Founding Member
Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mohammad Shafi Chowdhury, PhD, psc
Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mohammad Shafi Chowdhury, PhD, psc is a national security strategist, technologist, and policy thinker whose four-decade career spans military communications, cybersecurity, ICT modernization, and strategic advisory roles across Bangladesh, SAARC, MENA, ASEAN, China, and the United States. With a PhD in Political Economy and National Security, he brings a rare synthesis of defense insight, governance expertise, and technological understanding—shaped by years leading large-scale ICT, telecom, and digital infrastructure programs that expanded access, strengthened national capability, and advanced Bangladesh’s alignment with global development standards. His academic and professional work focuses on how technology, governance, and institutional resilience must evolve together to build nations that are both economically competitive and secure in the digital era.
As a volunteer Founding Member of MillionX Bangladesh, Dr. Chowdhury contributes deep policy, governance, and national security expertise to the mission of nurturing a million 10x minds and guiding Bangladesh toward AI-enabled development. His work within MillionX focuses on ethical AI governance, workforce transformation, digital integrity, cyber preparedness, and the strategic integration of AI into national institutions. Through his leadership at the Apex Achievers Academy and his long-standing advocacy for people-centered, rights-based technology adoption, he is committed to ensuring that Bangladesh becomes an AI-powered knowledge economy—one that protects citizens’ rights, upholds transparency, and uses innovation to serve society rather than concentrate power.
People Before Programs
More Founding Members

Anis Rahman
Bangladeshi-American tech strategist, innovator, and founder of EVRCOOL Inc., USBD Ventures LLC and Billions for Bangladesh. At MillionX, he contributes leadership in entrepreneurship, social impact, and human-capability development to help drive inclusive national progress.

Jan M. Rumi
Honorary Consul of Morocco in Hawaii, entrepreneur, and senior management consultant with 25+ years of international experience in business advisory, IT, and project management. Former Business Advisory Services Practice Leader at Grant Thornton LLP. Academic background includes a BA from Berea College and an MS in Computer Sciences with a business minor from Purdue University. Founding member leveraging diplomatic, technological, and civic leadership to support MillionX’s mission.

Dr. Bashima Islam
Assistant Professor at WPI, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and researcher in AI, wearable sensing, and mobile health with innovations supported by NSF, NIH, Samsung, and Bell Labs. BUET graduate and Imagine Cup National Champion. Founding member advancing MillionX’s mission to nurture a million 10x minds across Bangladesh.
