M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury born in Kutubia Island, Coxsbazar district, Bangladesh during 1956. He did Masters with Honors on Sociology from University of Chittagong, diploma on management planning and leadership from Royal Academy of Fine Arts Denmark and University of Philippines Las Banos.
He has started development work with a job as a Field Coordinator in Mass Education Program of Noakhali DANIDA project during 1982, he worked in the project for 9 years, his last job as Training and Communication Advisor of Project Advisory Team of the project. In the name of same position he worked two years in RD9 project of EU in Rangpur. For a brief period he worked as Assistant Scientist in ICDDR,B, in Dhaka. During 1992 he gone to Charfassion, Bhola Island in Bangladesh with a job with a mission to make a project of INGO to make it nationalized and establish an independent NGO. Where the present organization COAST has formed during 1998, he is managing the organization as Executive Director till now. COAST (www.coastbd.net) is working in coastal islands and districts of Bangladesh including Rohingya response in Coxsbazar. COAST has especial consultative status with UN ECOSOC, and it has received certification from HQAI (www.hqai.org, ) Geneva.
He is actively involved in national, regional and international networks. He is part of the EquityBD, CDF, EWG and CCNF in Bangladesh. In EquiatyBD (www.equitybd.net) he is the Chief Moderator and in CCNF (www.cxb-cso-ngo.org,) he is the Co-Chair. In regional level he is part of SAAPE, APRRN, APRN, ADRRN and TAFJA. In international level, he is part of LDC Watch, Social Watch, ICVA, ALNAP, and GATJA. For a brief period in the inception he was the Treasurer of GATJA, and for around two year he was the Treasurer of NEAR.
He was the board member of HAP which is now transformed as CHS Alliance, where he is also a board member till now. He is also board member of CANSA. He is also the board Chair of BNNRC (www.bnnrc.net) in Bangladesh, BNNRC has also special consultative status with UN ECOSOC. He is also the international committee member of GATJA and TAFJA. He believes in a world of democratic principles with equity and justice in view of human rights frame work. He could be reached in reza.coast@gmail.com.