Mr. MD. Rafiqul Alam, Founder and Executive Director of DUS, were born on 15^th March in 1950 at Hatiya Island under Noakhali District. He was educated at Dhaka University and achieved LLB Degree after completing his B.Com Degree. In 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, he acted as a commander and fight for the country when he was only 20. The war was effected on him profoundly. After the independence, he found that the people of the Hatiya islands was in very crucial moment. The devastating cyclone of 1970’s was also deficiently affected to the people of Hatiya. Mr. Alam felt to dedicate himself to help the victims of the liberation war as well as 70’s cyclone. That’s the time when DUS was founded by a group of devoted volunteers leaded by Mr. Alam. Primarily DUS’s objectives were relief and rehabilitation process.

But Mr. Alam’s birthplace Hatiya is a brutally disaster prone area in Bangladesh. Lives are continued vulnerable to cyclone, tidal surge and river bank erosion. It results majority asset less and extreme poor, illiterate, unhealthy and malnourished- especially women & children are most vulnerable in the situation which keeps them far away from modern civilization. So, he directed his policy towards helping the poor for develop their capacity to better manage their lives. Finally DUS’s objective emerged as alleviation of poverty and empowerment of the poor. Under his leadership, now DUS is a leading indigenous NGO in Hatiya.

Mr. Alam is the chief to prepare policy and strategy development of the organization. He is responsible for Liaison with Govt. donors and other civil societies.  Overall management, planning, supervision, monitoring of organizational program & project activities including financial management. Responsible for fund raising and organizational resource mobilization from different stakeholders. Responsive for advocacy and lobbing for resource allocation for poor beneficiaries under DUS command both at national and local level.

Mr. Alam has a long journey with Red Cross and Red Crescent Society in Bangladesh. From 1973 to 1975, he worked as development officer with League of Red-Cross Societies, from 1975 to 1985, he worked as Zonal Officer of Cyclone Preparedness Program of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. In 1985, finally he became the ED of DUS. Through the long experience with DUS, Mr. Alam is now skilled and expertise in Socio-economic Development of the Poor in the coastal zone, Mobilization of revolving loan fund for income earnings and employment generations in the underserved coastal districts, Mobilization of local resource for target communities of coastal areas, Partnership development with GOB for poverty alleviation, Promotion of micro-finance in disaster prone area and Study and Report writing.

He has not only in country but also international experience with UK, Japan, Canada, Thailand, Philippine, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, India and Cambodia. Several times he visited these countries for workshop, training, seminar and share the coping mechanism and adaptation technique of disaster victims of Bangladesh which might be replicated in other disaster prone country of world.

He has a strong network which helps him as well as DUS for developing relationship to different national & international organization, donor & development partners. Now he is also Chairperson of BNNRC, Vice-chairperson of ADAB, Vice-chairperson of BDPC, Vice-chairperson of HASAB, EC member of NIRAPAD & ALRD, Member of ADRRN. He has also proactive connection with Disaster Forum, CAMPE, VHSS and ECF.