Board of Directors

Md. Mohiuddin serves as the Honorary President of the organisation. A well-respected businessman, he is deeply rooted in his local community, where he is widely known for his leadership and problem-solving skills. Having grown up in the slums, he has firsthand experience of the challenges faced by marginalised communities and has been actively involved in conflict resolution and social welfare.

His long experience in addressing domestic and community issues has made him a trusted figure in local governance. As a longtime volunteer in local clubs, he has played a key role in resolving social problems and leading grassroots initiatives. From the very beginning of the organisation, he has been a pillar of support, guiding its mission and working closely with those in need.

Tauseef Rahman is a dedicated philanthropist and social worker based in Kolkata. After the passing of his mother in 2013, he committed himself to community service, starting projects to uplift the poorest sections of society.

Among his best-known work is the "Rice Bucket Challenge", through which he distributed large quantities of rice to people in need. At one event at Ladies Park in Park Circus, he distributed about 39,000 kilograms of rice in five hours.

He has also worked for harmony between faiths. Seeing the isolation of the Sen family, the last Hindu household in his mostly Muslim neighbourhood, he organised Durga Puja celebrations for them, showing the value of communal unity and shared culture. During Kolkata's hottest summers he installs public refrigerators stocked with cold water so that people on the street can stay hydrated.

Md. Alamgir is a veteran social worker and educator from Kolkata, widely respected for his lifelong work for marginalised communities. Born and raised in the Darapara slum along the railway tracks of Tiljala, he was one of the first in his community to learn to read and write, a milestone that fuelled his belief in education as a tool for social change. He became a schoolteacher, and is one of the first law graduates of Hazra Law College to come from the Tiljala slums.

In 1987 he founded the Tiljala Society for Human and Educational Development (Tiljala SHED) with a group of like-minded people. A non-political, non-religious grassroots organisation, Tiljala SHED has since worked to improve the lives of Kolkata's most vulnerable people, especially rag pickers, women and children, through education, empowerment and rehabilitation. Under his leadership the organisation has started many programs and has received several awards over three decades for its work in education and literacy.

In 2018 Tiljala SHED received the West Bengal NGO Leadership Award. Though retired from teaching, Alamgir still lives and works in the Tiljala community, bridging social divides and championing change from the ground up.

Shafkat Alam is a social development professional with a strong background in education, digital innovation and organisational leadership. A science graduate of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, with a Master's degree in Human Rights, he discovered his passion for teaching and community service early. Mentored by his father, he learned the running of the organisation and went on to coordinate its work for children.

Using his digital skills, Shafkat has modernised the organisation's internal systems, made its work more efficient and brought in strong governance. In 2014 the board appointed him Joint Secretary, putting him at the centre of governance and planning. As the organisation's official spokesperson, he represents Tiljala SHED on national and international platforms.

He has broadened the organisation's funding, securing major partnerships including support from MrBeast Philanthropy and growing corporate CSR support. He has built strong relationships with diplomatic missions in Kolkata, especially the U.S. Consulate, with which he has worked since his college years, as well as the British Deputy High Commission and the French, Italian, Japanese, German and Royal Thai consulates, among others.

In 2024 he was one of 12 finalists, from 197 applicants, in the SVP India Fast Pitch (often called the Shark Tank for NGOs). He is an Ambassador of The Nonprofit Hive, a free global network for people working in social impact, and has represented the organisation in 12 countries. In 2015 he served as a UN delegate at CSW59, the Commission on the Status of Women. Outside work he enjoys poetry and literature, music, theatre, cricket and travel.

Anita Das is a health worker in a government program for early childhood care, where she has played a vital part in immunising children aged 0 to 6 years. Long committed to social causes, she has been part of the organisation's work across many of its programs, and she supports its financial affairs as Treasurer. She also has a deep love of music and singing.

Md. Aammar Zaki is a Senior Advocate at the Calcutta High Court, specialising in criminal, constitutional and family law. A graduate of the University of Calcutta (B.A., LL.B.) with a postgraduate diploma in Intellectual Property Law from NALSAR, Hyderabad, he began his legal career under the mentorship of a former Additional Solicitor General of India.

He is an empanelled advocate for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, appears on both the Original and Appellate sides of the High Court, and chairs the Federation of Justice Defenders. He was recently appointed Assistant Public Prosecutor at the Calcutta High Court, and is widely respected for protecting the rights of the poor and helping them reach justice.

Brenner Charles Jha is a social worker and educator based in Kolkata, known for his work in community development and education. For many years he taught at The Assembly of God Church Vocational School in Kolkata, and he also runs his own business with Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

Alongside his work with Tiljala SHED, he is active in the Lions Club of Kolkata Challengers, where he has led projects such as distributing Ayurvedic immunity tablets across Kolkata.