Shahrear Alam
Senior Research Assistant
CoE-SISU
Short Biography
Shahrear Alam (MSS in Anthropology) is a public health researcher with over five years of experience, specializing in health-related research with a focus on gender, stigma, vulnerability, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health. He has worked extensively with marginalized communities in Bangladesh, including ethnic groups and urban slum dwellers, contributing to qualitative research projects aimed at improving health outcomes.
Currently a Senior Research Assistant at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health (BRAC JPGSPH), Mr. Alam has contributed to a range of projects, including examining the impact of salinity on the reproductive health of women and adolescent girls in coastal areas, exploring gender barriers in the management of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, and supporting the Realizing Gender Equality, Attitudinal Change & Transformative Systems in Nutrition (REACTS-IN) project, which seeks to improve nutrition and promote gender equality in Bangladesh.
With more than 4.5 years of hands-on research experience, he has been actively involved in the design and implementation of mixed-method studies, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. His expertise extends to data analysis, report preparation, and manuscript writing. In addition, Mr. Alam has facilitated capacity-building workshops on qualitative research methods, offering practical training in NVivo to early-career researchers, MPH students, and practitioners, enabling them to strengthen their analytical skills and apply rigorous qualitative methodologies in public health and social science research.
He holds an MSS in Anthropology from Rajshahi University and is fluent in Bangla, English, and Hindi.
MPH Modules Conducted
- Qualitative Research Methods (MPH 511) as Teaching Fellow
Current Projects
- Study on the Contribution of the Community Paramedic (CP) Programme to Bangladesh's Primary Health Care System
- Comprehensive Landscape Analysis for Anaemia Bangladesh
Peer Reviewed Publications
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Birth and death registration: qualitative exploration of barriers and gender differences in selected locations in Bangladesh
Authors: Mrittika Barua 1,Avijit Saha 2,Muhammad Abdul Mannan 3,Jahedul Islam 3,Shahrear Alam 2,Protyasha Ghosh 3,Saima Mehjabeen 4,Syeda Tahmina Ahmed 4,Sayema Akter 5,Moyeen Uddin 6,Nazrul Islam 7,Anushka Mangharam 8
DOI/URL: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18332/popmed/163655
Published on:
Handbooks & Book Chapters
ABSTRACTBackground and Objective:
For effective resource allocation and planning and implementation of public health strategies, registration of births and deaths is important. Despite Bangladesh having laws mandating birth and death registration, in practice, women and girls are often excluded from their births and deaths being registered. The current research explores the barriers to birth and death registration in Bangladesh and the contributing factors that lead to lower registration among women.
Methods:
This qualitative study was conducted in selected urban and rural locations covering both low and high sex disparities in births and deaths (Dhaka, Dhaka North City Corporation, Thakurgaon, Gaibandha, Satkhira, Kutubdia and Sunamganj) between October and November of 2022. Total 33 Key informant interviews with implementers and 13 FGDs with male and female adult populations were held. The data was analysed using the content analysis method, and patterns and themes were identified.
Results:
Poor awareness, perceived unnecessity, complex, tedious administrative approval process, accumulated financial burden, social and religious norms and practices, and poor technological and human resources’ support delay and discourage both birth and death registrations. Child marriage causes lower birth registrations among women. Men being socially and legally expected inheritor demotivates and leads to lower death registrations among women.
Conclusion:
Barriers contributed by both implementers and beneficiaries must be addressed to improve birth and death registration in Bangladesh, particularly among women. More awareness about death registrations needs to be made. Interventions and policies need to be gender sensitive and strengthened to increase the number of registrations, especially death.
Research Focus
gender stigma vulnerability mental health sexual and reproductive health MNCH
Education
- Master of Social Science(MSS), Rajshahi University
- Bachelor of Social Science(BSS), Rajshahi University