Ms. Mahmuda Akhter is one of the founding members and also the Executive Director of the Institute of Child and Human Development (ICHD). She is also the Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN), the Convener of South Asia Forum of Early Childhood Development Professionals (SAFECDP) and Country Liaison of Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). She is a member of National ECCD Technical Committee under Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. She was the founding Head of ECD Resource Centre at BRAC Institute of Educational Development, BRAC University from 2005 to 2011. She was also a member of Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) Steering Committee (2008-2016) and Member Secretary of Bangladesh ECD Network (2005-2017). She worked for Plan Bangladesh as ECD Specialist (1997-2004).

Ms. Mahmuda has been playing a key advisory role on behalf of Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN) as a part of technical support to the Feasibility Analysis and DPP Development Process of the proposed project - "Scaling-up of Integrated Community Based Child-Care Centers and Swim-Safe Facilities for Protection of Children" under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. She is also providing technical support to UNICEF supported project ‘Mothers@Work programme’ of Phulki in developing ELDS based curriculum including age specific developmentally appropriate material list for early stimulation of at birth to 3 years old children, a manual for parenting education (breastfeeding, nutrition, health, protection, early stimulation and learning), a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and a checklist for administrative monitoring and for monitoring developmental progress of at birth to 3 years old children. She has been playing a significant role in planning with Bangladesh ECD Network for the development of Day Care Centre Guideline and its supervision and monitoring framework under the Early Learning for Child Development Project Phase III of Bangladesh Shishu Academy under Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. She led the technical support to GIZ Bangladesh on developing Day Care Operation Manual, providing training for caregivers of garments factories’ day care centres and material packages for the day care centres. She also provided the similar support to “20 Child Day Care Centre Project” of Department of Women Affairs under Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.

Ms. Mahmuda did her bachelor and masters in science from the University of Dhaka. She received professional courses on child development, special education, speech therapy, English as Second language for children and child-to-child approach from the Southampton University, London University, and Society for Rehabilitation and Research of the Handicapped New Delhi. Under her guidance, a significant number of research studies was conducted in the field of Early Childhood Development. She had a lead role in designing and developing the Post Graduate Certificate, Diploma and Master Degree Program in Early Childhood Development at BRAC IED jointly with Columbia University USA and Open Society Institute London. She has been working as a faculty in this program of BIED, BRAC University since 2008. She has contributed as a member of the Committees on formulation of Pre-primary curriculum guideline under Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) and Comprehensive ECCD Policy under Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.