Tanvir Ahmad Torophder

Director Agriculture, Rural Development and SAARC Development Fund

Mr. Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, a career diplomat from Bangladesh, joined the SAARC Secretariat on 13 June 2025 as Director (Agriculture, Rural Development and SAARC Development Fund).

Prior to joining the SAARC Secretariat, Mr. Torophder served as Counsellor at the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Vienna, Austria from March 2022 to May 2025.

After joining the Foreign Service of Bangladesh in 2013, Mr. Torophder served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in different Wings, i.e., Protocol Wing, Americas Wing and Maritime Affairs Unit.

He participated in several trainings and courses including Short Course on ‘Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament’ at Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation; the United Nations - the Nippon Foundation Training Programme to reinforce capacity in the context of the Intergovernmental Conference on an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) at the UNHQ, New York; Training for Young Diplomats from Bangladesh at the China Foreign Affairs University, Beijing, China; Course on Diplomatic Practice and International Relations for Junior Diplomats from Bangladesh at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, the Netherlands.

He has Master’s Degrees in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London and Business Administration (MBA) from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka and Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (BBA) from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST), Sylhet.

Mr. Torophder is married to Ms. Tunazzina Anowar and blessed with two daughters- Tehrim Arshiya Torophder, Tehsheem Anowar Torophder.

Ms. Prathma Uprety

Director - Information And Poverty Alleviation (IPA)

Ms. Prathma Uprety joined the SAARC Secretariat on 28 February 2025 as Director (Information and Poverty Alleviation).

Ms. Uprety is a career diplomat. Prior to this appointment, she served as Under-Secretary at the United Nations, International  Organizations & International Law  Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal.

She served as a Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York from 2019 to 2023. Between 2021 and 2023, she also served as the Acting Deputy Permanent Representative, with responsibility for the Second and Third Committees of the UN General Assembly, covering issues related to economic development, social affairs, humanitarian concerns, and human rights. She also represented the Asia-Pacific Group as a Bureau Member in the Second Committee during the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Uprety served in several key capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Regional Organization Division, Protocol Division, and at various Nepali missions abroad.

She holds Master’s degrees in Political Science and Rural Development, and a Bachelor's degree in English.

Ms. Uprety is married and has one daughter.

Mr. Muhammad Waseem Shahzad Chaudhri

Director Energy, Transportation, Science & Technology

Mr Muhammad Waseem Shahzad Chaudhri, a career diplomat from the Foreign Service of Pakistan, joined the SAARC Secretariat on 10 March 2024. He was assigned to the Energy, Transport and Science & Technology Division of the Secretariat.

Prior to joining the SAARC Secretariat, Mr Shahzad was serving as Director General Foreign & Economic Affairs to the Honourable President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Mr Shahzad has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Pakistan Missions abroad in various capacities and has represented his country in several bilateral, sub-regional and international conferences and meetings. His diplomatic assignments included stints at the Embassy of Pakistan in the Russian Federation, Embassy of Pakistan in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Embassy of Pakistan in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Embassy of Pakistan in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

He has also worked as Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan and Conference on Interaction and Cooperation in Asia, in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan and delegate to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Mr Shahzad is married to Ms Naila Imdad and they are raising their beautiful daughter Ms Anahita Waseem. 

Mr. Dawa Tshering

Director - Environment Natural Disasters And Biotechnology

Mr. Hari Prasad Odari

Director - Information And Poverty Alleviation (IPA)

Mr. Hari Prasad Odari joined SAARC Secretariat on 15 April 2024 as Director (Information and Poverty Alleviation).

Mr. Odari is a career diplomat who belongs to Nepal’s Foreign Service. He has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal and Nepali Missions abroad in various capacities. He was Private Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from April 2023 to March 2024, and managed the secretariat of the Foreign Minister in that capacity. Prior to that, he was Under Secretary responsible for Europe-Americas affairs in the Ministry from March 2021 to March 2023.

Mr. Odari worked as Counsellor (political) at the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi from January 2017 to February 2021, which was preceded by his assignment as Desk Officer (India) in the Ministry from February 2014 to January 2017. He also served as Second Secretary in Nepal’s Permanent Mission in Geneva from February 2010 to January 2014. In 2013, he coordinated at the expert level the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Consultative Group in the World Trade Organization, when the important ‘Bali Package’ was negotiated.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 2009, Mr. Odari was a teacher of English.  

He has Master’s Degrees in English and Public Administration, and Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He attended different courses and trainings in diplomacy and international affairs that include Comprehensive Security Cooperation Course in the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii (February/March 2022); Course for South Asian diplomats on contemporary political and security issues in ANU Canberra (August/September 2015); Programme on key world trade issues in Indian Institute of Foreign Trade New Delhi (March 2015); and Course on nuclear non-proliferation regimes in Vienna (February 2012).

Mr. Odari is married to Ms. Chandra Prasai and they have a son Agreem.   

Mr. Bhavesh R. Trivedi

Director- Economic, Trade & Finance (ETF)

Mr. Bhavesh R. Trivedi joined the SAARC Secretariat on 21^st November 2023, as Director (ETF).

Prior to taking up his current role, he served as the Director (International Relations) in the Ministry of Communications, Government of India. In this position, he handled responsibilities concerning multilateral and bilateral relations in the ICT and telecom sectors. He also dealt with matters concerning the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and other multilateral international organizations, in addition to overseeing the implementation of ICT development projects in ASEAN, SAARC, and various other regions and countries.

He was deputed to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) from 2012 – 2019, wherein he worked in the Development Partnership Administration wing of the Ministry, looking after formulation, implementation and monitoring of Grant-in-Aid Development Projects of infrastructure, agriculture, education, ICT and health sectors in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Besides, he handled matters related to Capacity Building initiatives, Contract Management, scholarship schemes, etc. 

During initial years, he held various positions within the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), pertaining to procurement, material management, state level planning of deployment of telecom services, overseeing ERP implementation, etc.

He possesses a Master of Technology (M.Tech.) degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi.

Mr. Bhavesh is married to Ms. Shafali and blessed with a son.

Ms Shahiya Ali Manik

Director, Social Affairs

Shahiya Ali Manik joined the SAARC Secretariat on 2 November 2023, as Director, Social Affairs.

Shahiya started her career in Foreign Service in 2015, working as the Director for Human Rights Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives. She was posted to the Permanent Mission of Maldives to the UN Offices in Geneva in 2019 where she worked as First Secretary coordinating all work related to the Human Rights Council. She has extensive work experience in the field of Human Rights, where she closely monitored and coordinated Maldives human rights priorities at the Human Rights Council Sessions from 2019 to 2021. Shahiya has also served as the First Secretary of Maldives Mission in London in 2018.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Shahiya has worked as an assistance lecturer at the Civil Service Training Institute of Maldives where she conducted training programmes for Civil Servants, and she also worked at Maldivian Red Crescent as a Programme Field Officer. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2009 from Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA, and has completed her Master of Arts in Refugee Care from University of Essex, Colchester, UK in 2014.

Shahiya is married and blessed with 3 children.