– Yeahyea Choudhury
Interview by Harun-Al-Rashid
The Bangladesh NGO Foundation (BNF) is working to enhance the overall condition of the poor through the partner organizations, AFM Yeahyea Choudhury, Chairman, Bangladesh NGO Foundation, said in an exclusive interview with The Guardian.
The Chairman, in this context, further said that BNF finances NGOs and CBOs working in Bangladesh for providing basic social services such as education, nutrition and health, sanitation support, safe drinking water, environmental protection and any other services needed by the poor, the ultra poor, women and children and ethnic minorities and integrating marginalized communities by establishing an effective correlation between services structure and their communities.
He informed that the Foundation has already given supports and benefits to 89 lac 68 thousand poor people through 1116 partner organizations.
In his concluding message, Mr. Choudhury said, “Anybody’s poverty diminishes us as we belong to mankind. And never say; for whom the bell tolls? In BNF, it tolls for the welfare of the Poor and the Ultra Poor. Let there be light in the end of the tunnel of Bangladesh NGO Foundation. Long live Bangladesh.”
The BNF Chairman, in an exclusive interview replied to a number of questions, focusing on different aspects of BNF, its contributions, achievements, limitations and future plans. His deliberations are quite standing, informative and educative as well. The excerpts of his valuable interview are appended here for The Guardian readers at home and abroad.
The Guardian: Mr. Chairman, would you like to give us a short introduction to the history behind the establishment of Bangladesh NGO Foundation (BNF)?
Chairman: The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has established Bangladesh NGO Foundation to support the NGOs, with a view to associate the Non-Governmental Organizations in the process of achieving Millennium Develop ment Goal. The Foundation was established through a Resolution of the Government on 02 December 2004 that was published in the Bangladesh Gazette on 11 December 2004.
The Guardian: What is the organizational structure and cardinal programmes of Bangladesh NGO Foundation?
Chairman: The FOUNDATION was then registered a non-profit association within the meaning of Section 28 of the Companies Act, 1994 and is established for financing Non-Governmental Organiz ation (NGOs) and other voluntary organizations including Commu nity Based Organizations (CBOs) duly registered under the relevant laws of Bangladesh and working in the country for providing basic social services such as education, nutrition and health, sanitation support, safe drinking water, environmental protection and any other services needed by the poor, the ultra poor, women and children and the ethnic minorities.
The Organizations receiving funds from the Foundation shall be known as Partner Organizations (POs). The aims and functions of BNF are to improve the wellbeing of the poor, the ultra-poor, the impoverished, and the disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in Bangladesh through the partner organiza.
The Guardian: Would you say the eligibility of becoming a member of BNF General Body and how or what basis the members are selected?
Chairman: Now, total member of general body is 34 including all members of the Governing Board. According to Articles of Association as per 5.2 (ii), 10 (ten) members are nominated by Government who are recognized experts in poverty alleviation related development work and research.
According to Articles of Association as per 5.2 (V), these NGOs registered with Governm ent and engaged in implementing different social development activities for poverty alleviation oriented programme for a minimum of 3 years contributing Tk. 5,00,000/- (five lac) in the income-generating fund of the Foundation. Such 7(seven) representatives are elected as General Body members, 5(five) representatives are nominated by the Governing Board from Partner Organizations of the Foundation subject to 5.2 (iii) of Articles of Association.
The Guardian: Would you also tell us something about the activities of the BNF Governing Board?
Chairman: The Governing Board, subject to the control and supervision of the General Body, shall generally pursue and carry out the objectives of the Foundation as set forth in the Memorandum of Association hereto annexed and the Governing Board shall be responsible for the management and administration of the affairs of the Foundation in accordance with the Articles of Association and the Rules and By-laws made hereunder.
The affairs of the Foundation shall be managed by the Governing Board, which shall have the responsibility to determine the direction and scope of the activities of the Foundation. It shall also have the responsibility to approve project and make grants and advances to Pos and to approve and administer the annual and supplementary budgets.
The Governing Board shall exercise full management and financial control of the Foundation. For the purpose of the Act, the Governing Board of the Foundation shall be deemed to be the Board of Directors of the company.
The Guardian: Would you say whether these funds are given as loan or grant and what is the modality of supervision?
Chairman: BNF provides only grants to NGOs. It has no micro credit operation. BNF monitors and evaluates the activities implementation by Evaluation Officer. By examining their monitoring report and setting up a standard decision is taken to disburse the next installment of grants. Besides, at different time Chairman and Managing Director of the Foundation also visit the implementation activities of POs in field level.
The Guardian: Can you say something how BNF can participate in order to achieve the Vision 2021 of the Government of Bangladesh?
Chairman: With a view to turning Bangladesh into a middle income country by the year-2021, we need to ensure sustainable development, inclusive growth, public-private partnership (PPP) etc.
BNF deals with the Projects financed by micro-grant amounting to Tk. 2 lac to 3 lac. Priority Sectors of BNF is Social Infrastructure i.e. Health, Education, Human Resource Development, Research and Development, E-service delivery to the citizen and Poverty Alleviation Projects such as; Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Rural Internet Project and other Urban, Municipal and Rural projects that the Govt. of Bangladesh views as priority areas for socio-economic development.
The Guardian: In the end, please give your valuable message for all concerned with BNF and especially for the people of the country.
Chairman: Anybody’s poverty diminishes us as we belong to mankind. And never say; for whom the bell tolls? In BNF, it tolls for the welfare of the Poor and the Ultra Poor. Let there be light in the end of the tunnel of Bangladesh NGO Foundation. Long live Bangladesh.
Profile of Yeahyea Choudhury
AFM Yeahyea Choudhury, Chairman of Bangladesh NGO Foundation, is a former civil servant and diplomat. He studied Economics in Dhaka University, Planning and Appraisal of Project in Bradford University, UK; Management of Agri and Rural Development in Manchester University, UK. He has to his credit a number of publications and articles including two books on anthology of Poetry in English and Bengali.
His areas of interest include Field Administration, Management Consultancy, Planning and Appraisal of Projects, Local Govt, Agri and Rural Development, Rural Poverty, GO and NGO Affairs, and Corporate Sectors. He directly dealt with NGO affairs in Divisional and District Administration and Cabinet Division, GOB.
Mr. Choudhury attended and participated in SAARC Summit in Male, Maldives; World Summit on Role of Women and Development and Democracy, New Delhi; World Summit on Micro Credit, Washington; Lecture Series on Different subjects of interest in the London School of Economics and The South Asian Center, Cambridge University, England; Remembrance Day, Sunday 1999 Ceremonial at the Cenotaph, London; Member of National and International Organization/Clubs.
Apart from his working as Chairman, Bangladesh NGO Foundation, AFM Yeahyea Choudhury is now also working as Part-time Member (Expert) in Interview Board of Bangladesh Public Service Commission. He traveled widely covering 15- 20 countries of the World. He performed Hajj-e Akbori as a Royal Guest in 1994.
Mr. Choudhury hails from the district of Maulvibazar under Sylhet division. His wife Sitara Choudhury is an MA degree holder. His daughter Rehnuma Nusrat Choudhury is also an M.A. and her husband .Rezaul Karim M.A., is an advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court. Mr. Choudhury’s youngest son Anis Rahim Choudhury is also an M.A in English with distinction and he is now working with BRAC, Bangladesh.
