Dr. Md Nayeem Ashfaque Chowdhury brings over 32 years of distinguished experience 

in the Bangladesh Army and the United Nations. As the top graduate of the Bangladesh 

Military Academy in 1987, he advanced through numerous pivotal roles in policymaking, 

strategic planning, analysis, and high-level decision-making within the Army. Notably, Dr. 

Nayeem holds the distinction of serving the longest tenure as Director of Military 

Operations, during which he formulated key perspective plans and policies that continue 

to shape the operational framework of the Bangladesh Army. 

His leadership was instrumental as the chief strategist behind Operation Thunderbolt, the 

successful counter-terrorism operation carried out on July 1, 2016, at the Holey Artisan 

restaurant in Dhaka. In recognition of his exemplary service as Director of Operations at 

the Forces Headquarters of the United Nations Mission in Chad and the Central African 

Republic (MINURCAT), he was awarded a Letter of Commendation. 

As Major General, Dr. Nayeem commanded two infantry divisions and played a 

foundational role in establishing a new division in Barisal. Upon retiring from active military 

service, he transitioned into significant leadership positions in both the corporate and 

philanthropic sectors, including serving three years as Managing Director of a major 

project, two years as Executive Director of East Coast Group, and currently as CEO of a 

foundation managing diverse charitable activities. 

Academically, Dr. Nayeem earned a PhD in International Relations from Jahangirnagar 

University, complemented by master’s degrees in strategic and security studies from 

reputed institutions in Bangladesh and Turkey. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of 

the Osmani Center for Strategic and Security Studies (OCPASS), is an Honorary Fellow 

at the Bangladesh Centre for Indo-Pacific Affairs (BCIPA), Jahangirnagar University, and 

a Fellow at the Middle Sea Forum (MSF), a UK-based think tank. As an accomplished 

author, Dr. Nayeem wrote "Bangladesh Myanmar Relations amidst Rohingya Crisis: An 

Evaluation through Regional Security Complex Theory" and has made significant 

contributions to national newspapers and academic journals. He is also an active 

participant in television talk shows and seminars focusing on South Asian and IndoPacific regional security. Additionally, Dr. Nayeem is a former national athlete and 

athletics coach, and presently holds the position of President of the Bangladesh Athletics 

Federation.