ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter Launch Ceremony
ISSUP Bangladesh presents the launch of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter. Organised in collaboration with Dhaka Ahsania Mission, the ceremony will bring together national and international experts, policymakers, youth leaders, and development partners working in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support.
Date: Thursday, 5th March 2026
Time: 3:00 PM Bangladesh | 9:00 AM London
The event is organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and will bring together national and international experts, policymakers, youth leaders, and development partners working in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support.
The ceremony will be chaired by Prof. Dr. MA Mohit Kamal, Chairman of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter, a distinguished psychiatrist and psychotherapist with extensive national and international experience in mental health care.
The program will begin with registration at 2:30 pm, followed by a welcome address and presentation on the host organization by Mr. Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and WASH Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and Member Secretary of the National Advisory Committee, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter.
Speech will be delivered by Dr. Quazi Lutful Kabir, Vice Chairman of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter and Chief Consultant of the Central Drug Addiction Treatment Center (CTC) under the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), along with a representative from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
A brief presentation on ISSUP Global and its objectives will be shared by Mrs. Joanna Travis-Roberts, Chief Executive of ISSUP, followed by an open discussion session.
The event will feature a youth address by Ms. Marjana Muntaha, Chair of the Youth Standing Committee, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter. She is a passionate youth advocate and public health volunteer from Bangladesh, actively engaged in substance use prevention, tobacco control, road safety, and other public health initiatives at national and international levels through the Health Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission. She also serves as Coordinator of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing.
Special addresses will be delivered by Mr. Md Abu Taher, Member of the National Advisory Committee, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter, who has been serving since March 2020 as National Programme Coordinator (Drugs and HIV/AIDS) at UNODC Bangladesh; Prof. Dr. Golam Rahman, President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission; and Dr. Olha Myshakivska, National Chapters Coordinator, ISSUP.
The ceremony will also include the formal declaration of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter Committee by Mr. Iqbal Masud, followed by the unveiling of the chapter logo and a group photo session. The program will conclude with closing remarks and a vote of thanks by the Chair of the National Advisory Committee, Bangladesh National Chapter.
This launching ceremony marks an important milestone in strengthening professional collaboration, advancing evidence-based practices, and building a coordinated national platform to address substance use and related public health challenges in Bangladesh.
Presenters:
Prof. Dr. MA Mohit Kamal - Chairman, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter
Prof. Dr. MA Mohit Kamal is a distinguished psychiatrist and psychotherapist with extensive national and international experience in mental health care. He holds MBBS, M.Phil (Psychiatry), and FCPS (Psychiatry) qualifications and serves as Professor of Psychotherapy and Senior Chief Consultant in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.
He is the former Head of Psychotherapy and former Academic Course Director of MD (Psychiatry), and previously served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dhaka. Dr. Kamal is a specialist in psychiatry and drug addiction treatment.
Internationally, he is an International Associate of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), a Fellow of the World Psychiatric Association (FWPA), a Fellow of the World Health Organization (FWHO), an International Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (IFAPA), and a Member of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).
Mr. Iqbal Masud - Secretary, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter
Mr. Iqbal Masud is a senior public health professional with over 27 years of experience, specializing in substance use prevention, treatment, and policy reform. He serves as Director of Health and WASH at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, where he oversees drug treatment and rehabilitation services and leads national initiatives to strengthen addiction care.
An internationally certified addiction professional and Global Master Trainer under the Colombo Plan’s Universal Treatment Curriculum, he has contributed to national drug policy reform as a member of the Drug Control Law Amendment Committee under the Department of Narcotics Control.
He is the Secretary and Lead of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter and President of SANJOG, a national network of drug treatment and rehabilitation centers, working to promote evidence-based practice and professional development in the addiction field.
Dr. Quazi Lutful Kabir - Vice-Chairman, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter
Dr. Quazi Lutful Kabir is the Chief Consultant of the Central Drug Addiction Treatment Center (CTC) under the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). He is a dedicated clinician with extensive experience in addiction treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery services.
Over the years, he has been actively involved in strengthening evidence-based approaches to substance use disorder management in Bangladesh. His work focuses on improving quality of care, capacity building for professionals, and promoting coordinated responses to drug dependence treatment and prevention.
Mr. Md AbuTaher - Member, National Advisory Committee, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter
Mr. Md AbuTaher has been working with UNODC Bangladesh since March 2020 as National Programme Coordinator (Drugs and HIV/AIDS). He has over twenty-two years of experience in the fields of drugs, public health, labour rights in the ready-made garments sector, women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, migration and development, and governance and system strengthening.
Prior to his work with UNODC Bangladesh, Mr. Taher worked with CARE International in Bangladesh for around nineteen years in different capacities on various development issues. He has strong working experience with both public and private donors and UN agencies, including EC, DFID, USAID, UNICEF, Galeries Lafayette, Walmart, GAP, and H&M.
Academically, Mr. Taher obtained a Master’s degree in Sociology from Dhaka University and a professional Master’s degree in Governance Studies from Dhaka University.
Mr. Md AbuTaher has been working with UNODC Bangladesh since March 2020 as a National Programme Coordinator for Drugs and HIV/AIDS. He has over 22 years of experience in the fields of drugs and health, community empowerment, and human rights. He is a member of the advisory group of the Network of People Who Use Drugs.
Prof. Dr. Golam Rahman is a Bangladeshi academic and institutional leader best known for his role as President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, one of Bangladesh’s major non-government social development organisations.
Dr. Rahman has served in several high-profile leadership positions in education and development. He is the President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, where he guides strategy and partnerships across the mission’s education, health, and welfare programmes. He also chairs the governing body of Ahsania Mission Medical College, championing high standards in medical training and services connected to the organisation’s broader health objectives.
Beyond Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Prof. Rahman has been involved in higher education governance at multiple institutions. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for universities associated with the mission, including Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, where his leadership reinforces academic quality and institutional growth. Previously, he served as Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University, bringing extensive experience in university administration and academic policy.
Marjana Muntaha - Chair, Youth Standing Committee, ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter
Marjana Muntaha is a passionate youth advocate and public health volunteer from Bangladesh, holding BBA and MBA degrees in Human Resource Management. She is actively engaged in substance use prevention, tobacco control, road safety, and other public health initiatives at both national and international levels through the Health Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission.
There, she serves as a youth leader, facilitator, and Coordinator of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing.
She is a Global Young Ambassador for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and a participant in ASCEND: Leadership Development for the Future of Tobacco Control (2nd Cohort), organised by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work reflects a strong commitment to advancing public health and empowering youth leadership globally.
Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.