learn how to say no, learn how to deliver difficult words politely. Always strive for a balance between knowledge and skills. In the next five years, I want to see my UNDP Bangladesh colleagues move up to the global and national levels to bring sustainable changes.

Today’s young people are much more talented than us, so I have full faith in you all to succeed.