Munia Islam Mozumder is the CEO of Teach for Bangladesh (TFB). She is a TFB alumna and has worked with prominent INGOs and humanitarian organisations. She completed the Fulbright Humphrey Fellowship at Vanderbilt University, focusing on education administration, policy, and planning. In a conversation with ICE Business Times, Mrs. Mozumder discusses her vision for transformative leadership in education and the innovative approaches TFB is implementing to empower students and foster a supportive learning environment.
How does your experience as a Fellow during your early years at Teach for Bangladesh (TFB) influence your approach and perspective in your current role as CEO?
Moving from a TFB Fellow to CEO feels like coming full circle. After graduating in pharmacy from Jahangirnagar University, I chose an unconventional path and ventured into education, first, as a Fellow at TFB for two years, teaching at a high-need government primary school, then working at BRAC, leading one of the first KUMON centres as the pioneer KUMON instructor, providing education to more than 300,000 Rohingya refugee children with Save the Children, and abroad. These experiences shaped my understanding of pedagogy, which I now apply in my leadership role. I view the classroom as the starting point for reform, and my Fellowship days help me make informed decisions, especially in teacher training. It’s not just a corporate role for me – I still see myself as a teacher, which deeply influences my decisions and choices for the organisation.
CEO
Teach For Bangladesh
What is the Teach for Bangladesh Fellowship program and how is it supporting the country’s education system?
The Teach for Bangladesh Fellowship is a leadership development program designed to tackle educational inequity in Bangladesh. It recruits exceptional graduates and young professionals to teach in under-resourced government primary schools, where they commit to two years of service. Immersed in their placement schools and communities, TFB Fellows work as full-time teachers, navigating both the challenges and rewards of expanding opportunities for children in low-income areas.
TFB Fellows are young, motivated, and passionate, bringing innovation into the classroom to make learning engaging, fun, and inclusive. They often provide hands-on experiences through practical demonstrations, ensuring children can better grasp the material. The Fellowship also incorporates global best practices shared through the Teach For All network, connecting Fellows to teaching strategies from countries like the U.S., Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan.
Classroom management is a key focus, and TFB encourages creative and mindful methods to foster discipline, using techniques like the ‘Moner Baksho’, which allows students to share their thoughts, fostering a supportive environment where teachers follow up with care. Our Fellows also champion anti-bullying campaigns across various schools, ensuring a safe space for every student.
What is TFB’s vision and how are you as its CEO realising that vision?
TFB envisions a society where every child can unlock their full potential, regardless of socioeconomic background. Our mission is to drive transformative leadership, empowering individuals to cultivate self-awareness and ambition in whatever path they choose.
Our long-term goal is to nurture a movement of capable leaders. I believe that our classrooms have the potential to build leaders who can create real change in Bangladesh and beyond. We encourage student leadership by fostering confidence, informed decision-making, and a sense of responsibility. Whether they aspire to run a grocery store or lead a corporation, we want them to pursue their goals with ambition and respect for all professions.
Addressing educational inequity requires a multifaceted approach, so we recruit Fellows based on nine core competencies and provide them with two years of intensive training. In addition to teaching, we focus on initiatives like climate education, digital literacy in 80% of our classrooms, and gender equity, while actively engaging parents and caregivers. Our Fellows also benefit from ongoing professional development, including a six-week pre-service training, ensuring their lasting impact in the classroom.
We encourage student leadership by fostering confidence, informed decision-making, and a sense of responsibility. Whether they aspire to run a grocery store or lead a corporation, we want them to pursue their goals with ambition and respect for all professions.
What are some challenges that need to be addressed in the country’s education system?
The biggest challenge is changing mindsets. We need students to believe in themselves and their teachers, but many still hold on to traditional views, underestimating the potential of the younger generation. Society tends to generalise and demotivate them, which hinders progress. If we can overcome this, we’ll be closer to achieving our vision. Real change requires administrative reform. To truly address these issues, we must ensure accountability at every level – from teachers to administrators – to fight corruption and deliver quality education for our children. We say, “Unless we all win, we all lose.” Drawing from my experience in the U.S., where nonprofits collaborated with public schools for greater impact, I believe that if we foster this mindset and place Fellows from diverse backgrounds, we can make real progress.
How is TFB overcoming the current crises of education unrest and the aftermath of the August flood?
The current education crisis, stemming from the July-August mass uprising, has created unprecedented challenges for TFB as well as for educational institutions, students, and teachers nationwide. Tragically, the violence claimed the life of Motaleb, an 8th-grade TFB student who participated in the demonstrations, which is a devastating loss for the entire TFB community.
The aftermath has been extremely difficult particularly because politics was heavily prevalent before the uprising and consequently, many schools were vandalised after the protests. I witnessed the extent of the destruction when I visited the schools: bullet shells were found in batches, windows shattered, and tables and chairs destroyed. A deep sense of fear has been instilled in students.
TFB is addressing this by focusing on mental health support in classrooms. We are creating ‘peace corners’ and ‘meditation corners’ to relieve some of the pressure. With the vandalism now subsiding, our primary focus is student safety. While we still prioritise academic performance, mental health is receiving greater attention.
We are now in a phase of healing, but the overall economy is under immense pressure with attention divided across various sectors. The recent August floods further exacerbated the situation, with many of our schools completely submerged. This has made resource allocation incredibly challenging. Teacher training, fundraising, and other demands are rapidly increasing, forcing us to make many adaptive decisions to cope with these growing needs.
Moving forward, what are your plans for TFB as its CEO?
TFB is currently operating in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar, impacting more than 8,000 students across 13 sub-districts. By January 2025, we will have a strong network of 290 alumni, and we are eager to expand. Our next step is to extend our operations to northern rural Bangladesh, with active connections in Rangpur, Panchagarh, Tetulia, and the greater Rajshahi division. Along with enhancing academic proficiency, we will continue focusing on building socio-emotional skills and competencies in our students, preparing them to lead with confidence and resilience.
With a strong network of alumni and growing partnerships with government and non-government stakeholders from all over the world, we are committed to deepening our impact, exploring new opportunities for collaboration and bringing innovation to learning.
