Founder and Executive Director
Integrated Development Foundation (IDF)
Zahirul Alam, Founder of IDF started his career with Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus as the founder member-secretary of the Rural Economics Program (REP) of the Department of Economics of Chittagong University from where Grameen Bank Model was developed in 1973. He completed his Master’s with honours in Economics from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1975. He left REP in March 1976 to join Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) as Action Research Fellow . He worked in BARD on building a sustainable Microfinance Institution for the poor for about 8 years and then joined ILO in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 1984 as a Specialist in Income Distribution and Basic Needs Related Issues and later as Economist in 1989.
Founder of IDF delivered his speech in GF-USA award ceremony held in Barlin on 14th September 2004.
He came back to Bangladesh in 1992 to work for the poor and disadvantaged people of backward, difficult and un-served areas of Bangladesh and established Integrated Development Foundation (IDF) in the same year which is now not only a leading MFI in Bangladesh, it has also developed a model for the poor people of hilly, remote and difficult areas. Now he is working as Executive Director at Integrated Development Foundation (IDF). He is also author of many reports, papers and participated in many national and international seminars and workshops.
Mr. Zahirul Alam worked with Nobel Laureate Prof.Muhammad Yunus in Rural Economics Program (REP) at Economics department of Chittagong University as the 1st Member-Secretary.
Sweden Ambassador Mr. Borje Matson and Mrs. Lota Matson are in a center meeting of IDF at Rangamati district.
The First Lady of South Africa was visiting IDF stall in PKSF international Microcredit Seminar on January 2003.
Founder of IDF, Mr.Zahirul Alam along with other honorable guest in GF-USA award ceremony in Barlin, Germany.
Founder of IDF along with Queen Sofia of Spain and Nobel Laureate Muhammed Younus at Global Social Business Summit-2017 in Paris.
Australian High commissioner and US-AID mission chief along with founder, IDF in a non-formal education center of IDF.
Founder of IDF Joined in “Asia Pacific Micro-credit Summit Meeting of Councils “ as a resource person held on 16th -19th February 2004 in Dhaka.
Founder of IDF joined in a meeting of ITCAN held on 28th December 2004 in Manila.
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammed Younus with his beloved student Mr. Zahirul Alam, Founder of IDF.