Highly motivated Urban Planning graduate passionate about creating sustainable and equitable urban spaces!
Highly motivated Urban Planning graduate passionate about creating sustainable and equitable urban spaces!
I am an Urban and Regional Planner with a Bachelor’s degree from Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET) and a strong focus on sustainable urban development. Currently, I contribute to Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd., a leading real estate company in Bangladesh, where I apply my expertise to sustainable business practices and gain insights into urban development dynamics.
My academic and professional journey emphasizes the intersection of urban planning, Human Geography, and community development. My undergraduate thesis on cluster settlements among Bangladeshi minorities culminated in a published research paper, demonstrating my ability to address complex social dynamics through rigorous qualitative and quantitative research.
Proficient in tools like ArcGIS and driven by a passion for meaningful contributions, I aspire to advance my studies in urban planning and Human Geography, focusing on sustainable solutions for communities and the environment.
This portfolio highlights my expertise, research, and commitment to impactful urban development practices.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Research, Development & Compliance Department
@ Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd | January 2024-Ongoing
Responsibilities:
Data Analysis and Visualization: # Prepare land use maps and calculate the Floor Area Ratio (FAR), # Communicate with relevant authorities and stakeholders to make informed decisions on critical lands and provide detailed information on special lands while collaborating with the Architecture, Business Development, and Utility departments, # Create comprehensive location maps post-project site visits, # Obtain approvals and distribute maps to concerned departments and incorporate feedback, # Develop, Update, and Lead the Visual Team to generate videos for displays (Entrance, Lounge, Sales Floor, Standing Display), # Collect data from management and relevant personnel and design and update organograms as needed, # Articles and press release writings as needed, # Presentation Preparation.
Project Management: # Gather monthly news from associated companies and contemporary issues regarding the real estate sector of Bangladesh, # Write and design the complete monthly newsletter, # Prepare the print dummy and obtain the necessary approvals while coordinating with other departments for printing and distribution, # Compile necessary documentation for award submissions, # Departmental organogram preparation.
Compliance Management: # Update ISO files as departments revise their SOPs, # Conduct timely internal audits to ensure adherence to SOPs, # Organize ISO compliance training sessions and perform surprise site visits to verify ISO compliance, # MIS Report generation and maintenance.
Communication and Collaboration: # Maintain regular interdepartmental contact and communication to integrate feedback and documentation, # Inter-group departmental collaboration,
Technical Skills: # Microsoft Office Products (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint), # SPSS, # Arc GIS 10.8, # AutoCAD, # Google SketchUp, # Adobe Illustrator, # Adobe Photoshop, #Filmora.
Research, Development & Compliance Department
@ Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd | February 2021-December 2023
After completing my full-time Research Assistant work, it was a great opportunity to join as an Executive at one of the pioneer companies in the real estate sector in Bangladesh, Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd. Since 1988, Sheltech has been leading the private real estate sector from the front seat with its 18 associate companies.
Responsibilities: # Collect GIS-based field information to analyze the GIS database and prepare different types of maps for higher authority’s decision-making purposes, # Prepare land use maps and FAR calculations, # Communicate for decisions in critical lands with concerned authorities, # Provide detailed information about special lands, # Collaborate with Architecture, Business Development, and Utility Dept., # Collect monthly news from associated companies and prepare newsletter articles, # Design monthly newsletters prepare print dummies and obtain approval, # Create eye-soothing and easy graphic location maps after project visits and collaborate with concerned departments, # Create and update LED display videos for projects and coordinate with Sales and ICT dept., # ISO 9001:2015 Compliance: Coordinate with departments for proper documentation and updating ISO files based on SOP changes, # Conduct timely internal audits and arrange ISO compliance training, # Perform surprise site visits for ISO compliance checks, # Document preparation for awards bidding by collaborating with depts. and Associated Companies, # Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, # Overlooking the whole technical side of online marketing to find new channels for online marketing, # Measuring and reporting the online marketing team's performance after conducting market research and analyzing new project feasibility, # Formulating new strategies for sales with the sales and brand team’s collaboration, # Monitoring ongoing project work and documentation to report the progress and process outcome to the top management, # Database design and analysis using SPSS for socio-economic data.
University Grants Commission (UGC)
July 2019-August 2020
University Grants Commission (UGC) funded a research project titled “Modeling and Measuring the Social License to Operate: An Application of Thompson and Boutilier for Infrastructure Project in Khulna” (Click here to view the full article)
Responsibilities: # Find out the process of the research, # Building a feasible model for the SLO, # Intensive literature review and methodological study, # Remote sensing and mapping to achieve the project objective, # Report writing with qualitative and quantitative analysis to submit to higher authorities, # Extensive survey and monitoring and guiding the survey of the surveyors, # Building a strong working relationship and coordinating effective communication with relevant stakeholders, # Attending continuous Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to understand the extent of the project, # Also running day-to-day activities of the analysis and other research activities to meet the project objective. Presentation of weekly and monthly progress.
Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh
July 2019-August 2020
Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh funded a research project titled “Why NGOs are good at providing health services to the poor? Learning from NGO approach to health service provision in Bangladesh”
Responsibilities: # Find out the process of the research, # Intensive literature review and methodological study, # Extensive physical survey of the patients in public and private hospitals, # Key informant survey and continuous focus group discussion, # Running day-to-day activity of analysis via different statistical software to meet the project objective, # Presentation to the donors, # Arranging different activities and maintaining a proper communication with the service provider to meet the research questions properly.
Being the First child of a lower middle-income family, I had to find a way to get my pocket money during my bachelor's. From the 3rd semester, I started giving tuition to Junior school students. But it was very time-consuming back in Khulna. I started to find new ways. One of my seniors introduced me to freelancing marketplaces. He suggested I do social media marketing as it was the easiest one. But I moved from there and tried to do something related to my study and field. Then I chose this map-making niche. At the very first I was confused about whether people needed a map or not. But after some time, I started to get orders from around the world. I had the experience of map-making cartography from my course lectures and labs. I have applied all these here. I use Adobe Illustrator for my designs. One may wonder why not ArcGIS. ArcGIS is an analytical software and most general people look for maps that are visually soothing and easy to understand rather than making them confused with so much data. That's where my expertise is. You can find out more here!
I have successfully completed 400+ projects on Fiverr and hold a prestigious Level 2 seller badge with many 5-star reviews. Hoping to get the "pro seller" badge in the upcoming year.
Nobolok | May 2018 - June 2018
At the end of the 6th Semester during my Bachelor's study, I did a month-long internship at one of the well-known Non-Governmental Organizations, Nobolok. Nobolok is continuously working for the urban poor in Khulna city. Their main focus is on water supply and sanitation to address the SDG.
During my internship, I was assigned to collect 30 urban slums and 6 schools' water supply and sanitation data for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded WASH4UrbanPoor Project collaborated with WaterAid. My key responsibilities were # An extensive survey of the existing sanitation conditions of a total of 30 slums and 5 schools in the Khulna City Corporation Area where the project will be implemented, #Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key informant survey, # GPS survey for the coordinates of the areas, # GIS mapping of the project areas with important focal point identification, # An existing condition report of the sanitation condition of 30 slums with pictures taken from the site, # Report and map submission and presentation of the existing condition to the authority.
Dr. Md Manjur Morshed | Zaki Arafin | Salima Khan Nafi
Journal of Engineering Science 12(2), 2021, 01-10
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/jes.v12i2.54626
Social license to operate is a measure to engage with and gain acceptance from the stakeholders for large infrastructure projects. The object of this study is to measure social license to operate an infrastructure project in Khulna City, Bangladesh. Predicated on an established model, 16 statements were selected as the basis for measuring the social license to operate. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 44 local stakeholders. Using varimax rotation, five different components were identified: socio-political, economic, procedural fairness, interactional trust, and institutional trust. The model was statistically tested and found to be a medium fit explaining the results. The findings are that the project has gained the socio-political, economic, procedural fairness, and interactional trust of the stakeholders, yet lacks the institutional trust factor to achieve a social license to operate. The paper recommends the inclusion of the concept of social license to operate in infrastructure planning and implementation phases in Bangladesh.
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
Mymensingh Zilla School
Secondary School Certificate (SSC) [Year: 2012]
Obtained GPA: 5.00 (Out of 5)
Govt. Ananda Mohan College
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) [Year: 2014]
Obtained GPA: 5.00 (Out of 5)
Khulna University of Engineering & Technology
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) [Year: 2019]
Obtained CGPA: 3.45 (Out of 4)
Initiating and Planning Projects; University of California, Irvine (February 2020) [Click here for Credential]
Budgeting and Scheduling Projects; University of California, Irvine (December 2020) [Click here for Credential]
Advanced Application of GIS, Remote Sensing, and Web GIS Organized by Design Integrated Society of KUET (DISK) and IMAGE Research Corp.
Basics of Google Sketchup Organized by Design Integrated Society of KUET (DISK)
While I am a social person who enjoys collaborating with others, my true passion lies in taking initiative and leading projects. Throughout my academic career, I actively participated in various events that fostered these skills. These experiences not only honed my interpersonal skills but also proved invaluable during my Bachelor's degree, particularly when collaborating on complex projects in team labs.
Director, Design Integrated Society of KUET (DISK) [June 2018 - June 2019]
DISK, a student club within the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at KUET, focuses on enhancing software skills crucial for urban planners.
During my tenure as Director, I led the organization in providing training on essential software like ArcGIS, AutoCAD, and SPSS, preparing students for success in the field. We also organized competitive design events and facilitated student participation in relevant workshops, seminars, and symposiums.
General Secretary, URP Association [June 2017 - June 2018]
As General Secretary of the URP Association at KUET, I played a vital role in advocating for student well-being. I collaborated with association members and successfully organized various events that addressed student needs. This experience honed my leadership and communication skills, allowing me to manage diverse perspectives and expectations within a large group effectively. The position was filled through an election, demonstrating the trust placed in me by my peers.
Cultural Secretary, Greater Mymensingh Association [June 2017 - June 2018]
This student association, the first I joined at KUET, fostered a sense of community among students from Mymensingh. As Cultural Secretary, I played a key role in organizing and managing cultural programs and events. This experience honed my event management skills and allowed me to connect with a diverse group of students, strengthening my interpersonal abilities.
Coordinator, Rag Day (Sandrik 14) and Batch Day (2019) [2018 & 2019]
As Coordinator for both Rag Day (Sandrik 14) and Batch Day (2019), I played a key role in organizing large-scale events for my peers at KUET. These experiences involved planning and executing cultural programs, fostering collaboration among a large group, and ensuring the smooth operation of the events. The success of these events, enjoyed by students across all batches, honed my event management skills and solidified my ability to lead and collaborate effectively.
I had not been a huge fan of dancing or singing. I loved to draw during my childhood. Later, while in high school, I found immense pleasure in reading novels and books. Later, I got attracted to Movies which you will find in the later section of the website. When I arrived at KUET, I found there was a huge promotion of cultural activities. I also got involved with the flow. But I choose to dance. During my 4 years at KUET, I have performed in 6 programs.
Stage Group Dance 1 [Click to see on Youtube]
Stage Group Dance 2 [Click to see on Youtube]
Stage Group Dance 3 [Click to see on Youtube]
Stage Group Dance 4 [Click to see on Youtube]
― Elliot Connor, Human Nature: How to be a Better Animal
BLOG
MAPS
Crafting Precision,
Mapping Your Vision
With over 6 years of dedicated experience in precise map design and cartography, I bring a wealth of expertise to the table, bolstered by my background in Urban and Regional Planning. Proficient in industry-standard tools such as Illustrator, ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD, Photoshop, and SketchUp, I specialize in creating captivating visuals tailored for both online and print platforms.
MOVIES?
During my HSC years (2013), one of my tutors, a young and brilliant individual, advised me to spend my time more wisely. Instead of wasting 2-3 hours on a bad movie, he suggested spending 5 minutes researching it on IMDb. He had an impressive movie collection on multiple hard drives, and in 2013, when internet access was costly, this was invaluable. He recommended "Schindler's List," and I borrowed it on my 2GB pen drive. The next morning at 6 AM, I was back at his house with three more pen drives, eager for more films. This was the beginning of my movie-watching journey. I've since watched all the IMDb top 250 movies. Even now, during my commute, you’ll often find me streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime.