Dalia Rahman is an economist by training and currently working as a Research Fellow at the Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID). She is also the founder Chairperson of Agroho, a Non-Profit Organization in Bangladesh working for the Poor. She has served as a Research Associate at the Centre on Budget and Policy at the University of Dhaka under REACH project on ‘Water Security for the Poor’ being implemented by University of Oxford, BUET and University of Dhaka from March 2018 to December 2019. Dalia completed her Bachelor with Honours in Economics from American International University of Bangladesh and obtained Master in Development Studies at BRAC University. She received several prestigious scholarships for her outstanding academic results. Dalia was awarded Vice Chancellor Gold Medal for achieving the highest grade in MDS in year 2019 at BRAC University.

Dalia’s research interests are issues related to Development Economics particularly on social protection, water and sanitation, poverty reduction, entrepreneurship development, health services, women empowerment, green business, etc. She has recently undertaken a research project on ‘Determinants on Quality Hospitals in Bangladesh: Private vs. Public, as a member of the team at BRAC University. She also prepared the paper on Contacting with Open Source of Water: Causes and Consequences? Prepared in 2019 under the Oxford University REACH project being implemented by BUET and University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dalia has worked as a gender analyst in various studies such as, UNDP supported Planning Commission study on ‘Diagnostics for Urban Poverty and the Social Security Needs of the Urban Poor in Bangladesh’, (July to December 2019);  UNCEF supported Planning Commission study on ‘Analysis of the situation (SitAn) of children in Bangladesh 2019 (May to December 2019); The Asia Foundation supported studies on ‘Policy Analysis on Bangladesh Bank’s SME Development Strategy and its Effectiveness in Promoting Institutional Financial Facilities for Women Entrepreneurs’ (September 2019 to December 2019) and ‘Promoting Decent Work and Acceptable Working Conditions in the Tannery Sector in Bangladesh: Tannery Sector and its Relocation’, (January 2019 to April 2019) commissioned to Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID).  She is a core research team member of Open Budget Survey 2019 for Bangladesh chapter being conducted by Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), Dhaka with the support from International Budget Partnership (IBP), Washington D.C.

Dalia has participated in several national and international conferences, seminars and workshops on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Green Business, Inclusive Growth, ICT Policy, Women Empowerment, Leather Sector, Corporate Social Responsibility and so on. She has recently participated in Water Security and Poverty Conference 2019, University of Oxford held on 27-29 March 2019. She also participated in SANEM-World Bank North America Discussion Forum, held on 7 September 2018 in The World Bank Headquarters, Washington D.C.

Dalia is a prolific writer contributing to National Dailies. Her most recent publications include i) Meeting private sector health care challenges, The Financial Express, July 27, 2018; ii) Foreign aid effectiveness and Bangladesh, The Financial Express, December 4, 2017.