Bio Note of Suraiya Begum

Ms Suraiya Begum ndc is working as Commissioner at Information Commission since May, 2018. Earlier she was Senior Secretary/ Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office from February, 2015 to January, 2018.

She joined Bangladesh Civil Service in 1982 and elevated through the ranks in the country's civil bureaucracy as Sr. Secretary to the Government. Over the years, she contributed significantly to several key sectors relating to administration, development, public policy formulation and programs implementation towards achieving social and economic development, promoting gender balancing, governance and inclusive growth.

Ms Begum also served as Secretary at Statistics and Informatics Division and Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division both under the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Social Welfare and Ministry of Cultural Affairs. She worked in the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education as Additional Secretary, Registrar of Department of Cooperatives, Joint Secretary of Finance Ministry, Director at Bangladesh Parjotan (Tourism) Corporation, Deputy secretary at Local Government Division, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare, Ministry of Labor and Employment. She also worked for Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in different capacities. She also had diplomatic experience as First Secretary at Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, India.

Ms Suraiya did her honors’ and master's in Economics from Dhaka University and did MA in Health Management, Planning and Policy from Leeds University, United Kingdom. Ms Begum completed the renowned and prestigious Managing at the Top (MATT) course at the UK Civil Service College and the University of Birmingham, UK. She completed National Defense Course (ndc) as the first women participant in National Defense College, Dhaka in 2006.

Ms Suraiya Begum was the Chairperson of Bangladesh Civil Service Women Network (BCSWN) from its inception (2010-2018) and at present she is the advisor of the BCSWN. Earlier she was the National Commissioner (Girl-in-Scouting) of Bangladesh Scouts for 9 years consequently and at present she is the member of Executive Committee of Bangladesh Scouts. She is the Vice President of DUEDAA (Dhaka University Economics Department Alumni Association) and was Board member of Grameen Bank. Suraiya Begum is the Syndicate Member of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet. She represented Bangladesh in different countries and committees of different organs of United Nations. She worked for High Level Committee of UN on Water of Sanitation of SDG-6 formed with Eleven Head of States/government. Ms. Suraiya Begum represented the committee as ‘Sherpa’ of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for 2 years (2016-2017). 

She takes interest in reading books and gardening. She has special interest in World Economic and Environmental issues. She works closely for serving the poor segment of the society in her own and in-laws villages.