Meet the Board of Directors

The BACHAO Board of Directors is made up of like-minded entrepreneurs & professionals engaged in providing basic education and healthcare to the underprivileged men, women, and children in Bangladesh. The Board of Directors along with the BACHAO Advisory Committee work diligently to decide which charity endeavors to pursue.

Dr. Saiful Islam, President / Director
Dr. Saiful Islam is the founding president of BACHAO and the founding principal of Saiful/Bouquet, Inc., a consulting structural engineering firm based in Pasadena, California. He received a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) and joined BUET as a lecturer. He received his Masters and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University and did post-doctoral research at Cornell University. He has been a practicing structural engineer in Los Angeles since 1989.
Mr. Mohammed A. Chowdhury, P.E., Secretary / Director
Mr. Mohammed Ali Chowdhury is the Founding Secretary and Director of BACHAO. He is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer in California. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Trine University, Angola, Indiana. He serves the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as a Project Manager. He has been actively involved in several social and charitable organizations both in US and Bangladesh.
Dr. Salahuddin Ahmed, Treasurer / Director
‍Dr. Salahuddin Ahmed is the founding Treasurer and Director of BACHAO. He received a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from BUET, a Masters and a PhD degree from University of Toledo, Ohio. He is a registered Professional Engineer in California. He is actively involved in various professional and charitable activities both in the USA and abroad. He has been a US residents for over four decades, over three of which is in Los Angeles area.
Mr. Kazi Asad Mamun, Director of Communication / Director
Kazi Asadul Mamun is a higher education administrator who specializes in developing academic programs and student development. He worked at USC’s College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Marshall School of Business and eventually as Assistant Dean of the School of Business at UC Riverside. During his professional career he was on the Board of Directors of the National Academic Advising Association winning several national awards for his work in program development and academic advising. Before coming to North America, Mr. Mamun was a member of Bangladesh Civil Service (Administrative Cadre). He has degrees from Dhaka University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Southern California. He joined BACHAO Board of Directors in 2010.He is currently retired and spends his time exclusively with charitable projects.
Mr. Jalil Khan, Director
Mr. Jalil Khan is a Transportation Engineer at CALTRANS. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from BUET. Mr. Khan is a Past President of the American Association of Bangladeshi Engineers and Architects (AABEA). He also served twice as elected President of the Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), Los Angeles Section. He is involved in several local organizations serving the Bangladeshi-American community. He provides charity work in Bangladesh.
Mr. Reza Kibria, Director
Mr. Reza Kibria is an Operations/ Supply Chain professional and recently transitioned to higher education working for USC Marshall School of Business as Associate Director, Corporate Relations. In the past, he worked for Medtronic, Avery Dennison and Stanley Black & Decker. He has a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur and a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.
Ms. Elana Gofran, Director
Ms. Elana Gofran received a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has been involved in charities since her childhood, and believes that hope is the best gift one can give. She received advanced education in child development and has been working as a preschool director for the last 13 years. She is a member of Tricounty Directors Association, Inland Empire Chapter. She works with children, teaching them at early age that there is a joy in giving.
Mr. Ahm Qutubuddin, Director
Ahm Qutubuddin is a medical device developer and has been in the medical device industry for the last 20 years. Previous to that he was in the aerospace and instrumentation industry for 10 years. He has received a certificate in medical product development from the University of California, Irvine, a Bachelor’s in EE from Cal State Los Angeles, and a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. He has lifetime teaching credential from State of California in computer and computer related technologies and served as a lecturer at Cal State Los Angeles and Pasadena City College. Along with supporting several charitable causes and scholarship programs locally and internationally, he is also a member of the Board of Directors for Mount San Antonio College Foundation in Walnut, California.
Dr. Roksana Karim, Director
Dr. Roksana Karim is an Associate Professor in Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. She was trained as a physician in the Dhaka Medical College (DMC), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Karim received her Master’s and Doctoral degree in Epidemiology from USC. In addition to teaching, Dr. Karim has extensive experience in clinical and translational epidemiologic research and has published over 50 original articles in major health journals. She deeply cares about the underprivileged and underserved population in Bangladesh, particularly women and children, and is committed to making a difference in their lives through BACHAO.
Ms. Zohra Akhter, Director
Zohra Akhter is a Senior Architect and the Departmental Chief Sustainability Officer at the Bureau of Engineering, City of Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Architecture and focused her career on implementing sustainable design. Currently, she is leading the ambitious effort to create a roadmap for decarbonizing the City’s existing and new municipal buildings. Zohra Akhter has made significant civic contributions that underscore her commitment to sustainable development and community service, including serving on the Board of Directors of the United States Green Building Council—Los Angeles Chapter, supporting the Tsunami Reconstruction Project, 2005 to 2006, with Engineers without Borders among others. She has been a proactive BACHAO volunteer since 2019 and is fully committed to utilizing her professional experience and qualifications to support BACHAO activities in Bangladesh.