Nahida Sobhan is the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada and a veteran diplomat with nearly 30 years of experience in foreign service. A member of the 15th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Foreign Affairs), she has represented Bangladesh in key diplomatic postings in Rome, Kolkata, Geneva, and Amman. In 2020, she made history as Bangladesh’s first female ambassador to the Middle East, serving in Jordan with concurrent accreditation to Palestine and Syria.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sobhan has led critical portfolios, including the United Nations and Human Rights Wing and the Multilateral Economic Affairs Wing. Known for her work on multilateral diplomacy, gender equity, and the rights of migrant workers, she continues to be a leading voice for Bangladesh’s global engagement.

Sheela Haq is a Senior Governance Specialist at UNDP Bangladesh, with over two decades of experience in democratic governance, peacebuilding, and institutional reform. Her work spans areas such as economic governance, women's leadership, conflict resolution, and community security. At UNDP, she leads initiatives focused on LDC graduation, transformative economic policy reforms, data governance, and ensuring information integrity within the Democratic Governance cluster. 

Haq is recognized for her commitment to fostering inclusive governance and social cohesion. She has been instrumental in projects like the Partnerships for a Tolerant and Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB), which leverage creative platforms such as film and youth engagement to promote peace and harmony. Her leadership continues to shape Bangladesh's efforts toward sustainable development and democratic resilience.

Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, where he leads the Third Space research group. His work bridges human-computer interaction, AI ethics, and social justice, centering the lived experiences of marginalized communities in the design of digital systems. Through ethnographic research and participatory design, he has collaborated with underrepresented groups across South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North America to reimagine more inclusive technological futures.

Ahmed is cross-appointed with U of T’s School of Cities, School of Environment, and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. His research has earned support from NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, as well as Google, Microsoft, Meta, Intel, and the World Bank. A former Fulbright and Centennial Fellow, he is a founding member of the National Young Academy of Bangladesh and previously served on the Global Young Academy, where he continues to advocate for equity and representation in science and technology.