Karima Akhter

Karima Akhter, 2025-26 Humphrey Fellow at Cornell.

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, 2025-26

Home country: Bangladesh
Specialization: Agriculture and Rural Development
Connect: ka573 [at] cornell.edu
Pronouns: she/her

Karima Akhter is an agricultural development professional from Bangladesh with over 13 years of experience in agricultural extension and sustainable farming practices. She was born in Rangamati, one of the hill tracts of Bangladesh known for its cultural diversity, and pursued her studies at Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, where she earned a B.Sc. in Agriculture (Hons.) and a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology.

Since joining the Bangladesh Civil Service (Agriculture Cadre) in 2011, Karima has worked extensively with the Department of Agricultural Extension, whose mission is to transfer sustainable, research-based technologies to farmers to increase productivity, income, and resilience. She currently serves as an Additional Deputy Director at the district level, following more than a decade of field experience as an Upazila Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Extension Officer.

Throughout her career, Karima has led diverse development initiatives, including promoting safe crop production, improving soil health through vermicompost and trichocompost, advancing integrated pest management and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), expanding orchards for native and exotic fruits, and training farmers in beekeeping. She has also coordinated surface water management projects to address groundwater depletion and strengthen climate resilience.

Karima is committed to advancing safe food production, environmental stewardship, farm mechanization, and sustainable supply chain management to ensure a more resilient agricultural future for Bangladesh.