DIASPORA PHILANTHROPY IN BANGLADESHfreedomfound.org/publication/newsletter/DIASPORA...sector, the country's largest export earner, when RMG earnings are adjusted against the cost of

DIASPORA PHILANTHROPY IN BANGLADESH

Diaspora Philanthropy in BangladeshSelected case studies, profiles and database

EditorsRashida Ahmad Safi Rahman Khan Mazharul Islam

Case studiesRashida Ahmad, Mohammad Yousuf

Database & information collectionMd. Feroz Ahmmead, Sadia Faruque

Publisher & CopyrightBangladesh Freedom FoundationLevel 5, 6/5 A, Sir Syed RoadMohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh E-mail: [email protected]: www.freedomfound.org

Design and cover photoMithu Ahmed

Printer: Chowdhury Printers and Supply48/A/1, Badda Nagar, Pilkhana, Dhaka

Price: BDT 350

The views, analysis and assessments contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect theviews of the publisher and the publisher does not guarantee the accuracy of the data andinformation included in the book and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of theiruse.

The research and publication of this book was supported by the Asia Pacific PhilanthropyConsortium (APPC), Philippines as part of a proposal submitted by the Bangladesh FreedomFoundation and Drishtipat.

ISBN: 978-984-33-1803-9

May 2010

2

FOREWORD

The last two decades and more have seen significant changes inmigration from Bangladesh with the demand for labor in the MiddleEast and Southeast Asia fuelling rapid growth in temporary migration tothose regions. Prior to this, migration was largely directed towards theUnited Kingdom and the United States. It is now estimated that thenumber of Bangladeshis and/or people of Bangladesh origin livingabroad on a temporary or permanent basis stands between 7 to 8million.

The contribution of remittances from migrants, particularly thoserelocating temporarily, is critical to the Bangladesh economy. It isshown to be higher than net foreign direct investment, foreign aid, andeven higher than earnings from the ready-made garment (RMG)sector, the country's largest export earner, when RMG earnings areadjusted against the cost of imported raw materials. According to theBangladesh Bank figures, official remittances stood at just over US$ 10.9billion during the period April 2009 to March 2010. A substantial amountalso comes in through unofficial non-banking channels.

While most of the remittances are directed at the household level, it isestimated that a very small portion is transferred as charity towardspoorer relatives and village residents or community developmentthrough faith based institutions. There is also a gradual increase in thenumber of Bangladeshi diaspora groups organizing and arranging forcollective transfer of resources for philanthropic purposes in their homecountry beyond individual to individual giving.

3

This aspect of philanthropy, i.e. diaspora philanthropy, remains a largelyuntapped and poorly documented area with significant knowledgegaps existing on both the supply and demand end. To address this gapthe Bangladesh Freedom Foundation, an independent grant-makingorganization, and Drishtipat, a non-profit and non-partisan volunteerdiaspora organization committed to safeguarding human rights inBangladesh, responded to a call for proposals by the Asia PacificPhilanthropy Consortium (APPC) based in the Philippines, to undertakeresearch for developing select case studies, profiles and a database ofBangladeshi diaspora philanthropic organizations. APPC's call forproposals was a follow-up of its conference on Diaspora Giving held inHanoi, Vietnam in May 2008. The Bangladesh team at this conferencewas led by the executive director of the Bangladesh FreedomFoundation who also wrote the Bangladesh country paper.

It is hoped that this publication will shed some light on diasporaphilanthropy in Bangladesh as well as motivate others to further delveinto this area so that it can be better organized and its potential furtherrealized.

I would like to thank the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium for theirfinancial support, to the diaspora organizations that provided access totheir projects sites, shared information and in some cases met with ourresearchers, to the diaspora members who responded to our emailsand telephone calls, and to all the researchers and participants whocontributed their energy and enthusiasm in making this project asuccess.

Syed Manzur ElahiChairpersonBangladesh Freedom Foundation

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Diaspora Philanthropy in Bangladesh

CONTENTS

Foreword 3Introduction 7

The Context 8Methodology 10

Case StudiesAdhunika 13Agami 17Bangla Aid, UK 22Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) 25Friends of Khasdobir Bangladesh 31Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation 36Mati 41Stichting Land Ontwikkelings Project Bangladesh(SLOPB) 46 SpaandanB 51The Optimists 57UK Children Aid Trust Fund 63 Volunteers Association for Bangladesh 66

Profiles 77Database 91

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6

INTRODUCTION

Diaspora philanthropy remains a largely untapped source of funds forsocial projects in Bangladesh, with strong potential for further expansiongiven that the Bangladeshi diaspora has reached a certain size whoseremittances could, if better organised, have a greater impact onpeople and communities in the home country.

However, significant knowledge gaps exist on both the supply anddemand end, while there remain certain regulatory bottlenecks againstefficient and convenient transfer of resources to potential partnerorganizations in Bangladesh for philanthropic projects.

There is very little information available to Bangladeshi organizationsregarding the number and scope of diaspora organizations, whilediaspora organizations themselves may not necessarily have the meansor mechanisms to identify potential partners to work with in Bangladesh.

The present publication, based on six months’ research1, attempts to

address this knowledge gap through preparing a select number of casestudies, profiles and database of diaspora philanthropic organizationsfor dissemination among the extensive network of social sectororganizations in Bangladesh. The provisional database of 350organizations based mainly in the United States and United Kingdom

2is

also possibly the first attempt to develop a central depository ofBangladeshi diaspora philanthropic organizations.

7

It has three parts including case studies of 12 of these organizationsbased in the UK, US and also mainland Europe. These cases describethe origins, goals, activities, organization, funding practices and self-perceived successes of the profiled diaspora groups. The organizationsvary in size, age, ambition and scope, supporting work in fields as farranging as education, environment and health to child sponsorshipprograms, women’s empowerment and community development.

The Context3

Recent decades have seen a rise in the migration and movement ofpeople as economic and cultural globalization, ease of travel andcommunication grows.

One of the consequences of this rise is greater transfer of resources byexpatriates back to families and communities in their country of origin,generally flowing from developed destination countries to developinghome countries.

A World Bank study estimated that remittances to developing countriestotalled US$167 billion in 2005, up 73% from 2001. A separate study foundworldwide remittances to total US$275 billion in 2006, of which $206billion flowed to developing countries. Many developing countries arethus attaching greater importance to the earnings of their migrantpopulations.

In countries such as Bangladesh, there may be a tendency to recognizethis potential primarily in terms of remittances to families of migrants. Yetsome of the flow also goes to philanthropic activities ranging fromfinancing of schools and clinics to developing community programs.

Remittances from migrants are critical to the Bangladesh economy withits contribution to the development budget ranging from 30% to 50%. Itis higher than net foreign direct investment, foreign aid, and is evenhigher than earnings from the largest export earner, the Ready-MadeGarments (RMG) sector when its earnings are adjusted against the costof raw materials. Remittances are also said to positively impact onnational income GNP, consumption, investment, and imports.

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According to the Bangladesh Bank, remittances from overseas workerscrossed the $10 billion mark for the first time in 2009, up a hefty 20percent from the previous year. But many analysts are of the opinionthat factoring in remittances through unofficial, non-banking channelsmeans the total more likely stands at between US$16 to US$17 billion.

Even though most of this flow is directed at the household level, it isestimated that a very small portion, approximately 1% or US$160 toUS$170 million, is transferred primarily as charity directed towards poorerrelatives and village residents or community development through faithbased institutions. But there has also been a gradual increase in thenumber of Bangladeshi diaspora groups organizing funds forphilanthropic purposes in their home country beyond individual-to-individual giving.

This form of social investment, however, has hardly been studied outsideof a handful of countries. According to one author

4, it is among the

“least understood components of the philanthropic landscape.”

A 2008 Bangladesh paper on ‘Diaspora Giving’5

has, however,attempted to present “some understanding on the social contributionof migrant populations—termed as ‘diaspora philanthropy’—in thecontext of Bangladesh”.

More specifically, the paper looked at the migration patterns ofBangladeshis; their philanthropic practices; related policy, legal andfiscal issues; the extent to which diaspora giving might be a driver ofsocial change; and recommendations for further realizing the potentialof diaspora philanthropy.

The author observed, however, that the research was limited by thepaucity of information, studies, and data on diaspora philanthropy inBangladesh. Nevertheless, what may be of relevance to this report, arethe differences found between Bangladeshi diaspora philanthropicorganizations in the US and UK.

The US organizations “seem to be relatively well organized,incorporated as not-for-profits with basic information related to theorganizations and their activities easily accessible via their websites”,according to the study. As most have tax exempt/deductibility status,

9

Introduction

they also tend to be better equipped to solicit donations and resourcesbeyond their members, it adds.

In contrast, the paper found that philanthropic organizations in theUnited Kingdom seem to operate more informally, as individual/family-run organizations, even though they may be incorporated as not-for-profit organizations.

Another difference that stood out was the regional versus non-regionalnature or focus of organizations in the UK and US with organizations inthe UK appearing to operate more as regional associations, homeregions rather than just hometowns, especially the Sylhet region wheremany British Bangladeshis originate. The US-based organizations, on theother hand, seem to be organized along particular fields or sectors anddo not necessarily operate with a regional focus.

The difference may not be particularly surprising considering that thevast majority of immigrants to the UK have come from one particularregion, whereas the US diaspora’s geographical origins are far morevaried, the paper adds.

Some of these differences, between UK and US-based groups, areborne out by the descriptions of the 12 organizations profiled in thefollowing pages, especially the regional versus non-regional focus,though there are undoubted exceptions in terms of the apparent levelof organization, presentation of information and funding activities onboth sides of the reported Atlantic divide.

Moreover, in at least two of the case studies presented here,organizations founded and run by philanthropically motivatedindividuals appear from the given history to have gained their impetusfrom and owe their success precisely to the passion and vision of singleindividuals.

MethodologyData collection for this research was primarily limited to searchingselected websites such as the UK Charity Commission, the US InternalRevenue Service (IRS), and through internet search engines. Inaddition, organizations were selected from the 2008 Bangladesh Paper

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presented at the Fourth Regional Conference of the Asia PacificPhilanthropy Consortium on Diaspora Giving: An Agent of Change inAsia Pacific Communities?

An introduction letter was sent out to established and well-knowndiaspora online networks and forums, informing diaspora members ofthe project. Information regarding the project was also shared viapostings on various web portals, sites and links and through word ofmouth. A questionnaire template accompanied the introductory letterfor diaspora organizations to fill out certain basic information.

While it is estimated that over 10,000 individuals and organizations werereached through these efforts the response was very poor with onlyaround 16 to 17 organizations responding to the questionnaire withdetailed information. Nevertheless, around 350 organizations werefinally identified

6with most of them based in the UK and USA, though

Europe, Australia and other parts of the world are also represented. Inaddition, 30 profiles of select organizations were prepared based onmaterial available to the researchers.

Field visits were also conducted to a number of project sites of diasporaorganizations and/or their partners in Bangladesh. Based on the reportsfrom the field, interviews and available information, 12 organizationswere selected for individual case studies7.

11

Introduction

12

ADHUNIKA

www. adhunika .org

The web for womenBased in the US, the Adhunika Foundation is a volunteer basedorganization aiming to bringing about social change in the lives ofwomen of Bangladesh, including expatriates, through the use oftechnology.

Adhunika was initially launched in 2002 as an internet-basednetwork for Bangladeshi women worldwide. As a portal or onlineresource for Bangladeshi woman, Adhunika’s vision was to learn, asan organization, and to help its members through exchange ofinformation and knowledge.

Adhunika started as a purely online entity, with the websitewww.adhunika.org, but it has since evolved to develop some offlineactivities as well. It further aims to raise funds to promote the use oftechnology among Bangladeshi women and to invest with partnerorganizations in relevant projects.

Adhunika has so far established partnerships with a handful oforganizations, and eventually wants to create a network thatBangladeshi women can connect to, and develop information andcommunication technology (ICT) skills.

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Finally, Adhunika Foundation aims to provide a “virtual platform forthe voices of Bangladeshi women” by promoting their personalstories, highlighting female role models, creating awareness ofwoman’s issues and connecting them to other organizations thatwork towards women’s advancement.

Organization and GovernanceAdhunika was founded in March 2002 in New York State and isregistered as a nonprofit charitable organization under section501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.

Its US office manages its activities and coordinates with partners inBangladesh. Volunteers contribute ideas, help with event planningand various promotional activities.

Adhunika posts announcements on its websites-seeking volunteersfor projects with partners, various events and fundraising.

Finance and fundraisingAdhunika Foundation raises funds through its volunteers, benefitevents, and invites donations through its website. It arranges varioussocial and cultural events in Bangladesh and the US in celebrationof various national days of Bangladesh and international days,especially International Women’s Day. Some of these arefundraisers, others are regarded as social and networking events orfor raising Adhunika’s profile.

Adhunika is a “partner” of Shahruk’s Collection: A Nityoshongee, anew clothes line by Bangladeshi designer Shahruk Shahid, proceedsof which support the Adhunika Cares Project in Bangladesh.

Projects and ActivitiesAdhunika Foundation works in collaboration with AdhunikaBangladesh Society on the Adhunika Cares Project. “ABS runs

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development programs with priority on poverty reduction and totaldevelopment of underprivileged women” according to Adhunika’swebsite, but no other details are available on the site.

Adhunika is a coalition partner of DREAM (Diabetes Research,Education, and Action for Minorities) project a five-year communitybased participatory research study based in the Center for the Studyof Asian American Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center. Thegoal of the project is to develop and test a Community HealthWorker Program to improve diabetes control and diabetes-relatedhealth complications in the Bangladeshi community in New YorkCity.

From February 2006-December 2008, Adhunika was a sponsor of theComputer Literacy Program of the US-based Volunteers Associationfor Bangladesh (VAB)

8and Development Research Network (D.Net)

in Bangladesh. More than 300 girls from impoverished backgroundswere trained in computer use with Adhunika’s support of the VABprogram.

Adhunika also supported the pilot project ‘Information TechnologyTraining for Women’ by Adhunika Bangladesh Society from August2004 to January 2006.

Challenges and OpportunitiesAs Adhunika is primarily an “online resource”, steered from the US,the rate of computer literacy among the targeted Bangladeshiwomen also remains a matter of concern with regards to its web-based intitative.

For example, Adhunika has launched an English-language blogaimed at “knowledge sharing between women from different walksof life” and “empowering women through a common web-basedplatform”, however, a visit to the blog shows entries are few and farbetween.

It is now planning to launch a Bangla-language blog to connect

15

Adhunika

more women with Adhunika community, though resources are astumbling block.

Despite funding strictures, Adhunika says it is planning to launchwomen’s leadership and professional development programs.

It also wants to continue its outreach program on diabetes forBangladeshi women in the US, and take up programs to tackledomestic violence and other social issues, as well as expand the ABSIT pilot project for women in Bangladesh.

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AGAMI

www.agami.org

‘Enough talk’

“Enough talk, we need to do something” is the motto that drivesAgami, a US-based non-profit organization founded in 2003, with abelief that all children in Bangladesh should have an equalopportunity for a quality education.

In fact, the natural disasters afflicting Bangladesh provided thetrigger or impetus for its initial work but education soon becameAgami’s focus.

“Education is the only tool that will bring the children of Bangladeshout of the darkness of poverty and into a bright future,” says Agamivice president Dr. S Mahmudul Hassan.

With this view, Agami fosters basic education in poor ruralcommunities and urban slums of Bangladesh with projects thatprovide educational materials, access to education and supportand an end goal of creating self-sufficiency in these areas.

While its focus is “empowering people through education”, Agamialso aims to partner with other organizations to provide “a holistic

17

solution addressing other critical needs such as health care, nutritionand economic opportunities”.

Agami, which means ‘Future’, sees itself first and foremost as an‘action group’, and also underlines its core principles and ideals assecular, non-political and volunteer based.

“We aim to help any underprivileged child, regardless of religion.Similarly, we will not sponsor sectarian projects,” says the group.

It also points out that all administrative costs are borne by itsvolunteer members. “100 percent of your donation goes to thepeople who need it the most, the children,” Agami promises.

The ContextBangladesh is a disaster-prone country of more than 150 millionpeople. Nearly 40 percent live below the poverty line.

More than six million children work in Bangladesh to help eke out aliving for their families. Education is not meaningful, attractive oraccessible to many of these children yet it is considered an essentialtool to eradicate poverty.

The government of Bangladesh spends only 2.7 percent of GNP oneducation, the lowest in South Asia. Primary school enrollment isapproximately 94 percent, according to the government. Primaryschool dropout rate, however, is over 20 percent, while the averageattendance rate is 60 percent. Dropout rates are much higher in thesecondary, higher secondary and tertiary levels.

Against this backdrop, a group of expatriate Bangladeshis in theUnited States founded Agami. Although a handful of volunteers hadconceptualized the organization as early as 1992, it finally tookshape in 2003.

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Organization and GovernanceHeadquartered in Fremont, California, and registered under501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code, Agami is steered by a six-member board of directors. The board members are all volunteersand do not receive any honorarium.

Agami is fully run by dedicated volunteers who contribute both timeand financial support. They are seen as the organization’s lifeblood.“It is the volunteers and donors who keep the organization alive,”says the group.

Finance and FundraisingThe expenses Agami incurs to host events, transfer funds andmaintain its website are matched by the revenue it receives fromfundraising tickets, board member fees, corporate sponsorship andsoftware license donations.

Its corporate sponsors are Mentor Graphics, Citi Foundation, KTFoundation, Global Impact, Wachovia Foundation, Oracle, Googleand Applied Biosystems.

Members of the organization also chip in for operational expenses sothat 100 percent of donations go to the intended beneficiaries.

Agami organizes a fundraiser annually to finance its projects. Its firstfundraiser was held on July 25 in 2004 that drew a crowd of hundredsto Chandni Restaurant in Newark, CA and fetched the organizationnearly $15,000. The fundraising programs mainly feature dinner anda show.

Apart from annual fundraisers, Agami sponsors occasional benefitevents such as that marking International Mother Language Day2010, with a screening of the Bangladeshi film ‘Matir Moina’ at theMountain View Academy in Mountain View, CA. The event, aimedat raising funds to rebuild three Aila-damaged Agami schools inKhulna, pulled in about $7000.

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Agami

Projects and Activities

Agami had running projects in 11 schools9

across Bangladesh in2009. It has also introduced two recent initiatives: the StudentInternship Program and the Million Light Initiative.

The Student Internship Program aims to connect local high schooland college students with Agami projects in their area. Theinternships may vary in scope and duration. Usually each internshipincludes a visit to an Agami school and works with the students,teaching staff and the community there. The interns are expectedto bring their own ideas and skills, and work with Agami to developand execute a project that will meet a particular need at theparticipating schools in Bangladesh, as well as give the interns anopportunity to further develop their own skills through working withAgami.

With the Million Light Initiative, Agami aims to introduce solar light forthe students of its project schools to promote green energy. Theorganization has partnered with One Million Lights for the initiativeand has received 100 solar lights as part of a pilot phase. Agamiplans to provide solar light for all its 2,300 students in its variousschools that include remote rural settings and the slums of capitalDhaka.

In addition to its projects in Bangladesh, Agami also arrangesprograms to promote Bangladeshi culture in the US.

Challenges and OpportunitiesAgami sees itself as reaching “a stage of growth and maturity in justseven years that has made the initiators pluck up the courage totake on wider and bigger challenges”.

It is looking to undertake projects that demand better design ofschool curricula, encompass larger aspects of disaster relief, andtruly impact large segments of society in a very profound way.

20


But mobilizing funds to meet increasing project costs, getting morevolunteers involved, monitoring the projects and receivingfeedback still remain the key hurdles.

However, Agami is optimistic enough to declare its ultimate goal asno less than “creating leaders for Bangladesh” through education.

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Agami

BANGLA AID, UK

Froud Community Centre, 1 Toronto Avenue London, E 12, 5JF

At home and abroadUnlike many other Bangladeshi expatriates, the founder of BanglaAid UK, Jamal Uddin, took in the problems of his countrymen both athome and abroad, in Britain where he himself had settled.

The organization works in the London Borough of Newham andTower Hamlets in the UK and in Bangladesh, it works in Dhaka,Golapganj and Sylhet districts.

In Bangladesh, the organization works to alleviate poverty througheducation, training, counselling and better health care. It has alsoprovided disaster relief and rehabilitation in times of need. BanglaAid, UK also opened a healthcare centre in March 2009.

The main objective of its work in Britain is to advance communitydevelopment and citizenship. It also provides some facilities,particularly to the elderly and disabled.

Organization and GovernanceBangla Aid UK, a nonprofit organization, was registered in the UK asa charity in 2003 and with the NGO Affairs Bureau of Bangladesh in2007.

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Founder Jamal Uddin is the chairman of the organization. He is alsoits main donor.

Two boards of trustees operate activities of the organization in thetwo countries, the UK and Bangladesh. There are 12 members on theUK board and seven on the board in Bangladesh. Jamal chairs both.

Financing and FundraisingBeing a new organization, Bangla Aid, UK depends totally on itsmembers who donate from their own pockets while some alsocollect from their contacts.

Founder and chairman Jamal Uddin is the key donor for theorganization. Despite some shortcomings, the Bangla Aid, UKfounder’s dreams grew with the spontaneous response andcontributions of the members. In a single year, it collected £ 9,000

10

and has spent approximately Tk 2,500,000 on its projects to date.

Jamal Uddin is working on reaching more donors and going forwardwith more projects.


Just two years after registering with authorities in Bangladesh, BanglaAid, UK set up a hospital for the poor in Dhaka Dakkhin. The hospital,built on land donated by Jamal Uddin, employs four visiting doctors,two nurses and one paramedic but provides only primary andemergency healthcare at present.

It is not yet able to deal with complicated cases or with surgery. Lackof necessary equipment is one of the key obstacles to providingbetter services. Patients arriving at the centre in critical condition arereferred to the nearby government hospital.

Jamal Uddin also considers his organization’s work with Bangladeshiexpatriates in Britain as a success. Bangla Aid, UK has helped themform better relations with their employers by enhancing their skills

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Bangla Aid, UK

and thus fulfilling the requirements of the related companies.

Jamal also saw many Bangladeshis settled in Britain werecompletely unaware of the government services that they wereentitled to, mainly due to lack of education. Bangla Aid, UK informsthem about the services and teaches them the procedures to availmedical and other services offered by the state.

Challenges and Opportunities

Funding remains a challenge for Bangla Aid, UK. People havepledged funds but have not always kept their commitments. This hasmade it difficult to complete projects such as its hospital project.

The most disappointing thing, according to Jamal, is that manyBangladeshis in his community in the UK prefer to make donations forreligion-based projects rather than social development.

Another challenge is the sheer mismanagement and corruptionfaced in undertaking projects in Bangladesh. Jamal alleged that hisorganization was forced to spend a good chunk of money in thename of “service charges”. This practice often pushed back theprogress of the projects. “It is very difficult to work here withoutpaying so-called service charges,” he said.

Bangla Aid, UK also believes having good doctors is the prerequisiteof a good hospital. Large buildings and sophisticated equipment donot make any sense if the hospital does not have efficient doctorssays Bangla Aid, UK, but the organization found it difficult to getdoctors in Bangladesh who were committed to helping the poorand being involved in ‘charity work’.

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BANGLADESH ENVIRONMENTNETWORK (BEN)

www.ben-center.org

On the environmental frontline

Bangladesh has suffered serious environmental degradation inrecent decades and now stands on the frontline of climate change.Always prone to natural disasters, it has also emerged as a countrythreatened by man-made ecological disasters, both global andlocal.

The Bangladesh Environment Network was founded in 1998 byBangladeshis living in the United States believing that thegovernment response to the situation has been inadequate.

Popularly known as BEN, it aims to unite and mobilize non-residentBangladeshis and other members of the international community towork with environmental protection groups in Bangladesh. It is opento all Bangladeshis in their home country or living abroad as well asto non-Bangladeshis who are interested in the country’senvironmental problems.

BEN’s mission is to gather and disseminate information onenvironmental issues and provide solutions, strengthen links betweenlocal and international organizations, and persuade thegovernment to implement environment-friendly policies.

25

Since inception, BEN has been working in Bangladesh incollaboration with Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon or BAPA, anumbrella organisation of local environmental groups, to nurture abroad social movement. The collaboration covers joint conferences,policy advocacy and public campaigns. BEN also provides financialsupport to BAPA to maintain its secretariat.

The Dhaka Declaration

BEN’s first International Conference on Bangladesh Environment,ICBEN 2000, resulted in a number of recommendations that wereadopted as The Dhaka Declaration on Bangladesh Environment.Some of these recommendations have since been implemented.

Among the key recommendations were launching publiccampaigns on environmental issues, enforcing the EnvironmentConservation Act, maintaining river networks and preservingwetlands, improving irrigation practices, reducing use of chemicalfertilizers and pesticides, preserving forests and discouraging use ofpolythene bags.

The Declaration also recommended banning vehicles using two-stroke engines, converting vehicles for CNG use, expandingenvironment-friendly mass transit systems and modifying theBangladesh Petroleum Corporation’s Eastern Refinery to producelead-free petrol.

The Context

Climate change, an ever-growing population, untreated industrialand household waste, chronic air pollution, arsenic-contaminateddrinking water, loss of vital wetlands, deforestation and disappearingwildlife are just some of the reasons why BEN fears the country is stillheading towards an ecological disaster.

With global warming and the possibility of rising sea levels, much ofthe country, being just a few feet above the sea-level, could well go

26


underwater. Meanwhile, population density has reached adangerously high level. The forests are disappearing. Unknownnumbers of animal and plant species have become extinct. Riversand other water bodies are being filled up.

The level of lead in the air of Bangladesh's cities is several hundredtimes higher than the WHO recommended safety level.Bangladesh's arsenic situation has already become a focus ofinternational alarm. The level of arsenic in 43 out of Bangladesh's 64districts has been found to be more than 500 percent of the WHOrecommended safe mark.

Chemical runoff from farms into water bodies is damaging thecountry's fish stock. Disposal of solid waste has become a majorproblem in urban areas. Rising use of plastic and other toxic andnon-biodegradable materials is making even household waste amajor threat to health and the environment. As Bangladesh tries toindustrialize, increasing amounts of toxic and non-toxic industrialwaste are being dumped onto lands and into water bodies.

The Bangladesh government lacks an overall coherent plan of itsown to fight environmental degradation, often relying on initiatives,funds and proddings by donor agencies, says BEN. “The result hasbeen an array of disconnected and often contradictory projects,which are generally ineffective,” says the group.

Organization and Governance

Headquartered in the United States, there are three levels ofoperations within the organization; (a) the general membershipforum, where all members can participate; (b) the ConsultativeCommittee that directs major policy initiatives and reviews thefinances; and (c) the Initiators Group that oversees the differentinitiatives and day-to-day operations.

While the bulk of BEN’s members are based in the US, it has membersin Australia, Canada, Sweden, the UK and a few other countries.

27

Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN)

Its activities are largely organized through email and discussiongroups.

Members of BEN hold discussions on air pollution, flood control,arsenic contamination, loss of bio-diversity, and other environmentalproblems facing Bangladesh via the internet.

BEN also draws on the expertise of university professors, scientists,engineers, lawyers, and physicians as well as concerned peoplefrom all walks of life for campaigns, conferences and other activities.

Finance and Fundraising

Regular fundraisers and voluntary contributions by members are thekey sources of finance for BEN projects. It does not solicit or acceptfunds from government or donor organizations, which allows it toremain independent and critical of these bodies when required.

BEN is registered with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a non-profit organization engaged in the protection of the environment,with contributions being tax-deductible.


ICBEN 2010

BEN and BAPA organized the third International Conference onBangladesh Environment, known as ICBEN, on January 2-3, 2010 inDhaka.

Academic, environmental and civil society groups assisted BEN andBAPA in organizing the conference attended by representativesfrom government and non-government organizations.

It was BEN’s third such conference, following on from previous onesin 2002 and 2000. The first, ICBEN 2000, intended to strengthen therelationship between BEN and Bangladeshi environmentalorganizations, as well as increase networking between theseorganizations.

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Campaigns

On September 18 2009, BEN launched Bangladesh Climate ChangeGlobal Action Day with a rally in front of the United Nationsheadquarters in New York. Prior to the rally, 10 BEN representativesfrom New York, Boston and Pennsylvania held a meeting with the UNDirector of Sustainable Development, Tariq Banuri, and handdelivered a memorandum to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

BEN also organized rallies in Australia on the day, outside the UNregional office in Canberra and in Sydney’s Hyde Park, to drawattention of the international community to environmental threats inBangladesh. Australian MPs, among other supporters, expressedtheir solidarity. A delegation from the rally also handed over a‘Memorandum’ to the local UN office. Members of the communityalso signed a petition in support of the Memorandum addressed tothe UN Secretary General. PriyoAustrlia launched an online petitiontoo in support of the Memorandum and an ‘Action Plan’ forBangladesh.

BEN also recently passed a resolution on the impact in Bangladeshof India’s planned Tipaimukh hydroelectric power project and damon the cross-border Barak river.

Successes

Twelve years ago, BEN drew up a summary of Bangladesh'senvironmental problems and suggested viable solutions to them. Ithanded over the summary to the government on October 3, 1998 inthe form of a memorandum.

ICBEN 2000 had also adopted the Dhaka Declaration onBangladesh Environment 2000, setting out the programmatic andorganizational tasks before the environment movement.

Success in raising public awareness of issues by BEN, BAPA, andother environmental organizations has led to some concrete action

29

Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN)

by the Bangladesh government in the interceding years. Forexample, unleaded gasoline replaced leaded gasoline andnumbers of two-stroke engine vehicles in major cities felldramatically. Other key successes have been re-imposition of theban on polythene bags, introduction of low-cost methods to providearsenic free water and legislation to protect water bodies.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha recently launched a drive to removeillegal structures along the four choked rivers surrounding Dhaka city,while the High Court has ordered all industries to set up effluenttreatment plants to cut pollution of their waters.

BAPA and BEN have also been successful in influencing policies in arange of other areas, including urban planning.

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FRIENDS OF KHASDOBIRBANGLADESH

www.khasdobir.org.uk

‘One of the oldest’Friends of Khasdobir Bangladesh is one of the oldest UK baseddiaspora philanthropic organization. Founded in 1984, it aims to helppoor Bangladeshis increase their opportunities through educationand training.

Founder Haroon Ahmed, originally from Sylhet, settled in the UKdecades ago. After setting up a successful restaurant business thereand working with the Bangladeshi community in the East End ofLondon for 16 years to change the lives of underprivileged people inthe area, he returned to Sylhet in the early 1980s with a Britishcolleague Peter East to pursue philanthropic activities back in hismotherland.

On arrival in Sylhet, the two worked with villagers to teach youngchildren how to read and write. They also gave small grants toelderly, destitute widows. This was how the organization started itswork. Haroon Ahmed died in 1997 and Peter East in 2004.

Although the organization’s focus has mainly been skillsdevelopment, Friends has now broadened its operations to includehealthcare.

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It also continues to provide allowances to destitute women, aims toinstil confidence in Bangladeshi women by developing their abilitiesand works to strengthen community ties among villagers andbetween different religious groups.

Registered in the UK, Friends of Khasdobir implements its projectsthrough its Bangladesh-registered chapter Khasdobir Youth ActionGroup or KYAG.

The ContextHuge population growth, slow pace of development and aninadequate education system mean that the formal employmentsector in Bangladesh can accommodate only one third of adultsreaching working age every year.

Recent years have witnessed a rise in private sector employment inthe country, but millions remain excluded from these opportunitiesdue to a lack of basic education and skills.

In this context, Friends of Khasdobir aimed to develop work skillsamong some of the most vulnerable sections of society. Its firstprojects focused on basic education for children along withassistance and limited work training for destitute women.

Organization and GovernanceFriends of Khasdobir was formally registered in the UK on July 8, 2006.The board of trustees comprises 14 members, which includeBangladeshi expatriates and British nationals.

Khasdobir Youth Action Group has been working in Khasdobir,Sylhet, for more than two and a half decades and was registeredwith the NGO Affairs Bureau of Bangladesh in 1990. KYAG is run byan executive committee.

Members of the board of trustees in the UK visit projects inSylhet annually to appraise implementation, use of funds and

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documentation. The visit also intends to strengthen links betweendonors, KYAG and the local communities.

The executive committee of KYAG submits an annual report on itsactivities to the authorities of Friends of Khasdobir in the UK. A retiredgovernment employee is the president of KYAG and oversees theday-to-day activities of the organization on a voluntary basis.

Both organizations operate on a voluntary basis, though KYAG hasfive paid employees, the accountant, assistant accountant, anoffice aide, an orderly and a night guard. There are also 48 projectstaff, 31 male and 17 female, who are considered volunteers butreceive reasonable allowances.

Funds and FundraisingThe organization seeks to ensure sufficient funds in reserve tomaintain their operations for at least one year. Friends of Khasdobiraims to raise at least £31,000 a year.

Contributions in the form of money, ideas and time from membersand their friends are the lifeblood of Friends of Khasdobir.

The ‘Quarterly Meal Event’ at Bangladeshi-owned restaurants acrossthe UK has proved to be a popular and lucrative means of raisingfunds.

The organization also raises money through the internet and directmailing as well as arranging cultural events such as concerts.

Projects and ActivitiesKYAG currently runs 13 projects and has established 12 primaryschools under one of these projects.

It recently partnered with Khasdobir Government Primary School toprovide the salary for one teacher. It provides special coaching for

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Friends of Khasdobir Bangladesh

students from Class 6 to Class 10 in English, Mathematics andScience. Higher secondary class students are provided withcoaching in English.

KYAG pays admission, tuition and exams fees for poor butmeritorious students ranging from Class 6 to Class 10. Students areselected for the stipend on the basis of their academic performanceand financial condition. In some cases, KYAG also provides uniforms,books and other materials. It also offers some basic computer lessonsfor selected students.

The organization has a program to provide women with literacyeducation every year in which they are taught basic reading, writingand numeric skills. The number of women selected for the project isdetermined based on available funds.

Skills to find work in the apparel sector are taught to help womenearn an income. Thirty women are given training on cutting andsewing every year under the program. Some women trained byKYAG have now secured employment at different garmentfactories.

There are many destitute widows in Khasdobir who are unable tomeet their own or their children’s needs and KYAG pays anallowance of Tk 500 a month to a number of these widows.The organization has also set up a healthcare project in Khasdobir.The Haroon Peter Memorial Health Center, established in 2006,provides free healthcare to the villagers. In conjunction with thisKYAG has a program called Medical Support to the Poor, whichprovides money for medical tests such as X-rays and scans.

KYAG also maintains a center where children are immunized againstvarious diseases such as polio, hepatitis, tetanus and measles. Thesecenters also offer vitamin supplements for children.

There is an advocacy program too, which intends to increaseawareness of birth control issues, birth registration, drug abuse,sanitation, HIV/AIDS and prevention of child and woman trafficking.

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On special occasions such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, KYAGdistributes rice, flour, milk, sugar, oil and potatoes amongimpoverished people.

Challenges and OpportunitiesFinancial sustainability is a common challenge for everyphilanthropic organization. Friends of Khasdobir is no different.

On the ground, KYAG has faced some difficulties in bringing womenout of their homes to participate in training programmes.

Friends of Khasdobir also finds that the targeted population does notalways stay in touch with the organization for continued appraisaland/or support.

In Bangladesh, the rate of school dropouts is very high and it is oftendifficult to send children back to school once they give up,especially if the reasons are economic. This has turned out to be abig challenge for KYAG to ensure complete schooling for dropouts.

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Friends of Khasdobir Bangladesh

IMDAD-SITARA KHANFOUNDATION

www.iskkc.org

‘Giving hope’The Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation (ISKF) has focused its work on thegreat need for local medical facilities for kidney patients inBangladesh who in most parts of the country are required to travelgreat distances for treatment.

Bangladeshi expatriates Dr Imdad H. Khan and his wife Mrs Sitara A.Khan originally established the Khan Family Foundation in the USA in2003 to donate funds to different philanthropic organizations aroundthe world.

ISKF was in turn established as a trust under the patronage of theKhan Family Foundation, specifically to carry out philanthropicactivities in Bangladesh.

Its focus was not clear until the US chapter of the Old RajshahiCadets Association (ORCA-USA) approached the foundation tohelp fund kidney centres. The foundation plans to open more suchcentres in cooperation with OCRA-USA.

The US-based Independent Dialysis Foundation Inc has donated 39dialysis machines for the centres. The foundation ultimately seeks to

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set up facilities for kidney transplants in addition to dialysis at itscentres.

In addition to establishing kidney centres, the foundation funds theImdad-Sitara Khan Scholarship for meritorious but financiallyinsolvent students to pursue higher studies in science, engineeringand medicine

11.

The ContextAccording to the Bangladesh Kidney Foundation's statistics, about40,000 people in Bangladesh die from kidney diseases every yeardue to inadequate dialysis facilities. Many kidney patients areforced to resign themselves to an early and avoidable death due tolack of local treatment centres or exorbitant costs.

The cost of treatment forces many others to compromise on thenumber of dialysis sessions their condition requires, while alsodevastating families financially.

Against this backdrop, ORCA-USA approached ISKF to establish fivekidney centres in Bangladesh of which four are currently functioning.

Organization and GovernanceISKF is registered as a non-profit organization in Bangladesh underthe Societies Registration Act, 1860.

It has a five-member advisory council and a nine-member executivecommittee. The foundation’s activities are overseen by theexecutive committee.

Each Imdad-Sitara Khan Kidney Centre has an operation-in-charge.

Steven S Guest, nephrologist at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, SantaClara, CA, and Dr Shamim Ahmed, a professor of nephrology at theNational Institute of Kidney Diseases & Urology, Bangladesh arepatrons of the foundation.

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IMdad-Sitara Khan Foundation

Finance and FundraisingThe Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation itself provides some funding forits projects, while donations from likeminded organizations andindividuals also play a contributory role. The foundation also has aZakat Fund open for donations.

The Independent Dialysis Foundation in Maryland, USA, is a keydonor, having donated 39 dialysis machines to the kidney centres,which operate on a non-profit basis.

Donations can be made towards purchase of dialysis machines or apiece of land to set up a centre, as well as sponsoring a patient fordialysis or kidney transplant.

Projects and ActivitiesImdad-Sitara Khan Kidney Centres

The foundation in cooperation with ORCA-USA has establishedImdad-Sitara Khan Kidney Centres (ISKKCs) in Dhaka, Kushtia,Rangpur and Bogra. Work on another centre in Rajshahi is ongoing.

ISKF ultimately plans to establish kidney centres in district townsthroughout Bangladesh.

This ambitious project brings hope to kidney patients throughout thecountry with its mission to provide equal access to quality treatment,including eventually kidney transplants, for all.

The foundation is also planning to launch a campaign to raise publicawareness for prevention of kidney diseases and publish informativejournals and booklets on nephrology.

Imdad-Sitara Khan ScholarshipsThe Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation launched a scholarship programin 2004 to help poor but gifted students pursue higher studies. With

38


an annual budget of $120,000, a total of 450 students receive theImdad-Sitara Khan scholarship annually.

Of them, 150 scholarships go to medicine students, 120 toengineering students, 120 to science students and 60 to HSCstudents. SpaandanB, a non-profit organization also run by US-basedexpatriate Bangladeshis, is responsible for selecting and distributingthe scholarships.

A committee comprising nine reputed academics from topBangladeshi universities nominate students for the award following areview of their academic records and financial status.

Awardees are firstly nominated for one year, but the scholarships arerenewed every year until graduation. The renewal is subject tocertain level of academic achievement.

Challenges and OpportunitiesThe Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation plans to establish quality kidneycentres with haemo and peritoneal dialysis facilities for outpatientsin every district town. The centres will help detect renalcomplications through adequate bio-chemical investigation androutine examination.

The foundation also has plans to gradually equip these centres withinstruments for kidney transplantation and continuous ambulatoryperitoneal dialysis and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis, andother advanced devices.

It also aims to establish a modern comprehensive Kidney Hospital,Medical College and Research Centre and training centres foradvanced medical knowledge.

To achieve these ambitious goals, the foundation will requiresignificant funding. To this end it is planning to organize and mobilizedonors, especially Bangladeshi expatriates, to exploit theireconomic, technical and moral support to set up, equip and run itskidney centres and further projects.

39

IMdad-Sitara Khan Foundation

Being a non-profit organization, the foundation’s kidney centresface an enormous challenge to provide free facilities to poorpatients in the world’s most densely populated country. Greater linkswith other kidney foundations at home and abroad are also beingfostered for mutual benefit.

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MATI

www.mati-net.de

‘Self-defined development’Mati Bangladesh was established in 1998 with a vision of “self-defined sustainable development”, seeking to empower the ruralpoor to choose the kind of development they want for theircommunities, while promoting ownership and responsibility for thoseactivities.

“We believe that our success has to do with the fact that we workwith the people, rather than for the people. Mati is not just a project,it is a community,” says its organizers.

Mati was founded by Bangladeshi Lenin Rahman. After studyingengineering in Germany, Rahman returned to Bangladeshdetermined to tackle some of the many problems facing hishomeland.

Its first objectives were to guarantee access to basic humannecessities such as safe drinking water, food, clothes and shelter,sanitation, medical care, basic training and education.

Mati began in a small way by training two women as health workers.Gradually it expanded its operations over a wider area. It now helpspoor families gain access to funds to start a small business where thelack of capital is a key obstacle to their advancement.

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Women living below the poverty line, especially widows, divorced orabandoned mothers, and their children are the key stakeholders ofMati projects. It also seeks to raise awareness of basic human rightsin its project areas, and provides practical ad-hoc support in timesof crisis and disaster.

There are currently 19 villages, with around 10,000 directbeneficiaries—including poor women, children and marginalizedgroups such as the landless, disabled, religious and other minorities—under different Mati projects.

Organization and GovernanceMati eV works in collaboration with its partner organization MatiBangladesh in the two northern districts of Sherpur and Mymensingh.

Mati eV and Mati Bangladesh are two separate and independentorganizations.

Mati eV is represented by a board that is elected by the generalmembers and is accountable to them. Mati Bangladesh has aseven-member executive committee and 21 general members.Rahman works as executive director of the organization and isresponsible for its day-to-day operations.

The organization’s head office is in Sankipara, Mymensingh. It alsooperates separate field offices in Mymensingh and Sherpur. Around60 full-time employees work for Mati. All its projects are planned inBangladesh and coordinated through the head office.

Mati believes in participatory decision making processes at all levelsand conducts frequent meetings to ensure constant improvementand revision of work strategies.

It views itself as a facilitator to translate the wishes and needs of thepeople into action, while placing high emphasis on ownership andresponsibility.

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Finances and FundraisingRahman started raising funds by collecting old clothes from hisfriends and selling them in local flea markets in Germany, while alsoorganizing cultural programs as fundraising events.

As Mati expanded, it received greater input from philanthropistsaround the world. International donors, public grants, sponsors andprivate members now contribute the majority of funding needed forMati’s projects.

Mati’s main donors are the BMZ or the German Federal Ministry forEconomic Development Cooperation; the Hessen Ministry ofEconomics, Transportation, Urban and Regional Development inWiesbaden; GTZ, a German enterprise for sustainable developmentworking, in Eschborn and Dhaka; the German Embassy in Dhaka;MISEREOR, the overseas development agency of the CatholicChurch in Germany; Deswos e.V., the German DevelopmentAssistance Association for Social Housing; youth organisation StiftungBrücke e.V; and Bread for the World.

Projects and ActivitiesMati has concentrated on two main areas - education for betterliving and livelihood support.

It educates women on basic health care, nutrition, child andprenatal care with the intention that they will share their knowledgeand skills with other women. It also runs training facilities in projectareas for work skills including sewing, office management andcomputer literacy.

The basis of Mati’s work are women’s groups in the project areas,which meet regularly to discuss their living circumstances anddevelop ideas on how to improve their situation. Village healthworkers or field motivators, who visit on a regular basis, assist thegroups.

43

Mati

There are now about 130 women groups, with 15 to 30 memberseach, totalling around 3,500 women who are actively participatingwithin the Mati framework. Within the extended family andcommunity context, Mati estimates there are around 20,000 directand indirect beneficiaries of its programs.

Under the Livelihood Assistance Initiative, Mati developed programsto develop tree nurseries, small businesses and animal husbandry. Ithas helped women to set up poultry and dairy farms.

Mati has a Kitchen Garden Program, which aims to improvenutritional value of poor families’ diets. It encourages cultivation ofsmall vegetable plots on bare land around homesteads.

The organization has also established an elementary school and aspecial support program called Ashar Alo (Ray of Hope), whichhelps poor students with financial assistance to enable them to finishschool.

Mati has also provided several hundred households with sanitarylatrines and tube wells.

In cooperation with Bread for the World, Mati provides small interest-free credit to ultra poor families to establish small private enterprises.GTZ provides financial assistance to the project. Additional support isalso given to the beneficiaries to increase access to health care andsufficient nutrition under the program.

Mati Bangladesh also has a special Volunteer Program encouragingWesterners to become active participants in their local Bangladeshicommunities to foster greater cultural understanding.

Challenges and OpportunitiesIn a poor country like Bangladesh, where the rate of literacy is stillvery low, building institutional capacity has proved to be a majorstumbling block.

Recruiting skilled people for a philanthropic/charity organization

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also remains a challenge in Bangladesh.

The major challenges facing Mati Bangladesh today are lack ofcapital for small enterprises and conservative attitudes, particularlyrelating to projects concerning women.

Mati sees its greatest achievements in gaining the trust of localcommunities and involving large numbers of women in its projects.

For example, Mati started work in 2006 in Ajmatpur Village, 15kilometers north of Mymensingh town, where most families weresuffering from economic hardship. No household in the village hada fresh water pump or sanitary latrine. Around 80 percent of thevillagers do not own their own land, and mainly work as daylaborers. There was no school in the locality and most children in thevillage were undernourished.

Yet, the local population was deeply suspicious of help from non-government organizations as two organizations had recently fledthe area after taking money from locals in the name of a ‘savings’project.

Mati, however, gained the trust of the people through a simplecampaign to de-worm children. Its success encouraged locals tobecome involved with Mati projects to repair houses, buy cattle andset up latrines and water pumps. The organization went on to formtwo women’s groups and even established a community savingsfund from which small loans are given in times of need. This ventureproved highly successful and became a model for future Matiprojects.

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Mati

STICHTING LANDONTWIKKELINGS PROJECTBANGLADESH (SLOPB)

www.sitefeeling-asp.nl

‘Integrated agriculture’Stichting Land Ontwikkelings Project Bangladesh (SLOPB), based inthe Netherlands, embarked on philanthropic activities in 1995 in oneupazila of Bangladesh, and is currently focused on helpinghouseholds there to increase incomes through small-scaleaquaculture, poultry farming and homestead gardening.

Its ‘Integrated Agriculture' program, in Bauphal upazila in thesouthern Patuakhali district, provides training, microcredit and othersupport for poor households to turn their hand to small farming withan eye to improving agricultural production and enhancing supplyof vegetables, fishes and poultry production for consumption.

SLOPB also runs healthcare projects and works in disasterpreparedness and rehabilitation management.

The charity was founded by Abdul Motalib Howlader and his partnerIngrid. Motalib was born to a very poor family in Bauphal. Economichardship had forced Motalib’s father to give up his six-year-old child.

A Dutch family adopted Motalib in 1977. Seventeen years later,Motalib returned to Bangladesh with an education and funds for thefamily he left behind and the people of his birthplace.

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Its mission was always to improve livelihoods, but its work, startingwith a water and sanitation project, initially focused on basic healthand social security services for the poor, especially targetingwomen, children and the disabled.

SLOPB, from its inception, also promoted grassroots organizations foreconomic empowerment of the poor of Bauphal Upazila. Itcontinues to support the development of partner organizationsthrough capacity building to ensure secure livelihoods for the poorand disadvantaged and equal access to, participation in andbenefits from social, economic and political spheres.

Organization and GovernanceSLOPB is an international NGO registered as a charity in theNetherlands. It also registered with the NGO Affairs Bureau ofBangladesh in March 1997.

It has a two-tier governance system with two boards – a supervisoryboard in the Netherlands and a local board in Bangladesh.

The supervisory board maintains relations with donors and providespolicy guidance. The local board provides guidelines for the directorof SLOPB working in Bangladesh on the on-going projects, helpsdevise new projects, oversees their management and other matters.Members of the local board include government employees, NGOemployees, businessmen, teachers and lawyers.

Finance and FundraisingAll projects run by SLOPB are dependent on donors. It has been ableto spend generously on its projects thanks to the Dutch governmentand the Danish International Development Agency, as well asinternational humanitarian organizations, foundations andbusinesses.

Among other major donors that responded to SLOPB’s appeals areVoluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and Concern Bangladesh, as

47

Stichting Land Ontwikkelings Project Bangladesh (SLOPB)

well as the Dutch bank Rabobank, Nutreco, a multinational animalnutrition and fish feed company, Intervet, a manufacturer of a widerange of animal pharmaceuticals, the Bosch Foundation and theStok Foundation.

Individual donors also contribute significant fundsThe treasurer of the supervisory board manages financial matters. Alldonations are deposited in a bank account in the Netherlands. Allofficial documents are registered by the notary public at least onceevery five years.


EPIA

SLOPB is currently running a Tk 5.75 crore project for Empowermentof the Poor through Integrated Agriculture (EPIA) in Bauphal Upazilaof Patuakhali district in southern Bangladesh.

The main objective of the project is to ensure transfer of technologyto poor households to make them self-reliant. It also aims to improveagricultural production, enhance availability of vegetables, fishesand poultry production for consumption, empower communitieswith greater knowledge and interest in homestead vegetablegrowing, aquaculture and home poultry rearing practices. Themajor activities of the project include training, group formation,micro credit advancement, supporting field production andlinkages to local suppliers.

A total of 3,000 families or 15,000 people of the locality directlybenefit from the EPIA, a five-year donor-assisted project that startedin October 2008. Most of the beneficiaries were selected fromwomen headed households.

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SLDP-2

SLOPB had also worked with the government of Bangladesh toimplement the Smallholder Livestock Development Project (SLDP-2)in five coastal districts - Noakhali, Feni, Lakshmipur, Patuakhali andBarguna.

The objective of the project was to give support to women from thepoorest and landless households through sustainable poultryfarming. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)was also a partner of the project. The project distributed Tk 53.28lakh to 1,312 project participants.

DPRM

SLOPB has initiated Disaster Preparedness & RehabilitationManagement (DPRM) project at a cost of € 50,000. Developingappropriate mitigation and responses to natural disasters is the keytask of the project.

Health

SLOPB has helped improve the health conditions of 1,500 students offour primary schools of Bauphal under its School Sanitation &Hygiene Education Project. Sanitation facilities, including two toilets,two urinals, five washing corners and one deep tube well with anoverhead tank, were constructed for each school.

In Bauphal as a whole, SLOPB has helped install 356 deep tube wells,2,672 latrines and provided health education to 5,378 communitypeople up to December 2003 under its Water and Sanitation Project.The key objective of the project was to reduce water born diseases.An evaluation on the project conducted in November 1999confirmed that diarrhoea had decreased in the area.

SLOPB is also running its own Child Health and Maternity Clinic forantenatal and postnatal care for pregnant mothers and newbornbabies.

49

Stichting Land Ontwikkelings Project Bangladesh (SLOPB)

Two doctors, a medical assistant, two nurses, a pathologytechnician, two field staff and administrative staff provide the care.Recently a pathological laboratory and indoor treatment facilitieswere added to the clinic. A referral system has been establishedwith different hospitals in Barisal and Dhaka for complicated cases.

The objectives of the program are to reduce the death rate ofpregnant mothers and new-born babies, to improve care duringpregnancy and during lactation and to give medical support duringdelivery and emergency time.

Microcredit

SLOPB has a Micro Credit Project that was launched to improvesocio-economic conditions of its beneficiaries. It has provided overTk 21.50 lakh to six partner NGOs to support income generationactivities. SLOPB introduced a new activity in its micro credit schemein 2003 to create employment opportunities for the local rickshawpullers to help a "Rickshaw Puller, to be a Rickshaw owner".

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SpaandanB

www.spaandanb.org

‘Respect for education’A handful of expatriate Bangladeshis founded SpaandanB in 1998 towork mainly in the field of education, along with striving to bringsome fundamental socio-economic changes to the lives of thepeople it works with in Bangladesh.

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, SpaandanBseeks to instill a sense of respect regarding the advantages ofeducation among the poor Bangladeshi communities it operates in.In this regard, it has undertaken a number of school developmentprojects to create education friendly environments. It also awardsscholarships to poor but brilliant students, finances extra-curricularactivities, builds infrastructure and helps set up libraries andlaboratories at schools.

SpaandanB also provides income generating opportunities amongthe disadvantaged communities and provides food, medicine,shelter and rehabilitation support in times of crises. The organizationalso runs projects to provide basic health services for itscommunities, with health infrastructure development being a majorfocus.

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Organization and governanceSpaandanB is a charitable organization run by volunteers, with anexecutive committee tasked with strategic planning. All members ofthe executive committee are also unpaid volunteers.

The president, general secretary and treasurer are elected bi-annually by the executive committee from among committeemembers at the organization’s administrative office in the USA. Theexecutive committee appoints a country director responsible foroperations in Bangladesh.

In the Bangladesh office, SpandaanB’s country director heads ateam that includes a project coordinator, project monitor and oneoffice staff.

Executive committee members regularly visit projects to monitorprogress in addition to receiving regular status reports on all projects.

Many SpaandanB projects are conceived by individual donors, whoare encouraged to become involved in the projects in the longerterm.

SpaandanB also works only with registered non-governmentorganizations in Bangladesh.

Finance and fundraisingSpaandanB is a non-profit organization listed under section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code and incorporated in the Stateof California.

Expatriate Bangladeshis living in the US account for the majority ofdonors and the organization also accepts Zakat donations.

SpaandanB only initiates new funding campaigns after completionof feasibility studies.

Projects are handed over to the Bangladesh office forimplementation when sufficient funding has been secured.

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SpaandanB is notable for having very low overhead costs relative toother non-profit organizations, and independent audits of itsfinances are conducted on a regular basis in the US.

Progress reports and financial statements of its projects inBangladesh are sent to the executive committee who share theinformation with donors to ensure transparency.

The organization has no salaried employee in the US, while lowoverheads in the Bangladesh office ensures that no individualproject entails more than a 15 percent overhead cost.

Projects and ActivitiesRural Talent Advancement Program

Under the Rural Talent Advancement Program, SpaandanB awards50 scholarships to high school students selected from 27 schools inDelduar Upazila in Tangail district.

School library and computer laboratory development are alsoamong the key features of the project.

It also finances various extra-curricular activities including debatingclubs, essay competitions and SSC practice tests.

Other Scholarships

SpaandanB also distributes the Imdad-Sitara Khan Scholarship12

,launched in 2004, for higher studies. With an annual budget of$120,000, 450 students receive Imdad-Sitara Khan scholarships everyyear to support their education through high school and to pursuehigher studies in science, engineering and medicine.

SpaandanB also helps distribute the Chamanara Scholarship of theBohumukhi High School in Raipura in Narsinghdi and scholarships ofthe Nazrul Islam Trust in Galachipa High School in Patuakhali.

It also coordinates a scholarship for students of the Bangladesh

53

SpaandanB

University of Engineering and Technology. Two female students ofthe electronics and electrical engineering department residing inthe female dormitory receive a scholarship each year.

With financial assistance from Bilbos Foundation, SpaandanB alsoestablished a scholarship program at Shahjalal University of Scienceand Technology in 2001. This program provides $250 per year to twomeritorious students majoring in computer science and engineering.

Two scholarships of Tk 5,000 each are awarded annually to onefemale and one male student pursuing undergraduate studies inGeneral History or Islamic History.

School Development Programs

SpaandanB has undertaken a number of school developmentprojects to improve basic infrastructure, such as building andoutfitting libraries in a bid to create education friendly educationalinstitutions.

It co-implements a project with Hunger Project Bangladesh toimprove Kuripaika High School at Kuripaika village in Patuakhalidistrict. Development of Modhupur School at Modhupur village inFeni Sadar Upazila and Singhora School in Singhora village ofNawabganj Upazila in Dhaka district are also among its schooldevelopment program.

SpaandanB also assisted in establishing a computer laboratory in thedepartment of linguistics at the University of Dhaka.

The organization also contributed $2,000 to Gurudayal College inKishoreganj, sponsored by one of its donors.

Since 1998, SpaandanB has supported two schools in Dhamrai andin Nabinagar, Savar, initiated by the Bangladesh ProtibondhiFoundation where disabled and able-bodied children studytogether.

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Health Services

A number of residents of the San Francisco Bay Area initiated aproject at Dhaka Medical College Hospital with SpaandanB to helpburn victims. It also sponsored the first five Cleft-Lip OperationCamps run by the DMCH.

It co-sponsors the DMCH Pediatric Unit to help financially distressedchildren with congenital abnormalities by covering expenses forsurgical materials. It also helped in improving the infrastructure of thePediatric Unit.

SpaandanB has also partnered with Badhan in Bangladesh, avoluntary blood donor organization, to implement a modern bloodtransfusion center at the University of Dhaka to promote voluntaryblood donation. The organization has also been co-sponsoring afree health clinic at Parchanga village in Comilla district since 2000.

Aiming to cut infant and maternal mortality rate, SpaandanB alsoopened the Haridashi Child Care and Nutrition Center in Gokornovillage in Brahmanbaria district where children and expectingmothers are provided basic health care services and nutritious food.In 2008, SpaandanB engaged with HWCCNC in a 3-year contract tobuild a laboratory in the village.

‘Sustained Subsistence’

SpaandanB started working in sustainable livelihoods with a projectcalled Gram Theke Shuru, which means "starting from the village". Itoperates in Masimnagar, Kanchanpur and Salimabad villages inBrahmanbaria district and provides small scale monetary support tounderprivileged villagers to assist them build income generatingactivities such as rearing livestock. Gram Theke Shuru is a specificdonor supported and monitored project.

SpaandanB is running another income-generation project calledthe Sewing Training Program with HELP-ORCA, which aims topromote self-sufficiency in women.

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SpaandanB

The organization also provides emergency money in the event ofnatural disasters such as cyclones and floods.

SuccessesFollowing the launch of the Rural Talent Advancement Program, theaverage passing rate for Secondary School Certificate (SSC)examinees has improved from before and increased to 70 percentin Delduar Upazila in Tangail district. Furthermore, around half of theRTAP scholarship recipients have obtained high marks (GPA-5) inrecent SSC exams.

SpaandanB also counts its healthcare initiatives among itssuccesses.

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THE OPTIMISTS

www.theoptimists.org

‘55 cents a day’The Optimists, a US-based volunteer-driven charity, has been runningsponsorship programs since 2001 for some of the most vulnerablechildren in Bangladesh.

Education, which is at the heart of The Optimists’ programs, hashelped hundreds of children continue schooling despite multipleadversities. Orphans and the children of abandoned, divorced orotherwise single mothers are the key beneficiaries of its majorprograms.

The Child Sponsorship Program provides food, clothing, school fees,books and medical care for beneficiaries up to Class 12, for just “55cents a day” or $ 200 a year.

The Special Sponsorship Program provides financial assistance tochildren of dispossessed families who want to pursue higher studies.

The charity also runs a Disaster Relief Program in times of need.

The Optimists claims to be unique since the entire organization ismanaged and run by unpaid volunteers and paying members,mainly in the US and Bangladesh

13, with only 10 percent of

membership fees/donations going to running costs14

.

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The Context

In a country like Bangladesh with pervasive poverty, there are fewmeans to accommodate orphans or children abandoned by one orboth parents.

“Amenities and opportunities such as food, shelter, education,medical care, access to clean water and sanitation, established asbirth rights in the developed world, are nothing but distant dreamsfor millions of Bangladeshi children,” The Optimists points out.

“Those of us who have our roots in Bangladesh have witnessed thesestark realities,” say the founders, who want to bring hope in the livesof the “distressed, dispossessed and deprived children ofBangladesh”.

Organization and GovernanceThe Optimists, headquartered in New York and founded in 2000, is acharity incorporated in the state of New York and registered with theNew York State Charities Bureau.

With a branch office in Dhaka and six district offices, it is alsoregistered under the NGO Affairs Bureau in Bangladesh.

It is run and managed by a board of directors in the US. It also has aprincipal executive committee that nominates members to thecountry executive committee in Bangladesh.

The country CEO, who works as a volunteer and does not receiveany remuneration, oversees projects, while volunteers in projectareas monitor the disbursement of benefits, well-being of thesponsored children and their progress in school.

The district level volunteer committees report their observations andassessments regularly to the Bangladesh branch office.

The sponsor is provided with full details of their sponsored childrenalong with periodic progress reports. The sponsors may also establish

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direct contact with the children if they wish and monitor theirprogress.

Finance and fundraisingFunds come mostly from patrons, individual donations, sponsorships,membership fees, website appeals, and fundraising events such ascultural programs.

Almost all of the donated money is spent directly on the children.Some of the funds from donors go towards project managementexpenses. Other costs are met through specific donations frompatrons and members.

MembersThe Optimists has three types of members, general members, donormembers, and donor supporters.

Members volunteer their services for six months. Each member mustalso sponsor at least one child. The principal executive committee ofthe organization grants memberships to individuals on application.Membership also requires recommendation of the board ofdirectors.

For general members, the one-off non-refundable application fee is$500.00 and monthly membership fee is $10.00. Donor members whogive $2,000 a year including sponsorship of 2 children oradvertisement in the organization’s publications are particularlyhonored for their significant contributions. Donor supporters give$500.00 a year including sponsorship of 1 child or advertisement inthe organization’s publications.

Projects and ActivitiesThe Optimists has three running projects in seven districts – Sylhet,Moulvibazar, Narayanganj, Rangpur, Comilla, Munshiganj and

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The Optimists

Habiganj. The sponsorship programs have reached 366 children.

Child Sponsorship Program (CSP)This is a 10-year program designed to keep sponsored children inschool. Children from Class 3 to Class 12, who otherwise would notbe able to go to school, are given educational support includingclothing, food, regular and emergency healthcare. Each child issupported by one sponsor.

It costs the sponsor US 55 cents a day or US $200.0015

or equivalent ayear, which provides primary school students with Tk 6,000 and juniorand secondary school students Tk 7,200 per year. In addition, eachstudent is given two sets of clothing as well as winter wear and a pairof shoes; a schoolbag, pens, pencils, paper, binders and books. Theyare also provided with soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and nail cutter.Each student gets their health checked up four times a year andtreatment if necessary.

Children are selected on the basis of financial need. Those whohave lost fathers or both parents get priority. The selection process ofsponsored children follows a set criteria and examination process todetermine the deserving children. Volunteer mentors monitor thedisbursement of stipends and progress of the sponsored children atschool and home.

Special Sponsorship Program (SSP)This six-year program provides financial support for children ofdispossessed families who achieve high marks (GPA-5) in SSC andHSC examinations to encourage them to pursue higher studies andearn a degree in Science, Engineering, Technology, EnglishLanguage, Law, Business Administration or Medicine at a publicuniversity or medical college.

It costs US 85 cents a day or $310 or equivalent a year and to receivecontinued support throughout the six years is contingent on the

60


students’ performance.

The financial assistance amounts to a lump sum yearly payment ofTk 7,500 for admission fees, books, supplies and clothes, and monthlyfinancial assistance of Tk 1,000 for food and boarding.

Disaster Relief Program (DRP)This is a donor-based program run during times of need. Any donorcan donate any amount of money for victims of natural disastersuch as floods and cyclones. Although it is not a regular programand only active in emergencies, donations to this program areaccepted year round.

Challenges and OpportunitiesThe Optimists finds its present assets, funds and set up are insufficientto maintain its projects and future goals as per guidelines given by itsboard.

The charity was aiming at one time to bring at least 15 districts underits coverage by the end of 2010.

Also, realities on the ground remain the biggest obstacle for thesuccess of its programs to encourage schooling since many familiesstill depend on the income of their children. Despite tremendousefforts and wide-ranging assistance, many of its beneficiaries are stillleaving school to earn money for their families.

Collection of funds is another problem. Sponsorship money oftenarrives late. But, though The Optimists has faced temporary shortageof funds several times for not receiving sponsorship money on time orsponsors dropped out altogether, the organization has alwaysmanaged to maintain programs and individual sponsorshipsuninterrupted.

The Optimists eventually hopes to bring the whole country undercoverage of its programs.

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The Optimists

It also plans to launch more programs to encourage children tocontinue their education including providing tuition and textbooksfor qualified poor high school students, income generation schemesfor the families to cut dependency on the income of children,computer training, student loans for higher studies and jobplacement.

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UK CHILDREN AID TRUST FUND

www.ukcatf.com

‘No more homeless children’“I don’t want to see any more children homeless or on the streets. Ashuman beings we should help each other,” Abdul Khalik Ayub,founder of the UK Children Aid Trust Fund, said during a recent fieldtrip to Bangladesh.

Ayub, a Bangladeshi expatriate settled in the United Kingdom,established the organization to provide the youth of his motherland,especially street children, with a helping hand in life.

The roots of this organization, lying in the tireless charitable work ofone man and his family, are still very much in evidence, although theneed to set the Fund on a firmer footing is also now equally evident.

Born in Sylhet, Ayub migrated to the UK at the age of 14 and is nowin his late fifties. He started his charitable work with individualdonations to poor children to help them continue their studies, butthe scale of problems facing children in his home country quickly ledto the establishment of UK Children Aid Trust Fund.

The Fund also broadened its scope to include healthcare of poorchildren, particularly orphans and the homeless.

63

Until now the activities of the Fund have relied on Ayub’s generosity,although the success of its projects pressed home the need toinstitutionalize his work and register the organization with the UKauthorities.

Organisation and GovernanceUK Children Aid Trust Fund is still run by a single family, and althoughit has registered as a charitable organization in the UK, it is yet totake on a more formal structure.

There was no system to ensure accountability, no reporting tostakeholders until 2006. Ayub is the chairman of the board of trusteesand his family still makes up all other members of the board.

He has been overseeing the projects undertaken by theorganization from the beginning. But Ayub is now finding it difficult torun the organization as it broadens its scope. The Fund is thereforeconsidering a stronger management system.

Funds and Fundraising

The majority of donations to UK Children Aid Trust Fund still comefrom its founder, his family and relatives.

However, the growing need for money has led to an increase in thenumber of donors, which now inlcudes friends and the widerBangladeshi expatriate community in the UK.

To date, fund raising has also been undertaken through televisionappeals, newsletters and via the Internet, in addition to door-to-doorcollections.


Housing for homeless children in Bangladesh lies at the core of UKChildren Aid Trust Fund activities.

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The trust fund is now constructing a shelter on a one-and-a-half acresite in Habiganj district, Sylhet division for both boys and girls wherethey will also be provided with basic education.

Ayub has also helped young people to find a means of livelihood off thestreet, providing rickshaws to some, while others now run small shops.

Many families have now been lifted out of poverty through the workof UK Children Aid Trust Fund, says it founder. The Fund also providesfinancial assistance to a madrasa in Habiganj. The money coversthe operational costs of the institution as well as the education of anumber of children there who would otherwise be homeless.

The trust provides the very poor with medical support, with particularconsideration given to individuals diagnosed with severe healthproblems.

UK Children Aid Trust Fund helped many families devastated bycyclones Sidr and Aila in 2008 and 2009. The fund provided housingto severely affected families as well as distributing food, water,clothes and medicine in the aftermath.

The founder of UK Children Aid Trust Fund also personally distributesmeat among the poor each year on Eid-ul-Azha.

Challenges and Opportunities

The success and rapid expansion of the Fund’s activities requires fargreater funding for the future. In line with this expansion, a moreformal organizational structure is required to ensure sustainability ofprojects.

The UK Children Aid Trust Fund presently lacks adequate planning tosustain the long term viability of its projects. If structures and planningcan be ensured, the organization will be put on a firm footing andgreater donor support can be secured.

According to Ayub, a major challenge is the need for greatertransparency of the Fund’s programs.

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UK Children Aid Trust Fund

VOLUNTEERS ASSOCIATIONFOR BANGLADESH (VAB)

www.vabonline.org

‘Education for poverty alleviation’The Volunteers Association for Bangladesh, founded in 1998,believes poverty alleviation depends on a strong science andtechnology base underpinned by excellence in education at alllevels and a well-trained ICT work force.

The US-based group supports quality education, better schools andcomputer access for the underprivileged youth of rural Bangladesh.

To fulfill this mission, VAB activities in Bangladesh include scholarshipsfor poor students, improving educational facilities in poor areas,training for teachers and establishing computer literacy centers.Although its focus is on secondary education, it also works at thepreschool and college levels.

Headquartered in New York State, VAB’s members come fromacross the US and include diaspora in other countries.

VAB is a member of InterAction—the largest coalition of US-basedinternational NGOs with over 180 member organizations focused on“interconnected missions of development and humanitarianaction” in developing countries-giving it access to internationaldonor expertise, networks, and best practices.

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Organization and GovernanceVAB was registered as a charity in New York in 1998. It received IRStax-exempt status in February 1999 that enabled it to drawvolunteers and raise funds more effectively.

In 2003, VAB launched a New Jersey chapter, which runs thecomputer literacy program in Bangladesh with the help of D.Net, alocal NGO.

It opened its Dhaka office in 2005, registering with the NGO AffairsBureau in Bangladesh in 2006.

Its US office is tasked with policy, planning and designing projectsand raising funds while the Bangladesh office executes the projects.Both offices have an executive body, board of directors, advisors,and other members.

VAB’s activities are decentralized and participation is encouragedfrom many communities. With volunteerism as the key principle, VABwelcomes time, labor, expertise and specialized skills in IT, researchand management.

VAB has five paid employees in Bangladesh. But its services are alsodelivered through volunteers which has helped VAB to keep itsoverhead cost low. For example, graduate students from variousuniversities in Dhaka, trained by VAB, volunteer to deliver andmonitor VAB inputs in schools. Members of its advisory committeealso offer expertise and time in planning and organizing otherprojects such as teacher training and computer training.

Audits of both US and Bangladesh operations of the organization aredone annually.

Finances and Fundraising VAB’s fund-raising initiatives began initially through direct mailing toBangladeshis in the US. It also undertakes occasional community-based fundraising, places newspaper advertisements and goes to

67

Volunteers Association for Bangladesh (VAB)

individual contacts to raise money. Corporations, foundations andinstitutional donors are also sometimes approached for additionalfunds.

VAB has received great support from non-Bangladeshi individualstoo, mostly former Peace Corps volunteers. Non-Bangladeshiscomprise 31 percent of the VAB's 400 patrons on its donor list.

VAB New Jersey launched a special scheme to fund its ComputerLiteracy Program, whereby individuals can directly donatecomputers or sponsor computer centers in Bangladesh. Around 75percent of VAB’s existing computer centers were established underthis system. Sponsors now cover two-thirds of the costs of theComputer Literacy Program.

VAB also divides its volunteers or associates in the US into differentgroups based on their skills and expertise.

Its Fundraising Associates conduct research to identify potentialdonors. Grant-writing Associates write proposals to foundations anddonor organizations. Marketing Associates design and developscontent for marketing materials and prepare fundraising letters.Publicity & Outreach Associates contact media and otherorganizations for PR purposes. School & College Outreachcoordinators work on fundraising activities with high school andcollege organizations. Corporate Sponsorship Coordinators workwith companies to raise funds through matching grants andcorporate sponsorships. There are also Management &Administration Associates who support a variety of managementand administrative tasks.


VAB runs innovative programs in 32 schools around the country toaddress the challenges that poor students face in rural Bangladesh.

These include a Preschool Program, High School ScholarshipProgram, College Scholarship Program, School Improvement

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Program, Teacher Training Program and a Volunteers TrainingProgram and Computer Literacy Program.

The High School Scholarship Program runs in VAB’s 32 assistedschools, including five girls’ schools, with 20 students from eachschool receiving scholarships. The scholarship money coverstextbooks, exercise books, educational materials, exam and tuitionfees, and uniforms. Over 3,000 students have benefited from thisprogram so far.

Under the College Scholarship Program, VAB has provided 201college scholarships at an annual cost of $150 per student since2005.

The School Improvement Program has so far provided 15 schoolswith computers, books, science equipment, and sports and culturalequipment.

The Teacher Training Program was launched as VAB believesqualified teachers are a prerequisite for quality education andschools in rural Bangladesh are dangerously short of qualifiedteachers. So far, a total of 400 teachers have received trainingunder this program.

VAB also trains its volunteers, who operate and monitor programs.After two days of training in practical research methods,interviewing techniques, accounting procedures, and a day offieldwork, each intern is assigned one or two schools for a year.

VAB also supports ad-hoc activities in response to natural disasters.After Cyclone Sidr in 2007, for example, VAB leveraged its donorbase to raise funds on behalf of relief activities.

Computer Literacy Program (CLP)

In 2004, VAB’s New Jersey chapter launched the Computer LiteracyProgram to make personal computers and basic computer trainingaccessible to economically disadvantaged Bangladeshi youth.

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VABNJ has partnered with D.Net (Development Research Network),an NGO in Bangladesh to run the CLP. So far, 107 centers in schoolsand other learning centres have trained 18,000 young people incomputer literacy.

VABNJ raises program funds from individuals and organizations, shipspersonal computers to Bangladesh for distribution and develops thecomputer literacy curriculum in consultation with experts inBangladesh.

D.Net is responsible for receiving and storing the computers in adistribution center, selecting schools and learning centers togetherwith VAB in underprivileged areas, providing requisite training todesignated instructors from the recipient institutions and maintainingthe donated computers for at least one year; and monitoringprogress through site visits.

SuccessesStudents who attended the 32 VAB-assisted schools scored 5percentage points higher than the national average in the 2009Secondary School Certificate exams.

– 92% of VAB scholarship awardees passed the exam

– 82% passed with an “A-” grade or higher

– 19% passed with an “A+”

Kamal Hossain, a 2006 VAB college scholarship recipient, securedadmission to Mitford medical school in Dhaka.

The New York State Assembly has cited VAB for its “extraordinarycontribution” stating “the efforts of VAB have touched the lives ofcountless people and are worthy of special recognition.”

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Challenges and OpportunitiesVAB is now at an important juncture as it stands poised to becominga mid-size organizations with a million-dollar budget.

There are also plans to introduce vocational training at VAB-assistedschools and an integrated program in 50 schools around the countryfor secondary level students aimed at empowering them to makerecommendations on government policies.

The most daunting challenge is to mobilize funds for these ambitiousprojects.

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Footnote1 See later section on methodology.

2 The largest concentration of Bangladeshi Diaspora in the industrialized countriesis based in the USA and UK with one estimate placing the figure at 500,000 ineach country.

3 This section is based on information from the Bangladesh Country Paper by SafiRahman Khan presented at the Fourth Regional Conference of the Asia PacificPhilanthropy Consortium on Diaspora Giving: An Agent of Change in Asia PacificCommunities? (http://www.asiapacificphilanthropy.org/files/ APPC%20Diaspora%20Giving_Bangladesh.pdf)

4 Johnson, P. D. (2007): Diaspora Philanthropy: Influences, Initiatives, and Issues.Boston, MA: The Philanthropic Initiative, Inc. and The Global Equity Initiative,Harvard University.

5 Khan, S (2008): Bangladesh Paper, Diaspora Giving: An Agent of Change in AsiaPacific Communities? Fourth Regional Conference of the Asia PacificPhilanthropy Consortium.

6 See Database.

7 See Table of Contents and Case Studies

8 See separate case study on Volunteers Association for Bangladesh (VAB)

9 Project Khulna (three schools in the villages of Patharkhali, Bedkashi and Amadi),Alok Shishu Shikhalay (a slum school in Agargaon, Dhaka), Pearabagh School (aslum school in Moghbazar, Dhaka), Lalitnagar High School (Lalitnagar, Rajshahi),Gono Udyog Girls High School (Laksham, Comilla), Madaripur High School(Madaripur), and Doshgram High School (Doshgram, Sylhet), Sajek School (Sajek,Rangamati) and Mirpur Slum School (Mirpur, Dhaka).

10 £ 1 = approx Tk 100

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11 The scholarship is distributed by SpaandanB; see separate case study onSpaandanB.

12 See separate case study on Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation

13 There are also a few volunteers in the UK and Canada who coordinate someactivities.

14 However, other organizations in this series also describe themselves as whollyvolunteer-run with low overheads, with at least one organization, Agami,claiming 100 percent of their donations go to beneficiaries as members pay allrunning costs.

15 $ 1 = approx Tk 70

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Footnote

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PROFILES

Photo: Courtesy of Kathleen Jackson, Friends of Khasdobir

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Germany

Mati eVYear Founded: 1997

Registration Status.: Charities recognize as association

Contact person: Lelen Rahman

Address: PO Box 4162 , 65 031 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0163 / 4639807 or0176 / 23,625,086 , [email protected], [email protected], www.mati-net.de

Area of Interest: Heath, education, income generation of poor.

Projects in Bangladesh: Basic Risk Management vs Health, Hygiene,nutrition, Create income for women, Education and training inMymensingh and Sherpur district.

Sl. Organization

1.

PROFILES OF DIASPORAORGANIZATIONS

The profiles below were compiled based on information available onthe organizational websites. It is assumed that majority of theorganizations profiled have been initiated by Diaspora members whilesome may have been established by non-Bangladeshis with links toBangladesh.

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Netherlands

Bangladesh Support Group (BASUG)

Year Founded: 2005

Registration Status: Reg. as Foundation

Contact person: Mr Bikash Chowdhury Barua, President

Address: Dr. J. Presserstraat 30, 2552 Ln The Hague

Tel: +31(0)6-106.444.71, Fax: +31(0)[email protected], [email protected], www.basug.nl

Area of Interest: Women and children, Advocacy for Bangladesh

Projects in Bangladesh: Vulnerable & Underprivileged Rural Women,Violence Against Women & Child Marriage, Micro-credit program forthe poor women in Hobiganj, Sona Handicraft & Sewing Centre,Children & women project in Laksham.

Stichting Land Ontwikkelings Project Bangladesh (S.L.O.P.B)

Year Founded: 1995

Registration No.: 41085662

Contact person: Motalib Weijters, Founder

Address: Postbus 295, 5830 AG BOXMEER

tel +31(0) 413-246359, E-mail: [email protected], www.sitefeeling-asp.nl

Area of Interest: Socio Economic development

Projects in Bangladesh:Integrated Agriculture, Disaster Preparedness& Rehabilitation Management (DPRM), School Sanitation & HygieneEducation, Water and sanitation, micro-credit, clinic in Patuakhali.

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2.

3.

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Profiles of Diaspora Organizations

New Zealand

Bangladesh New Zealand Friendship Society (BNZFS)Year Founded: 1991Contact person: Dr. Mohammed Islam Shakhu Address: 264 Great North Road (Level 1), Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021, PO Box: 27-701, Mt. Roskill, Auckland 1440, Tel: +64-(0)9-378-0099, Fax:+64-(0)9-378-0091, [email protected], www.bnzfs.orgArea of Interest: Community activities Projects in Bangladesh: Relief during disaster

UK

Aisha Welfare Trust (BD)Year Founded: 2007Registration No.: 1122513Contact person: M A Chowdhury, Chairman and FounderAddress: Yasmeen Mansion, 227 Mather Avenue, Allerton, Liverpool,L18 9UB, Tel:/Fax: 0044(0) 151 427 8399, Mobile:0044 (0) 7956 209925(UK), [email protected], [email protected],www.aishawelfaretrust.org Area of Interest: Poor women and children Projects in Bangladesh: Poor & orphaned children as student with

free food and accommodation. Hoping to implement a project SafeHaven with £7 million.

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4.

5.

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Anonddo Charity Year Founded: 1997Registration No.: 1126435Contact person: Tahirul Hasan (Juned), Founder Address: Anonddo House, 24 Cornish Road, Chipping Norton, OX75JU Tel: 07903 740131 [email protected], www.anonddo.co.ukArea of Interest: Health, education, relief Projects in Bangladesh: Mobile medical unit in Northern Bangladesh,

Student Sponsorship, Flood Relief in Sylhet

Asad Ghazi Foundation (AGF,UK)Year Founded: 2003Registration No.: 1116410Contact person: Saad GhaziAddress: 20 Demesne Road, Wallington, SM6 [email protected] www.agfoundation.co.uk, 0208 6473202Area of Interest: Education, health, Projects in Bangladesh: Skill training, charitable dispensary, Children

(Orphanage) and orphanage hostel, building masjid in Sylhet

Bagerkhal Welfare & Education Association (UK)Year Founded: 2003 (Reg. 2008)Registration No.: 1124449 Contact person: Alhaj Ukil AliAddress: Flat 6 Barnard House, Ellsworth Street, London, E2 0AT , 07940656 520, www.bweacharity.orgArea of Interest: Helping poor and building Masjid and Madrasa Projects in Bangladesh: The Masjid and Madrasa Project, Educationfor the Orphans, Care and Support for the Orphans in Sylhet

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7.

8.

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Beacon of LightYear Founded: 2001Contact person: Dr M Habibe Millat, Founder Address: 35 Queen Borough Garden, Gants Hill Ilford, Essex IG2 6XZ, Tel +447956513729, [email protected]@hotmail.com, www.bol.uk.comArea of Interest: Education, vocational training, healthcare support,poverty alleviation, conservation of environment Projects in Bangladesh: 10 Bed hospital, scholarship, schools inSirajgonj

Bhola's Children Year Founded: 2007Registration No.: 1118345Contact person: Dinah WienerAddress: 12 Cornwall Grove, London, W4 [email protected], www.bholaschildren.org 020 8994 6011Area of Interest: Orphaned and disabled children Projects in Bangladesh: A home and school for orphaned and

disabled children in Bhola.

Digdeep for BangladeshYear Founded: 1999Registration No.: 1100939Contact person: Adam TuckerAddress:Trevethick, Cragg Drive, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8BE,[email protected], www.digdeep.orgArea of Interest: Poverty eradication, health Projects in Bangladesh: Primary health care in Dhaka

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9.

10.

11.

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Friends of Khasdobir

Year Founded: 2006.


Contact person: Mrs Kathleen Jackson or Ken Prideaux-Brune

Address: 13 Hollybush Lane, Amersham, Bucks. HP6 6EB Tel: 01494433871. Email: [email protected], www.khasdobir.org.uk

Area of Interest: Education, social welfare

Projects in Bangladesh: Schools under the Sky, High School program,Sewing, Training, Welfare support.

Tayyeb Hussain Foundation

Year Founded: 2002


Contact person: Tahmina Hussain

Address: 103 Normanshire Drive, London, E4 [email protected]

www.thfoundation.org.uk, 20885242868

Area of Interest: Education, Health, Research, sports

Projects in Bangladesh: Sarah Memorial Girls High School, TahminaHussain Women's Hostel, Khorshed Alam Public Library andInformation Centre, Teg Ali Shah Clinic, Tayyeb Hussain FoundationChair at the University of Dhaka, THF sports Centre.

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12.

13.

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The Shumon Momen FoundationYear Founded: 1992.Registration No.: 1059056Contact person: Nilufar MomenAddress: 21 Edwina Gardens, Ilford, IG4 5BS [email protected],www.shumonmomen.com Tel: 0208 924 8976Area of Interest: leukaemia research, education Projects in Bangladesh: To support or otherwise help research inleukaemia, Promote children's education in the tea estate in Sylhet

The Sreepur Village, BangladeshYear Founded: 1978Registration No.: 1085008Contact person: Mrs P SilvesterAddress: PO Box 104 , Beckenham , Kent BR3 4HN , Tel: 020 8650 8208,[email protected] , www.sreepurvillage.orgArea of Interest: Women and children development in Bangladesh Projects in Bangladesh: Financial support to Shishu Polli Plus (theSreepur Village)

UK-Bangladesh Education Trust Year Founded: 1993Registration No.: 1027704Contact person: Abdul Khalik Ayub Address: [email protected], www.ukbet-bd.orgArea of Interest: Education Projects in Bangladesh: English Language club, English LanguageTeaching Method.

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14.

15.

16.

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USA

Adhunika FoundationYear Founded: 12/09/2007Registration No.: 2270Contact person: Shahnaz S. Yousuf, Founder & PresidentAddress: 20-58 Crescent St. # 1B, Astoria, NY 11105, Phone: 212-787-6514, Phone: 646-484-8743, [email protected],www.adhunika.orgArea of Interest: Education, health care, Information technology,environment Projects in Bangladesh: Basic IT and English course in Dhaka.

AgamiYear Founded: Started 1992, registration in 2004Registration No.: Tax ID 73-1683721Contact person: Sabir Majumder, [email protected]: PO Box 3178, Fremont, CA 94539, [email protected],www.agami.orgArea of Interest: Education, disaster, relief and rehabilitation Projects in Bangladesh: Education program in Dhaka, Rajshahi,Madaripur, Sylhet, Khulna, Comilla.

Bangla ITYear Founded: April 1, 2001Registration Status.: IRS tax exempted Contact person: Muhammad Sayeed Rahman, Founder,Address: 435 Village Drive, Frankfort, KY 40601, USA, Tel: 5024186948,[email protected], www.banglait.orgArea of Interest: Information technology Projects in Bangladesh: BUET, Dhaka University, NSU

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17.

18.

19.

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Bangladesh Center for Community Development Inc.

Year Founded: 1991

Registration Status: IRS tax-exempt

Contact person: President: MS Alam

Address: 313 N Glebe Road, Suite 209000, Arlingon, VA 22203, Tel 703243 1500, [email protected]

www.dcbanglaschool.org/bccdi

Area of Interest: Community development

Projects in Bangladesh: Help needy people in Bangladesh

Drishtipat

Year Founded: 2001

Registration No.: IRS Tax ID 38-3657939.

Contact person: Asif saleh, Executive Director

Address: Drishtipat, c/o Shafaq Islam, 25-24 23rd Street, Apt. 3-F,Astoria, NY 11102, [email protected], www.drishtipat.org

Chapters: Canada : info@ canada.drishtipat.org, Australia: [email protected], London: [email protected], New York:[email protected], DC: [email protected]

Chicago: [email protected], Virginia:[email protected] , Boston: [email protected]

Area of Interest: Human rights in Bangladesh

Projects in Bangladesh: Campaign for Child domestic workers, SavingBhobodoho, Rehabilitation of paralyzed people in Bangladesh,Rehabilitation of Acid Victims, Garments workers rights, ClimateChange

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20.

21.

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Hope Foundation for Women & Children of Bangladesh, Inc.Registration Status: Register under the IRS

Contact person: Iftikher Mahmood, MD

Address: 16401 NW 2nd Ave, Ste 202, Miami, FL 33169 , Tel: 305 3180142, Email:[email protected], www.hopeforbangladesh.org

Area of Interest: Health

Projects in Bangladesh: Cox's Bazar Hospital for Women & Children, Five Hope Medical Centers, Hope AmbulanceService.

Hridoya BangladeshYear Founded: 2007Registration Status.: Reg. as charitable organization Contact person: Nazmun Nahar, President Address: 1180 Reed AVE APT 32 Sunnyvale CA 94086-8436,[email protected], www.hridoyabangladesh.orgArea of Interest: Education Projects in Bangladesh: Gonit Shikkhon Kormoshuchi (Math LearningProgram) with Bangladesh Math Olympiad, Help Bangladeshi BrilliantStudents to Continue Their Education, Help High School Students

Imdad-Sitara Khan Foundation, USAYear Founded: 2003Contact person: Dr. Abu Hena M. Kamal, Managing DirectorAddress: 3351 Tracy Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95051, Tel: 408-241-3544,[email protected], www. iskkc.org Area of Interest: Health, education Projects in Bangladesh: Kidney centers in Dhaka, Kushtia, Bogra,Rajshahi and scholarship program for students.

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22.

23.

24.

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JalokonaRegistration No.: US Tax ID 87 079 9891Contact person: Adnan Mahmud, Co-Founder and CEOAddress: P O Box 2153, Kirkland, WA 98083, [email protected],www.jolkona.orgArea of Interest: Empowerment, public health, education, culturalidentity, environment Projects in Bangladesh: 15 Prosthetics in Bangladesh

Probini Foundation Inc. Year Founded: 1990Contact person: Chairperson: Dr. S. G. DastidarAddress: 80-56 251 Street, Queens, NY 11426, [email protected],www.probini.orgArea of Interest: Education Projects in Bangladesh: Girls' dormitory for AndharManik Girls' HighSchool, Bagerhat, Bangladesh Ramakrishna Orphanage, Comilla,Barisal Poor College Student Scholarship, Chirar Bandar KochnaSchool, Dinajpur, Gandhi Ashram School, Noakhali

SamhatiYear Founded: 1984Registration Status: tax identification number 52-1390261Contact person: Jahanara Hasan, Joint Secretary Address: 3426 Blair Rd., Falls Church, VA 2204, 703-931-9668, [email protected], www.samhati.orgArea of Interest: Women development in Bangladesh Projects in Bangladesh: Natore eco village, Katakhali Barabaishdiaproject, cyclone project

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25.

26.

27.

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Sparsha-The Bangladeshi Community of San Diego Year Founded: 2006.Registration Status: Under IRS section 501(c)(3) (A).Contact person: Mr. TariqAddress: [email protected] www. sparsha-sd.org, Area of Interest: Relief Projects in Bangladesh: Donation in SIDR

The OptimistsYear Founded: 2000Registration Status: IRS Tax exempted status Contact person: Mohammed A Bhuiyan, General SecretaryAddress: 25-78, 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11102 , Tel: 718 278 4953, Fax:718 554 [email protected], www.theoptimists.orgArea of Interest: Human rights, Education, Healthcare, Disaster reliefand rehabilitationProjects in Bangladesh: Child Sponsorship Program (CSP), DisasterRelief Program (DRP), Special Sponsorship Program (SSP)

Volunteers Association for Bangladesh (VAB)Year Founded: 1998Registration Status: IRS tax-exempt status Contact person: Dr. A. T. Rafiqur Rahman, Founding PresidentAddress: 122 Taxter Road, Irvington, New York 10533, Telephone: 1-914-591-8635 [email protected], arahman10 @aol.comwww.vabonline.orgArea of Interest: Education Projects in Bangladesh: Support students pre-school to graduationand also support 32 schools in Bangladesh.

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DATABASE

Photo: Md. Feroz Ahmmead

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DATABASE OF DIASPORA ORGANIZATIONS

The database below was compiled primarily through internet andwebsite searches and hence may not necessarily be the most accurateor up to date. Repeated attempts were made to seek informationthrough telephone and email correspondence but this approach metlimited success. Majority of the organizations listed are thought to havebeen initiated by Diaspora members while a handful may have beenestablished by non-Bangladeshis with links to Bangladesh and/or byBangladeshi organizations. In the case of a few organizations only theirnames were identified with no other information available.

AUSTRALIA

Bangla Proshar CommitteeDr. Maksudul Bari, President

Bangla Sydney.com Mr. Anisur Rahman

Bangladesh AustraliaAssociation Canberra Inc.Dr. Moyazur Rahman,President

74 Botany Street, Carlton, NSW, 2218,Tel: 9553 0972www.banglaprosar.org.au

[email protected]

T: 0434026731 [email protected]. Atik Ullah, General Secretary, T:0409442535, [email protected]: GPO Box 2152, Canberra ACT2601 [email protected],www.canberrabashi.org.au

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DU Alumni Association Get-togetherContact: Anis Majumder,Secretary General

JAAGOContact: Korvi Rakshand,Founder

Let's Work for Bangladesh Contact: Borhan uddin Shafi(President)

The Bangladesh AssociationOf New South Wales

BELGIUM

Association of BangladeshCommunity Belgium (ABCB)

CANADA

Bangladesh CanadaAssociation of Calgary

Bangladesh CanadaAssociation of Edmonton(BCAE)

Bangladesh CanadaAssociation, Windsor-Essex

Tel: 0411 021 837,[email protected]

Amanda Ryan, Head of Operations,Liaison Office, [email protected], Tel: (61) 423 350 496

1 De Gruchy Pl, Macgregor, ACT 2615,Canberraletsworkforbangladesh@hotmail.comwww.letsworkforbangladesh.org

65 Spurway St., Ermington NSW 2115,PO Box 3951, Parramatta NSW 2124,[email protected],www.bangladesh-association.org.au

Rue de la Prix 42, 1050 Ixelles, Tel: 047370810 [email protected],[email protected]

P.O. Box # 56099, 115, 1935-32ndAvenue, NE Airways R.P.O, Calgary, ABT2E 8K5, [email protected],www.bcaoc.ca

[email protected], www.bcae.ca,Tel: (780)423-9181

C/O Shah ChandonCampaigns & Gov. Relation Secretary531 Mill Street, Windsor, ONwww.bdwindsor.org

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Database of Diaspora Organizations

Bangladesh Cultural Society

Bangladeshi AgriculturistsSociety in Canada

GERMANY

BangladeschJugendförderung e.V.(Youth Aid Bangladesh) Contact: Ziaul Mallik

Bangladesh Studies andDevelopment Center

Bangladesh Working Groupin Lower Saxony

Bangladeshi Students andAlumni Association

MatiContact: Lenen Rahman

Partnership ShantiBangladesh AssociationContact: Gerhard Stahl

ITALY

Ital Bangla Association

[email protected], www.unbf.ca

www.wbasc.org

Franz-Wolter-Str. 10, München 81925 Tel: +49 - (0) 89/ 7 55 66 06 Fax: +49 -(0)32121279360, [email protected], www.bangladesch-jugendhilfe.de

IIK eV , D - 30451 Hannover ,bangladesh-info.net [email protected],

www.bangladesh-info.de

[email protected], www.bsa-germany.de

PO Box 4162 , 65 031 Wiesbaden,[email protected] www.mati-net.de Tel: 0163 / 4639807

Körnerstr. 47, D-74348 LauffenTel: +49(0)7133-3310, Fax: +49 (0)7133-965617, EMail: [email protected] @ t-online.de,www.shanti.de

Via Mario Baratta 12-14, 00176 Roma -Italy, Tel: +39 06 24417423, Fax.+39 062412288, Mobile : 335 8069130,[email protected], ww.italbangla.org


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JAPAN

Bangladeshi Students'Association

Japan Bangladesh Society

NETHERLANDS

Stichting Land OntwikkelingsProject Bangladesh(S.L.O.P.B)Contact: Motalib Weijters

Bangladesh Support Group(BASUG) Contact: Mr BikashChowdhury Barua, President

New Zealand

Bangladesh New ZealandFriendship Society (BNZFS) Contact: Dr. MohammedIslam Shakhu

Bangladeshi Association ofCanterbury Inc. Con: Dr. M. Deloar Hossain

SAUDI ARABIA

The Jalalabad Samity

Tokyo Tech, Japan,[email protected],www.ryu.titech.ac.jp

www.japanbangladesh.com/en,[email protected]

Muntmeester 464, 5406 BK UDENTel: +31 (0)413-246359, Cell: +31 (0)6-52678308, [email protected],www.sitefeeling-asp.nl

Dr. J. Presserstraat 30, 2552 Ln The HagueTel: +31(0)6-106.444.71, [email protected],www.basug.nl

264 Great North Road (Level 1), GreyLynn, Auckland 1021, Mt. Roskill,Auckland 1440, Tel: +64-(0)9-378-0099,[email protected], www.bnzfs.org

[email protected], www.bacnz.org


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SWEDEN

Association of BangladeshStudents

SWITZERLAND

Swiss Bangladesh CulturalClub

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Dhaka ProjectContact: Werner Linshalm,

UK

786 Anonddo Charity Contact: Tahirul Hasan(Juned)

Acid Survivors TrustInternational (ASTI) Contact: Dr John RobertMorrison OBE

Aisha Welfare Trust (BD) Chairman and Founder: M A Chowdhury

A K Foundations

Chalmers Karhus, Technologgarden 2, SE-412 58Gothenberg, [email protected]

Lerchen weg 35, 3012 Bern, Tel & Fax: +41 (0) 31/ 302 40 60E-Mail: [email protected],www.sbcc.piczo.com

[email protected][email protected],www.thedhakaproject.org

Anonddo House, 24 Cornish Road,Chipping Norton, OX7 5JU Tel: 07903 740131 [email protected],www.anonddo.co.uk

164 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London,SW1V [email protected] www.asti.org.ukTel: 2078211567

Yasmeen Mansion, 227 Mather Avenue,Allerton, Liverpool, L18 9UB, Tel: 151 427 8399, Mobile:0044 (0) 7956209 925(UK), [email protected],www.aishawelfaretrust.org

www.akfoundation.net


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Al-Haj M.A. Karim Trust Contact: Dr M A Hossain

Al-Imdad Foundation U.K Contact: Syed AbdullahSheeraze

Al-Jalal Islamic Society Contact: Saiful Alam

Al-Jamatul-muslimin ofBangladesh Contact: Abdul Rohim

Alo Relief Trust Contact: MuhammadMujib-ul Haque

Anwar Welfare Trust Contact: Anwar Hussain

Asad Ghazi Foundation(AGF,UK) Contact: Saad Ghazi

Ashton Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Cont.: Shohidur Rahaman

Abul Qasim Fund

Asra Contact: MohammedKamal Hanif

Bagerkhal Welfare &Education Association (UK) Contact: Alhaj Ukil Ali

1 Britland Close, Barnsley, S75 2JPTel: 01226 246985

Flat 20 St. Luke's Court, 45 CapworthStreet, London, E10 [email protected], Tel: 020 8556 6085

140 Carlton Crescent, Luton, LU3 [email protected], Tel: 01582 411744

Community Centre & Mosque, 8 St.Georges Street, Northampton, NN1 2TRTel: 01604 626940

24 Cornwall Terrace, Bradford, BD8 [email protected],www.alorelieftrust.com, T: 08700 421 654

7, Hamilton Road, Felixstone, Suffolk,IP11 7AX, Tel: 01394 282477

20 Demesne Road, Wallington, SM6 [email protected], 0208 6473202

102 Welbeck Street North, Ashton-under-lyne, OL6 7HN, Tel: 1613300401

Tel: 0783 2197366

Po Box 56146, London, E17 0DW [email protected]

Flat 6 Barnard House, Ellsworth Street,London, E2 0AT Tel: 07940 656 520


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Balagan Education Trust

Bangla-Aid UKContact: Jamal Uddin

Bangladesh Anjumen-e-Al-Islah In U K And Ireland Contact: MohammedEmdad Hussain

Bangladesh Association(Bristol, Bath & West) Contact: Abdus SalamChowdhury

Bangladesh Association(Swindon Area) Contact: Fozlur Rahman

Bangladesh AssociationGreater Reading Contact: M R Choudhury,President

Bangladesh CitizensNeighbourhood WelfareProject (Sheffield) Contact: Abu Rumel

Bangladesh CommunityDevelopment Contact: Iqbal AhmedChoudhury

Bangladesh Cultural Society(Midlands) Contact: Dr A B Mostafa

Flat 9, Froud Community Centre, 1Toronto Avenue, London, E12 5JF, T: 0208472 9306, [email protected]

1 Cornwall Avenue, London, E2 0HW [email protected]: 0208 980 2673

539 Stapleton Road, Bristol, BS5 6SQ,www.bangladesh-association.org Tel: 0117 9511791

Bangladesh Community Centre,Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill Swindon, SN21AD, Te: 01793 700945

18A Waylen Street, Reading, RG1 7UP,Tel: 0118 958 7335,[email protected],www.centralreadingmosque.com

348-352 Staniforth Road, Sheffield, S93FU

Nechells Green Community Centre,Melvina Road, BirminghaM, B7 [email protected] www.bcd.org.ukTel: 0121 3598540

40 Wadhurst Road, Birmingham, B17 [email protected] Tel: 0121 507 4035


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Bangladesh FemaleAcademy Limited Contact: Keith Best

Bangladesh FootballAssociation UK Contact: Khayrul Alam

Bangladesh HinduAssociation (UK) Contact: Mr Datta

Bangladesh IslamicAssociation, Smethwick Contact : M A Chowdhury

Bangladesh Islamic Centre Contact: Mohammed Noor

Bangladesh IslamicOrganisation Contact: Abdul Ahad

Bangladesh Medical ReliefFoundation Contact: MargaritaO'malley

Bangladesh Multi-purposeCentre Contact: Mohammed FozluChoudhury

Bangladesh MuslimAssociation Contact: Gous Ahmed

47 Stokehill, Hilperton, Trowbridge, BA147TJ

119-123 Cannon Street Road, London,E1 2LX www.bfauk.com,[email protected], [email protected],Te: 020 7481 1222

270 Halley Road, London, E12 [email protected],www.bengalihindu.org.uk Tel: 7796615410

10-11 Lewisham Industrial Estate,Lewisham Road, Smethwick, B66 2BP Tel: 0121 558 8204www.bicentre.org.uk

8 Mayfield Road, Handsworth,Birmingham, B19 1RL TeL: 1215519706

521 Coventry Road, Small Heath,Birmingham, B10 0LL Tel: 0121 772 6408

313 Kennington Road, London, SE114QE [email protected] www.bmrf.org.ukTel: 020 7096 1625

136-148 Victoria Road, Aston,Birmingham, West MidlandS, B6 5HHTel: 0121 326 9500

93 Vicarage Road, Wednesbury, WS109DP, Tel: 0121 502 2137


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Bangladesh OverseasLadies Organisation (BOLO) Contact: Dr Zarina Anam

Bangladesh Partnership Contact: Heather Travers

Bangladesh SocialAssociation Contact: Fuljar Miah

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Contact: Wali Muktha

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation-London SouthEast Con.: Faozia Sultana Rashid

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation (Cardiff) Con.: M A Hannan, CEO

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation (UK) Limited Contact: Nurul Islam

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Barking &Dagenham Contact: Foyzur Rahman

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Croydon

25 Askerton Drive, Peterlee, SR8 [email protected], Tel: 7836368266

90 Denmark Street, Bedford, MK40 [email protected], Tel: 01234 405 307

26 Ferryman Road, Loughborough, LE111GF, Tel: 1509611723

19-21 Alum Rock Road, BirminghaM, B81LL, Tel: 0121 328 4746

24a Lion Road, Bexleyheath, DA6 8NR Tel: 0208 304 2113

173 Cowbridge Road West, Cardiff CF55, United KingdomTel: 029 2034 4770

Shaheed Bhavan, 39 Fournier Street,London, E1 6QE, Tel: 0171 2472105

30 North Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 [email protected]: 0208 470 8048

321 Bensham Lane, Thornton Heath,Surrey, CR7 7ER, [email protected],Tel: 020 8684 0272


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Bangladesh WelfareAssociation In Middlesex Contact: Abdul Ansary

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation of Enfield Chairperson: Mumitur RezaChowdhury

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation of RoyalTunbridge Wells Contact: Kamal J Miah

Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Portsmouth Contact: Abul Kalam FazulHoque Suyeb

Bangladesh WelfareAssociaton & CommunityCentre Bolton Contact: Sala Uddin

Bangladesh Welfare CentreNewbury Contact: Shamin Ahmed

Bangladesh Welfare Societyof Barnet Contact: Jamal Miah

Bangladesh WomensAssociation (Midlands)Contact: Dr. Eba Pasha

Bangladesh Women'sAssociation In Haringey Contact: Rowshan Ara Islam

12b-12c Devonshire House, SchoolRoad, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 1QXTel: 020 8577 2694

106 South Street, Enfield, Middlesex, EN34QA, [email protected],Tel: 2088049573

9 The Crescent, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN133QX [email protected] Tel: 07855 267449 or 01732 454100www.bwatw.co.uk

Unit 1-3 Portsmouth Jam-e-mosque, 75Bradford Road, Southsea, Hampshire,PO5 1AD Tel: 02392 295448

33 Pound Street, Newbury, RG14 6AETel: 07960 631 817

138 High Road, East Finchley, London,N2 9ED, [email protected], Tel: 020 8883 1557

497 Coventry Road, Small Heath,Birmingham, B10 [email protected] Tel: 0121 766 7990

Mitalee Centre, Stanley Road, London,N15 3HB, Tel: 0208 365 7498


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Bangladesh Youth &Cultural Shomiti Contact : Dr. S I Chowdhury

Bangladesh Youth League(Luton), Contact person:Shahed Koyes

Bangladesh YouthMovement Chair: Shah Mahmud &CEO: Fanu Miah

Bangladeshi Council inEurope

Bangladeshi Islamic CentreSt Albans, Contact: HajiBabru Miah

Bangladeshi Mental HealthAssociation

Beacon of Light Limited Contact: Dr Habibe Millat

Beani Bazar JonokolyanSamithy U.K Contact: Zaki Husein

Beckton BangladeshWelfare AssociationContact: F Chowdhury

Bengali Care Trust Contact: Giash Uddin

30-32 Biddulph Street, Leicester, LE2 [email protected], Tel: 0116 275 5855

94-106 Leagrave Road, Luton, LU4 [email protected] www.byl.org.uk, Tel: 01582 519500

21-23 Henriques Street, London, E1 [email protected] www.bym.org.uk Tel: 0207 488 1831

36 Vivian Avenue, Hendon, London,NW4 3XP, [email protected]

The Jamie Mosque, 77 Hatfield Road,St. Albans, AL1 4JL

[email protected],www.wordsmith.demon.co.uk/bmha

35 Queenborough Gardens, Ilford, IG26XZ, [email protected], www.bol.uk.com

233 Whitechapel Road, 1st Floor,London, E1 1DBTel: 020 7247 4945

21 Tunnan Leys, London, E6 [email protected]: 0207 474 3230

31 Hyderabad Way, London, E15 [email protected] Tel: 0208 555 8319


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Bengali Womens GroupContact: Laila AnjumanBanu

Bengali Women's HealthProject Contact: Mrs T Khan

Bhola's Children Contact: Dinah Wiener

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro(BSK), UK Chair: Shamim Azad

Brian Byrnes Memorial Fund Chairperson: Peter Byrnes

British Bangladesh EarSociety Chair:Barrister AbdulChowdhury

British Bengali WelfareAssociation Contact: Mohammed FazlulHaque

Chhatak Jubo Shongsta(UK)Contact: Md Mushahid Ali

Children's Hope UK Ltd Contact: Latifur Rahman

Rockingham Community Centre,Falmouth Road, London, SE1 [email protected], Tel: 0207 403 9888

Coram Parents Centre, 49Mecklenburgh Square, London, WC1N2QA, [email protected], www.bwhp.org,Tel: 2075200315

12 Cornwall Grove, London, W4 [email protected],www.bholaschildren.org Tel: 020 8994 6011

The Brady Arts & Community Centre,192 - 196 Hanbury Street, London E15HU [email protected], T: 07984 427 989

14 Penryn Avenue, St. Helens, WA11 9EX [email protected],www.bottomleyorphanage.org.uk

67 Lavender Avenue, London, NW98HG [email protected]: 020 8537 9809

Flat 72 Rogers Estate, Globe Road,London, E2 0JZ Tel: 0207 791 2221

142 Malmesbury Road, London, E3 2EE Tel: 0208 980 5405

25 Dunster Gardens, London, NW6 7NG Tel: 0207 372 9955


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City BangladeshCommunity And CulturalCentre Trust Contact: Khalisur Rahman

Culloden BangladeshiParents Association Contact: Asabur Rahman

Darul Khidmah Wal Falah,UK Chairman: Ghulam Sarwar

Dashghar Union ProbashiSociety Contact: Abdul Quddus

Dhaka Ahsania MissionCorrespondent: Mrs AhmedNeaz

Dhaka Ahsania Mission(DAM)Chair: Zina Fear

Dig Deep for Bangladesh Contact: Adam Tucker

East Anglian BangladeshiIslamic Trust Contact: E Khan

Education Development &Advisory Services (EDAS)FoundationContact: Dr. Arshad Ahmed

2a Buckfast Street, London, E2 6EY Tel: 7984728490

51/49 Aberfeldy Street, London, E140NU [email protected],Tel: 0207 987 3505

152 Drayton Park, London, N5 1LX Tel: 020 7359 3338

Unit 4g, 10-14 Hollybush Gardens,London, E2 9QP Tel: 020 77397277

8 Woodville Road, Morden, Surrey, SM45AF, Tel:0208 540 8019

4 Hayne Close, Tipton St. John,Sidmouth, Ex10 0BA,[email protected], Tel: 01404 813996

21 St. Johns Road, Ilkley, LS29 [email protected], Tel: 01943 603227

Naz Moin Cottage, 7 Kenan Drive,Attleborough, NR17 2RJ

54 Grove Lane, Handsworth,Birmingham, B21 [email protected]: 0121 507 9903


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Enfield Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Contact: ChaudhuryMohammed Anwar

Family To Family Contact: Mamun Bakth

Fast And Feed Movement Contact: Anwar AhmedSheikh

Friends of KhasdobirBangladesh Chair: Mrs Kathleen Jackson

Friends of Sylhet Contact: Robert WilliamLittle

Gateshead BangladeshAssociationContact: E H Choudhury

Global Help Contact: MohammedRamzan

Grameen Smile Charity Contact: Mrs ShelleyRahman

Greater Bogra Associationin the UK Contact: Ahmed Joarder

180 High Street, Enfield, EN3 [email protected] Tel: 020 88044006

50 Arbury Hall Road, Shirley, Solihull, B904PZ [email protected] Tel: 0121 745 5283

25 Cherry Fields, Bradford, BD2 1LB Tel: 1274391617

13 Hollybush Lane, Amersham, HP6 6EB [email protected], T: 01494 433871

Lal Quila, Dudley Lane, Cramlington,NE23 [email protected] Tel: 01670 734268 or 01670 731746

55 Coatsworth Road, Gateshead, NE81QL, Tel: 0191 422 4885

452 Stratford Road, Sparkhill,Birmingham, B11 4AE Tel: 0121 7731962

8 Rosen Square, Chadderton, Oldham,OL9 9SY [email protected]: 0161 626 8297

65 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, CR5 2BEwww.gbauk.com Tel: 0208 668 8923 or 07790 557 389


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Greater ManchesterBangladesh Associationand Community CentreContact: Hafizur Rahman

Greater SylhetDevelopment & WelfareCouncil ( U.K.)Contact: Monchab Ali Jp

Green CrescentBangladesh U.K. Contact: Dr Faisal Mostafa

Habibur Rahman CharitableTrust Contact: Roger Gwynn

Hackney BangladeshiCultural Association Contact: Anjuman Ara

Help The Disabled inBangladesh Contact: Dr M Ahmad

Hope in Bangladesh Contact: Rezaul Haque

Hyde Bangladesh WelfareAssociation Contact: MohammadAbdul Musabbir

Imdad Foundation UK Contact: Syed AbdullahSheeraze

19a Birch Lane, Manchester, M13 [email protected] www.gmba.org.ukTel: 0161 225 4012

1a Vine Court, London, E1 1JH,[email protected] www.gscuk.org, Tel: 020 7377 9595

62 Green Pastures, Stockport, SK4 [email protected],greencrescent.org, Tel: 0161 432 1855

27 Acre Street, Stroud, GL5 1DR Tel: 1453753548

187 Well Street, London, E9 6QU

Manderley, Hatton Road, Hinstock,Market Drayton, TF9 2SU Tel:1952591555

103 Hervey Close, London, N3 2HHTel: 020 8343 2448

19 Chapel Street, Hyde, SK14 1LF Tel: 0161 368 8716

Flat 20 St. Luke's Court, 45 CapworthStreet, London, E10 5BQ, [email protected], Tel: 0208 5566085


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Insaan Aid Contact: MohammedMainul Alam

International Foundation forHuman Concern Limited Contact: Golam Martuza

Ipswich and SuffolkBangladeshi MuslimCommunity Centre &Mosque Contact: Manik Miah

Iqra Bangladesh

Islington BangladeshAssociation (IBA) Contact :Asad HChoudhury

Jago Community Trust Ltd Contact: Abdul Kalam Azad

Jalalia Welfare Trust Contact: Akbar Hussain

Jalchatra Project Contact: Ms MinnetteMaxwell

Khedmot International Contact: Yousuf Abdulla

32 Bond Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1JE Tel: 1473216678

Challenge House, 616 Mitcham Road,Croydon, Surrey, CR0 [email protected], www.ifhc.org.ukTel: 020 8683 6457

Staines & Co, 629 Foxhall Road, Ipswich,IP3 8NE, Tel: 01473 716650

71 Caledonian Road, Islington, London,N1 9BT, [email protected], Tel: 0207 833 0591

196 Normandy Road, Birmingham, B203BA, Tel: 0121 344 4012

14 Grosvenor Place, North Shields, NE290NH [email protected] Tel: 1912580579

Innisfree, Chapel Lane, Sibsey, Boston,PE22 0SN Tel: 01205 750 341

1st Floor, 124 Whitechapel Road,London, E1 [email protected]: 020 7375 2299


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Kotal Pur Village Aid (UK) Contact: Najrul Khasru

Latifia Islamic Support Contact: Chomok Ali

Life Plus Contact: Shafihur Rahman

Madinatul Khairi Al Islami Contact: Moulana FoyezAhmed

Mahmuda AfruzOrphanage & EducationComplex Trust Contact: Khalku Miah

Marylebone BangladeshSociety Con:Abdus Hamid

Merseyside BangladeshAssociation Contact: Mahmud Hussain

Mobarak Ali Charitable Trust Contact: M. Rahman

Moslem Ali Khan WelfareFoundation UK Contact: MohammedAbdul Hafiz

Mozidia Trust UK Contact: Inamul Haque

45 Layard Road, Enfield, EN1 4BA Tel: 0208 363 6591

Flat A, Grosvenor Buildings, WynnstayRoad, Ruthin, LL15 1AS, [email protected]

9 Grinton Avenue, Manchester, M130QS [email protected],www.lifeplus.org.uk, Tel: 1612240392

23 Bahram Road, Epsom, KT19 9DN,[email protected]: 01372 743750

Rucstall Centre, 1 Rembrandt Close,Basingstoke, RG21 3QRTel: 1256818450

19 Samford Street, London, NW8 [email protected] www.mbs-uk.org Tel: 0207 724 7427

101-107 High Park Street, LiverpooL, L83UF, Tel: 0151 726 0294

4 Osmond Gardens, Wallington, SM68SU, Tel: 0208 647 0439

Docklands Business Centre, 10-16 TillerRoad, London, E14 8PXmakwf.uk@googlemail.comwww.moslemalikhanwelfarefoundation.org.uk, 020 7345 5245

21 Harbut Road, London, SW11 [email protected],www.mozidiatrust.org, T: 020 7924 2851


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M-R Foundation Contact: Hammad Malik

Msh Budbaribazar UnionTrust Contact: Sayra Khanam

NAIDContact: Dilwar Ali

Newham Welfare Trust Contact: Lucky Miah

Nooria Mission Contact: Shah MuhammadHelim Uddin

Norfolk & NorwichBangladesh WelfareAssociation Contact: Sirajul Islam

Northampton BangladeshiAssociation Contact: Abdul Latif

NottinghamshireBangladesh Centre Contact: Sabbir Hossain

Orphans Shelter Foundation

61 Palmerston Road, London, E17 6PRwww.m-rfoundation.org, T: 2085905555

25 Monthope Road, London, E1 5LL Tel:0207 247 1586

Po Box 4058, Cardiff, CF14 [email protected] www.naid.org.uk Tel: 7050367361

14 Plymouth Road, London, E16 [email protected], Tel: 0207 511 5005

8 Iddesleigh Road, Bedford, MK40 [email protected], T: 01234 359700

134 Oak Street, Norwich, NR3 [email protected] Tel: 01603 666 022

Gateway Resource Centre, Mill Road,Semilong, Northampton, NN2 [email protected], Tel: 01604 624930

2 Cambridge Road, West Bridgford,Nottingham, NG2 [email protected],www.bangladeshcentre.co.ukTel: 0115-9452177

www.orphansshelterfoundation.org


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Peacock Trust (UnitedKingdom) Contact: Dr S Sultana

Queens Park BangladeshAssociation Contact: Mr Somru Miah

Root Development Agency Contact: GolamChowdhury

SelflessContact: Yasir Chowdhury

Shaba Contact: Afsor Ali

Shobujshathi Contact: A B Chowdhury

Sircer Pasha Welfare Trust Contact: Badrun NesaPasha

Sylhet Bawl Shangith Ghosti(Sylhet Spiritual MusicGroup) Contact : Dilawar Ali

Tayyeb Hussain Foundation Contact: Tahmina Hussain

1 Gainford Road, Billingham, TS23 [email protected], Tel: 01642 560 590

Office 2, Beethoven CommunityCentre, Third Avenue, London, W10 [email protected] www.qpba.org, Tel: 0208 968 1177

27 Old Gloucester Street, London,WC1N 3AX, [email protected],[email protected]

33 Clonmore Street, London, SW18 5EU [email protected] www.elective-aid.org, Tel: 2031377888

16a Witton Road, BirminghaM, B6 [email protected], www.shaba.org Tel: 0121 551 3600

214 Jubilee Street, London, E1 3BS Tel: 0207 790 8181

5 Birch Close, Birmingham, B30 [email protected], Tel: 124596754

Flat 17 Horwood House, Pott Street,London, E2 0EH Tel: 0207 613 1580

103 Normanshire Drive, London, E4 [email protected], Tel:20885242868


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The Ar-rahman Care Trust(Dudley) Contact: Councillor MRahman

The Bangladesh AssociationAnd Community Project Chairperson: MuhiburRahman

The Bangladesh Centre Contact: Gulnaher Khan

The Bangladesh Centre Contact: MohammedAbdur Rashid

The Bangladesh CulturalAssociation (Woking) Contact: Numan-uz Zaman

The Bangladesh IslamicAssociationCont: Mohammed Ashik Ali

The Bangladesh Shomity Contact: Haji MukhlisurRahman

The Bangladesh WelfareAssociation CommunityDevelopment Trust

The Bangladeshi IslamicCultural Society Contact: H M A Rahman

72 Cinder Bank, Dudley, DY2 9BH Tel: 01384 833148

108, Ramsay Street, Rochdale,Lancashire, OL16 2EZ,[email protected]: 00-44- (0)1706 860 349

24 Pembridge Gardens, London, W24DX [email protected] Tel: 0207 2299404

102 Park Hall Crescent, Birmingham, B369SU [email protected] Tel: 0121-747 1154

Foy Cottage, Ytton Road, Woking,GU22 7BH, Tel: 01932 886558

Jami Mosque Madrasha And IslamicCentre, 63 Mount Street, Walsall, WS13PL [email protected], T: 01922 709 013

451 Romford Road, London, E7 8AB Te: 2085556258

66 Belford Street, Burnley, LancashireBB12 0DF, Tel and fax: 01282 450269,[email protected],www.bangladesh-welfare.org.uk

1 Ballard Road, Dudley, DY2 9EY, Tel: 01384 456055


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The Charles WallaceBangladesh TrustContact: Tim Butchard

The Friends of Bangladesh Contact: Dr. M A Awal,President

The Fulshaind Village Trust(UK) Contact: Saleh AhmedKhan

The Isle of Dogs BangladeshiAssociation and CulturalCentre Contact: Abdul Noor

The Mirza Hussein AliNamazie Educational Trust Contact: Ms Heike Koehler

The Newham BengaliCommunity Trust Contact: Azad Choudhury

The Shumon MomenFoundation Contact: Nilufar Momen

The Sreepur Village,Bangladesh Contact: Mrs P Silvester

4 Dorville Crescent, London, W6 0HJwww.wallace-trusts.org.uk, Tel: 0208 741 0836

178 South Lodge Drive, Oakwood,London N14 4XN, Tel/Fax 020 8360 [email protected],[email protected],ww.friendsofbangladesh.com

Flat 19 Hurdwick House, HarringtonSquare, London, NW1 [email protected] Tel: 0207 388 5880

[email protected] www.iodbangladeshi.org.uk

Flat A, 14 Gabriel Street, London, SE231DT [email protected],Tel: 020 8699 5398

Unit 3, 2 Barking Road, London, E6 [email protected], Tel: 0208 552 9777

21 Edwina Gardens, Ilford, IG4 [email protected] Tel: 0208 924 8976

36 Belmont Road, Beckenham, BR3 [email protected] Tel: 0208 650 8208


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Tiverton Sundarban SupportGroup Contact: R L P Hodgson

UK Bangla Education Trust

UK Bangladesh EducationTrust Contact: Mrs H M Martin

UK Children Aid Trust FundBangladeshContact: Abdul Khalik

Unity Children Fund

Valerie Taylor Trust Contact person: BrianWoodgate

Village Aid, Bangladesh Contact: Dr Ahsan HabibSowdagar

Walsall BangladeshiProgressive Society Contact: Gulam Choudhury

Wapping BangladeshAssociation Contact: Join Ullah

Wear Surma 75 Project Contact: Mrs MarjorieWilkinson

Lower Beer Farm, Uplowman, Tiverton,EX16 7PF [email protected] Tel: 01884 821239

[email protected], www.ukbet-bd.org

Orchard House, Long Hyde Road,South Littleton, Evesham, WR11 8TH

85 Darlaston Road, Walsall, WS2 [email protected] www.ukcatf.comTel: 01922 624008

4 Wilberforce Road, Coxheath,Maidstone, ME17 [email protected], Tel: 01622743011

128 Southgate Road, London, N1 3HX, Tel: 0207 2546699

291 Wednesday Road, Pleck, Walsall,West Midlands, WS2 9QJ Tel: 01922 610773

Wapping Youth Club, First Floor, TenchStreet, London, E1W [email protected], Tel: 2077021708

47 Barnard Street, Sunderland, SR4 [email protected], Tel: 0191 5289662


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Weavers Community TrustLtd Contact: Anwar Chowdhury

West Bromwich BangladeshMuslim Welfare AssociationIslamic Centre Contact: Abdul Waki

USA

Adhunika FoundationContact: Shahnaz S. Yousuf,Founder & President

AgamiContact: Sabir Majumder,Member Board of Directorsand Secretary

America BangladeshMedical Inc.

American InstituteBangladesh Stu

Anwarul Quadir Foundation

American Association ofBangladeshi Engineers andArchitects (AABEA)Contact: Ahmed Ali

Ankur International

Association for Economic &Development Studies onBangladesh (AEDSB)Contact: Fahad Khalil

129 Springfield Drive, Ilford, IG2 6QP

Islamic Centre, 67 Dartmouth Street,West Bromwich, B70 8BZ Tel: 0121 553 5598

20-58 Crescent St. # 1B,Astoria, NY11105, Tel: 212-787-6514, 646-484-8743,[email protected],www.adhunika.org

([email protected])PO Box 3178, Fremont, CA 94539,[email protected]

15 Warren Street Hackensack NJ Tel: 07601-5450

203 Ingraham Hall 1155 ObservMadison WI 53706-0000

www.quadir.org, Cambridge, MA

Tel:202-841-6269, 301-404-5567,[email protected], www.aabeat.com

Tel:503- 539-3944, ankur-international.org

Seattle, WA 98195, Tel: (206) 543-5836, Email: [email protected]


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Bangladesh AmericanAssociation forRehabilitation in New YorkContact: Dr M Mohsin Ali

Bangladesh AmericanSociety of Greater Houston

Bangladesh Association

Bangladesh AssociationAmerica

Bangladesh Association ofAmerica, Inc.(BAAI)President : Inara Islam

Bangladesh Association ofCalifornia Contact: Majib Siddiquee,Chairperson

Bangladesh Association ofCentral Ohio Contact: MahmuburRahman

Bangladesh Association ofChicagoland Contact: Sahadat Hossain

Bangladesh Association ofDelaware Valley (BADV)

Bangladesh Association ofFloridaContact: Rafiqul Haque

17211 Hillside Ave Jamaica NY 11432-4643

PO Box 941786 Houston TX 77094-8786

401 Meadow Trail LN Friendswood LN TX77546-2483

1015 15TH ST NW STE 1000 WashingtonDC 20005-2621

7816 Painted Daisy Drive, Springfield,VA 22152 (571) 435-6728 [email protected],www.baaidc.com

LA: 213-820-9511

20535 Columbus OH 43220-0000

PO Box 59849 Chicago IL 60659-0849

31 Carriage Knoll Court, Langhorne, PA19047, [email protected]

1140 Hatteras CIR W Palm Beach FL33413-3003


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Bangladesh Association OfGeorgia

Bangladesh Association ofGreater Austin (BAGA)Chairman: Rashed T Islam

Bangladesh Association ofGreater Chicago Land Inc. Contact: Abdul Mannan

Bangladesh Association ofGreater Kansas City(BAGKC)President: Rehan Reza

Bangladesh Association ofGreater St. Louis

Bangladesh Association ofGreater valley, CA President- Shafiqur Rahman

Bangladesh Association ofHampton Roads Inc. Contact: Mizanur R Patwary

Bangladesh Association ofHouston (BAH)Chairperson: Afzal Ahmed

Bangladesh Association ofNashvillePresident: Atiqur Rahman

Bangladesh Association ofNashville Tennessee Contact: Syed Huda

4897 Bulford HWY STE 123 ChambleeGA 30341-3670

314 East Highland Mall BLVD Austin TX78752-3735, www.bagatx.org

5230 N Leclaire AVE Chicago IL 60630-1625

www.geocities.com/[email protected]: 785-554-0586

PO BOX 901 Manchester MO 63011-1201

818-787-8488, Secretary- Abdul Hakim818-209-5471

2524 Seven Kings RD Virginia BCH VA23456-7826

[email protected] Renn Road, Houston, TX 77083 www.bangladesh-association.com

P.O.Box 100782 , Nashville, TN 37224,[email protected],[email protected]

125 Aarons CRESS BLVD Hermitage TN37076-2615


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Bangladesh Association ofNew England

Bangladesh Association ofNew Jersey Inc.

Bangladesh Association ofNorth Texas

Bangladesh Association ofTexas Contact: Iskander S Khan

Bangladesh Association ofValley Los Angeles Contact: MohammadHoque

Bangladesh Buddhist Centerof America Inc. Contact: Panna Lal Barua

Bangladesh BuddhistSociety of America Inc.

Bangladesh Center forCommunity DevelopmentInc. President: MS Alam

Bangladesh Chemical andBiological Society of NorthAmerica

Bangladesh ChildrenProgress Organization Corp Contact: Khandaker SRahman

PO Box 390762 Cambridge MA 02139-0009

24 Brownstone TER Hawthorne NJ07506-3447

12260 Black Cherry Lane Euless TX76040-0000

4325 Grason DR Grand Prairie TX 75052-4327

20254 Saticoy ST Canoga PARK CA91306-4433

8624 Whitney AVE BSMT Elmhurst NY11373-3658

5916 Woodside AVE APT 3H WoodsideNY 11377-3512

313 N Glebe Road, Suite 209000,Arlingon, VA 22203TeL 703 243 1500,[email protected]/bccdi

7934 Cheynne CT Baytown TX 77521-8375

3118 35TH ST APT 5G Astoria NY 11106-1533


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Bangladesh Children'sEducational Endowment Contact: Tiffany Ann Hodge

Bangladesh ChristianMission

Bangladesh Club ofCalifornia Shafiqul Alam Khukon

Bangladesh CommunityCenter Contact: Haroon Al-Rashid

Bangladesh Community ofIndiana Co

Bangladesh CulturalExchange Contact: Mostaque A Khan

Bangladesh DentalAssociation Of America

Bangladesh DevelopmentInitiativeContact: Syed SaadAndabeeb

Bangladesh DevelopmentResearch Center Inc Contact: Bernhard GeorgGunter

Bangladesh EnvironmentNetwork (BEN)Contact: Nazrul Islam

14020 Browning RD Evansville IN 47725-9234

65232 Beaver Ball RD Lacombe LA70445-5000

323-828-4136-c, Ali Akhter 213-258-9564,Mujib, Emdadul Haque Bob 323-466-1523-h, 323-314-8275-c

5991 Robin Hood LN Norcross GA30093-3804

PO Box 427 Fishers IN 46038-0427

182 30 Wexford TER APT L8 JamaicaEstates NY 11432-3141

527 Grand ST Brooklyn NY 11211-3559

5541 Bondy DR Erie PA 16509-3052

2508 Flower St Falls Church VA 22046-2012

[email protected]


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Bangladesh FoundationContact: Zillur Khan

Bangladesh Hindu CulturalOrganization

Bangladesh in America Con.: Muhammad ShamimHossain, President

Bangladesh IndeginiousPeople's Association Robin Dewan

Bangladesh Institute ofPerforming Arts Inc. Contact: Annie Ferdous

Bangladesh Islamic Center Contact: MohammedMojibul Haque

Bangladesh IslamicCommunity of GreaterChicago Contact: MohammadSaiduzzaman

Bangladesh Islamic Societyof New England Inc Contact: Muhammad YusufSiddiq

Bangladesh MedicalAssociation of NorthAmerica

6212 Buford St Orlando FL 32835-2943

2376 Grayling St Hamtramck MI 48212-3660

213-388-0790, Mahtabuddin Tipu -Geneal Secretary 310-743-3032

Tel: 909-335-1982

6732 136TH ST Kew Garden Hills NY11367-1624

2116 S Nelson St Arlington VA 22204-5410

3119 W Granville AVE Chicago IL 60659-2401

114 Yorktown ST Somerville MATel: 02144-2435

4250 Hempstead Turnpike, Suite 17,Bethpage, NY 11714-5707Tel: (516) 796-4245, Fax:(516) 731-1683,www.bmana.com,[email protected]


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Bangladesh MedicalAssociation of NorthAmerica Michigan ChapterContact: Dr. Mohammad A.Jabbar

Bangladesh Mela

Bangladesh Muslim CenterInc.

Bangladesh MuslimFoundation

Bangladesh OrphansCenter Inc.Contact: Mohammad Noor

Bangladesh Physicians'Organization Dr. Moazzem Hossain

Bangladesh Relief andDisaster Control (BRDC)Con.: Mohammad Alam

Bangladesh Relief Fund Contact: Muhit Rahman

Bangladesh Social andCommunity DevelopmentInstitute USAContact: Abdul MatinTalukder

Flint, MI, 810 7201997,[email protected],www.bmanami.com

Tarek: 323-382-4129,[email protected], Anis: 213-321-0267

105 Cortelyou RD Brooklyn NY 11218-4509

3102 Pond View Dr Richardson TX75082-2457

142-20 Franklin AVE, Flushing NY 11355-2640

909-307-9688-h, Dr. Talat Khan -Secretary, Dr. Ruby Hossain 909-754-0448-cell, 951-212-7933

562-964-1179,[email protected],[email protected]

8550 Willow Run CT Cincinnati OH45243-3447

3545 79TH ST APT 5A Jackson HTS NY11372-4828


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Bangladesh Society Inc.Chair: Aziz Mohammad

Bangladesh Society ofAmerica Inc. Con.: M Mozumder

Bangladesh Society of LosAngeles Zainul Abedin

Bangladesh Society ofPhiladelphiaContact: Sheikh Siddque

Bangladesh StudentsAssociation of California Abdullah Al-Mamun

Bangladesh Theater ofArizona

Bangladesh United StatesBusiness Council

Bangladesh UnityFederation Los Angeles(BULFA) President: Khandakar Alam

Bangladesh Women'sOrganization of CaliforniaContact: Denny Tayyib

86-24 Whitney Avenue, Elmhurst, NY11373, Tel: 718-205-2261 Fax: [email protected]

12006 Arista Manor Way GermantownMD 20876-5934

Tel: 818-606-7660-c, 818-547-1330

4302 Market ST Philadelphia PA 19104-2908

323-309-1945,[email protected],www.bdsac.com

3244 E Washington AVE Gilbert AZ85234-4102

4601 N Fairfax DR Suite 1020 ArlingtonVA 22203-1500

T: 909-732-8800, [email protected] PO Box 1524, Rancho Cucamonga, CA91729, 7052 Golden Nugget Cir Apt 4Westminster CA [email protected],[email protected]

Tel: 818-549-9003-h, [email protected]


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Bangladesh Yellow SocietyNew York Inc

Bangladeshi AdventistSociety of America (BASA)Contact: Suranjan Baidya

Bangladeshi AmericanDemocratic Party ofCalifornia Contact: M Shamim Hossain

Bangladeshi AmericanFoundation Inc. (BAFI)

Bangladeshi CHT AmericanBuddhist AssociationContact: Kirti Chakma

Banoful Dr. Moazzem Hossain

Baul Mizanur Rahman -Shaheen

Bay Area BangladeshAssociation Inc Contact: Mizanur M Raham

Bestow Blessings onBangladesh ChildrenFoundationPresident: Donny R. Johnson

32 10 30TH AVE 2ND FLR Kakatua 260Astoria NY 11102-0000

[email protected] P.O BOX: 519, Bryn Mawr, CA 92318,Paul Ranjon Baroi: [email protected]

213-388-0790, Mahtabuddin Tipu -Geneal Secretary Tel: 310-743-3032

[email protected], www.bafi.org

5916 Woodside AVE APT 3H WoodsideNY 11377-3512, 909-363-3664,[email protected], [email protected]

Tel: 909-307-9688-home, 909-754-0448-c Dr. Ruby Hossain 951-212-7933-cc

Tel: 714-262-8425

3463 Sagewood LN San Jose CA 95132-0000

1810 Bluestem Ln, Salina, KS 67401


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Bangla ITContact: MuhammadSayeed Rahman, Founder

Bangladesh Academy Con.: Zahid Hossain Pintu

Bangladesh AmericaLiterary Art And CulturalAssoc

Bangladesh OrphansCenter Inc.

Bangladesh Society Inc.Contact: Babul Chowdhury

Bangladeshi Engineers andApplied Scientist of BritishColumbia (BEASBC)

Bangladeshi-AmericanPharmacists' Association(BAPA)

Bay Area BangladeshAssociation (BABA)

Bangladesh Community ofIndiana Co, USA

Bangladesh MuslimFoundation, USA

[email protected] Village Drive, Frankfort, KY 40601,USA, Tel: [email protected], www.banglait.org

Tel: 213-923-0877, 213-804-0523

8814 Sage Place Houston TX 77071-3263

86-24 Whitney Avenue, Elmhurst, NY11373, Tel: [email protected]

504 Baker Systems Engineering Building(BE), 1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio [email protected],www.bsa.org.ohio-state.edu

Tel: 845-268-3225,[email protected], bapainfo.org

Silicon Valey. California, USA


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Bikrampur Samitee Mohammad Ali

Boishakhi Mela Abul Ibrahim

Change BangladeshContact: Kawser Jama

Chittagong Association of S.CA Contact: Taherul Anwar

Christian Association Con.: Shamsher Chowdhury

DrishtipatContact: Asif saleh,Executive Director

Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000Inc.

Friends of Bangladesh Inc.

Friends' Club of Valley, LA Contact: M.A. Hamid

Hope Foundation forWomen & Children ofBangladesh Inc. Contact: Iftikher Mahmood

House of Volunteers (HoV) Contact: Raqeebul IslamKetan, President

Tel: 213-550-6371

Tel: 213-948-7908-c, 213-389-6514-h

www.changebangladesh.com

Tel: 818-917-6000

Tel: 562-865-5230, Rupom 818-523-2578,[email protected]

([email protected])c/o Shafaq Islam, 25-24 23rd Street,Apt. 3-F, Astoria, NY [email protected], www.drishtipat.org

PO Box 711191, Oak Hill, VA 20171, USA, 877-376-9590, [email protected] [email protected], www.eb2000.org

11 Hessian BLVD Reading PA 19607-9714

Tel: 818-634-9336www.friendsclubofvalley.webs.com

16401 NW 2nd Ave, Ste 202, Miami, FL33169 or 5416 NW 190TH STREET MIAMIFL 33055-0000, Tel: 1 (305) 318 0142,Email: [email protected]

[email protected]@mit.edu, web.mit.edu/hov


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Hridoya Bangladesh

Human Rights Congress forBangladeshi Minorities

Imdad-Sitara KhanFoundation

Jalalabad Association ofCalifornia Contact: Ahmed Kabir

Jalokona

LA Bengals Contact: Maruf Islam

Love for Bangladesh Inc.Contact: Andrew K ChongCPA

Lutheran Health CareBangladesh-USA

Mission Of Mercy LovesBangladeshContact: M. M. Rahman

Munshiganj BikrampurSamity

1180 Reed AVE APT 32 Sunnyvale CATel: 94086-8436, hridoyabangladesh.org

P.O. Box 5493, Santa Clara, CA 95056-5493, USA Tel: 212-592-3627 (NY), Fax: 619-330-0662, email: [email protected]

3351 Tracy DriveSanta Clara, CA 95051, phone: 408-241-3544, [email protected], www.iskkc.org

Tel: 818-448-1398, Farzu Subhan,818-517-2318

PO. Box 2153, Kirdland, WA 98083,[email protected], www.jolkona.org

Tel: 323-333-7744, Sheikh Mahmud 909-900-6895

1270 Broadway Rm 1003 New York Ny10001-3223

1669 N. Arcade Street, Suite 100, St.Paul MN 55106Tel: 612-998-9655, Fax 651-774-5956

PO Pox 633 Folsom CA 95763-0633

Tel: 213-388-0790


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Narayanganj Association ofNorth AmericaShohel Rahman Badal

Network of YoungBangladeshi AmericanProfessionals (NYBAP)Contact: Rasheq Rahman

North America-BangladeshStatistical AssociationContact: KhandakerMansur

North AmericanBangladeshi IslamicCommunity (NABIC)Dr. Abu Bakar Ahmed,Executive Secretary

ORCA, USAContact: Dipok Mia

Probini Foundation Inc. Chairperson: Dr. S. G.Dastidar

Project Bangladesh, USAContact: Dr.Abu F Islam

Project Bangladesh Contact: Ajmal Sobhan

Rahmans Trust Contact: Zia A Rahman

SamhatiContact: Jahanara Hasan,joint secretary

Tel: 562-972-0042, Noor Babul 562-867-7608

New York, Tel: 718-514-2124,[email protected], [email protected],www.nybap.org

4132 Henhawk CT Ellicott City MDTel: 21042-5926

P. O. Box 6631, Oak Ridge, TN 37831,www.nabic.orgTel: (865) 481-8988, 865-481-8970 (Fax)[email protected]

3351 Tracy Drive, Santa Clara, CA95051, Tel: 4082413544,[email protected], www. orcausa.org

80-56 251 Street, Queens, NY 11426,[email protected]

[email protected]

913 Pine Mill CT Newport News VA23602-9468

Tel: (404) 840-1172 & (928) 447-4515www.rahmanstrust.org

Tel: 703-931-96683426 Blair Rd., Falls Church, VA 22041www.samhati.org


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Sangbadik Union, LA, Contact: Quddus Khan

Shoriotpur Somity USA

Shushil Shamaj of California Con.: M Rahman Tufan

Southern CaliforniaJalalabad Association Con.: Jashim Ashrafi Ahmed

SpaandanBContact: Zafar Ullah,General Secretary

Sparsha-The BangladeshiCommunity of San Diego

Stateless People inBangladesh Inc.Contact: Syed K Kamal

The Kidney Mission IncContact: Henry E. Haider

The OptimistsCon.: Mohammed ABhuiyan, General Secretary

Tel: 562-879-4374-c, 562-928-2609-h,800-977-5050, www.vinnomot.com

Tel: 951-264-5416, Shohel Rahman Badal562-972-0042

Tel: 818-987-7454-c, 323-382-9976-h,Matab Ahmed 818-961-4640

[email protected]. Box 64183, Sunnyvale, CA 94088Tel: (408) 836-4534 Fax: (978) [email protected],[email protected] www.spaandanb.org

sparsha-sd.org/[email protected]

6804 Highway 6 South, Suite E, Box 211,Houston, Texas 77083 [email protected]

16031 Pioneer Blvd., Suite G7, Norwalk,CA 90650, Tel: (562) 826 [email protected],[email protected],[email protected] ,KidneyMissionInc.com

25-78 31st Street, Astoria NY 11102Tel: 718 278 4953 Fax: 718 554 [email protected],www.theoptimists.org


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The Society to HelpEducation in BangladeshInternational Inc.

Volunteers Association forBangladesh (VAB) Contact: Dr. A. T. RafiqurRahman, FoundingPresident

Others

Al-Berr TrustContact: MohammedAbdur Rahim

Alochona

Bangla Community

Bangladesh StudentAssociation of PerdueUniversity

Bangladesh Studies andDevelopment Center

Bangladeshi AdventistSociety of America

BD ResearchersContact: Ashraful Kadir

BRAC, USA and UK

Climate ForecastApplications in Bangladesh(CFAB)

10 Cresthaven Drive, Burlington, MA01803, USA, Tel: 617 680 9120 E-mail: [email protected]

122 Taxter Road, Irvington, New York10533, Tel: [email protected], [email protected] www.vabonline.org

[email protected]

www.alochona.org

www.banglacommunity.com

web.ics.purdue.edu/bdsa

Tel: +46 7 [email protected],[email protected]

www.cfab.eas.gatech.edu/cfab/cfab.html


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Federation of BangladeshiAssociations in NorthAmerica

Greenspot

JEXCA

Jono Sova Jono Seba (JSJS)LtdContact: Abdul Shahid

Learn FoundationContact: Imran Rasheed

Mirzapur Cadet CollegeClass of 1968

Mirzapur Ex-CadetsAssociation (MECA)

Progressive Forum forBangladeshis

Quantum Foundation, USA,UK

Shetu BondhonContact: MohammedAhsan Rial

TechBanglaContact: Dr. Shaikh MizanurRahman

United Bangladesh Appeal(UBA)

www.greenspotbd.org

www.despardes.com/jexca/index.html

[email protected]

[email protected]/shetubondhon

[email protected],www.TechBangla.org

[email protected]


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DIASPORA PHILANTHROPY IN BANGLADESHfreedomfound.org/publication/newsletter/DIASPORA...sector, the country's largest export earner, when RMG earnings are adjusted against the cost of

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