At its first meeting on January 18, 2026, BAPA announced its new 46-member Central Executive Committee for the 2026-2027 term. Presided over by Vice President Dr. Nazrul Islam, the meeting selected Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder as President and Md. Alamgir Kabir as General Secretary, ensuring leadership continuity while reshaping the committee to reflect evolving environmental priorities and grassroots representation.
Dr. Talukder’s re-election reflects recognition of his leadership through escalating environmental challenges. His tenure has balanced engagement with government initiatives and independent scientific critique, as seen in BAPA’s support for the Sundarbans while questioning the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Recovery Plan. He has integrated diverse stakeholders, government advisers, scientists, activists, and communities, into the organization. His renewed presidency signifies a commitment to building institutional capacity for environmental governance at a time when it has become a central electoral issue.
The confirmation of Md. Alamgir Kabir as General Secretary affirms his pivotal administrative role in coordinating BAPA’s nationwide operations. Having served as General Secretary of the Central Committee, a member of the National Conference Preparation Committee, and chief moderator for recent citizens’ meetings, he provides the organizational backbone. His re-election reflects the understanding that effective environmental governance requires sophisticated administrative capacity, managing meetings, coordinating branches, documenting deliberations, and translating policy into action. His tenure is marked by transparent communication, meticulous record-keeping, and the systematic integration of grassroots testimony into policy formulation.
The 46-member committee’s composition reflects a deliberate strategy to incorporate diverse constituencies and geographical representation. It includes foundational BAPA leadership, Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, Professor M. Feroze Ahmed, and Professor Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman, ensuring continuity with the organization’s intellectual core. The inclusion of established academics and researchers, such as Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Professor Dr. Saleh Ahmed Tanveer, Professor Dr. M. Shahidul Islam, Professor Dr. Manjurul Kibria, Professor Anu Muhammad, and Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, reinforces BAPA’s grounding in peer-reviewed environmental science and policy analysis.
The committee also explicitly incorporates representatives from grassroots environmental movements across Bangladesh’s vulnerable zones. S. M. Mizanur Rahman of the Baral River Protection Movement and Faridul Islam Farid of the Teesta River Protection Committee hold central positions, ensuring field-based activism directly informs policy. This reflects BAPA’s conviction that environmental governance must be rooted in communities experiencing ecological degradation. Mizanur Rahman’s two-decade campaign, which secured the landmark 2019 High Court ruling and sluice gate removal, exemplifies the blend of scientific understanding and persistent grassroots mobilization that BAPA aims to institutionalize.
