On February 2025, Ms. Zaheda Parveen was appointed as Secretary of the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat. Ms. Zaheda came to Japan in 2004 as part of the third batch of JDS Bangladesh and studied at Graduate School of Law, Kyushu University. Before coming to Japan, she was working at the Ministry of Public Administration. After returning to her country, she served as Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division and has now been appointed as Secretary of the Cabinet Division.

Ms. Zaheda is currently responsible for government reform and the implementation and monitoring of good governance. Regarding her recent promotion, she commented, “In addition to obtaining a master's degree from Kyushu University, I believe the knowledge I gained regarding Japan’s judicial system through JDS and the Japanese way of thinking I learned from Japanese people were seen as added value that set me apart from other staff members.”

During her study in Japan, she chose “Various Issues in the Administration of Criminal Justice: A Comparative Study on Japan, USA and Bangladesh” as her research topic, and deepened her expertise in the field of law, including economic law and commercial law. She also actively experienced Japanese culture through a homestay program. Ms. Zaheda also mentioned, “The way of thinking and the system of the society that I learned during my stay in Japan inspired me to think new ideas for improving my country.”

Ms. Zaheda was intrigued to study in Japan for a long term after participating in JICA’s Youth Training Program, which led her to apply for JDS. It is expected that Ms. Zaheda continues to utilize the knowledge and experience she gained through JDS to contribute to the development of Bangladesh.