Fuad M Khalid Hossen

Fuad M Khalid Hossen is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TRACE Consulting, where he leads multidisciplinary initiatives focused on trade facilitation, digital transformation, governance innovation, and institutional modernization. With more than 14 years of experience spanning public policy, international trade, regulatory reform, and technology-enabled systems development, he has built a reputation for translating complex policy priorities into practical, scalable solutions.
 

Over the course of his career, Fuad has worked extensively with government agencies, development partners, trade bodies, and private sector stakeholders to modernize trade and regulatory ecosystems in Bangladesh. His expertise covers trade facilitation, export competitiveness, SPS compliance, laboratory modernization, digital governance, automation systems, and evidence-based policy reform.
 

Most recently, he served as Deputy Chief of Party and Technical Lead of the $32.4 million USDA-funded Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project, a national reform initiative focused on modernizing cross-border trade systems with a strong emphasis on food and agriculture. Working closely with more than 50 public and private entities, he led the implementation of over 30 policy and regulatory reforms spanning import and export policies, SPS and quarantine regulations, customs procedures, and trade-related compliance frameworks.
 

Under his leadership, the project deployed 14 automated trade-service IT systems enabling the digital issuance of more than one million certificates, licenses, and permits annually. He also supported the establishment of 7 specialized trade units and risk management systems designed to transition border agencies from blanket inspections to risk-based clearance approaches. In addition, he contributed to the modernization of 12 laboratories, including the establishment of the National Halal Laboratory at BSTI, and led the introduction of multiple export compliance and traceability systems to strengthen Bangladesh’s export readiness and SPS compliance.
 

Fuad played a central role in advancing digital trade systems and institutional interoperability, contributing to the development and deployment of automated licensing, certification, inspection, and compliance platforms that continue to support large-scale public service delivery. His work also supported Bangladesh’s engagement with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement framework, including strengthening transparency and institutional coordination through formal WTO notifications and reform implementation.
 

Earlier in his career, Fuad contributed to major trade reform and customs modernization initiatives with the IFC–World Bank Group, including the Bangladesh National Single Window (BSW) for NBR and Online Licensing Module (OLM) for CCI&E. He also contributed to several international development programs focused on regulatory simplification, export diversification, and governance reform.
 

Beyond project leadership, Fuad is widely recognized for his thought leadership on trade, investment, and economic transformation. He frequently appears on national television channels and contributes commentary and analysis on trade policy, competitiveness, and regulatory modernization.
 

He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Administration, specializing in Public Policy, from Jahangirnagar University.