Beneath the surface
Plight of an NGO
Abdul Bayes
The role of NGOs in addressing rural poverty and human development issues have long been debated. The general consensus that emerged so far from various empirical evidences seem to point to a positive role of NGOs. Over the decades NGOs, to a great extent, relieved the poor off the shackles of village mohajans for credit. They have also reduced the role of the government in reaching the very poor with little collateral. Not only in credit terms, but also in the light of social development, the role of some NGOs e.g. Grameen Bank, BRAC and Proshika have already earned fames across the world. My frequent visits to villages across the country reveal stories of admiration for some of the NGOs. Grameen Bank model has been replicated in some of the countries to confer credits to out nationhood. But, unfortunately, after sailing smoothly for two decades or so, NGOs have now to forsee a dark cloud cast on their horizon.Disgraceful and devastating The arrest of Proshika Chief Dr Kazi Faruque is indeed a disgraceful and devastating news to us. Mr Faruque is not an individual himself but he heads one of the largest NGOs in the country. Of course, since the present regime came to power, Faruque and his Proshika have been a target of the confrontational politics that the country is wrought with. As an individual Dr Faruque might have committed the alleged 'crimes' to invite an axe upon him, but as an institution for the rural poor, Proshika activities need to continue. Besides this point, the allegations need to be established unequivocally before arrests of any citizen of this country. In the past, we observed with sadness and shame, eminent personalities and politicians like Shahriar Kabir, Muntasir Mamun, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir were humiliatingly arrested and inhumanly tortured under police custody. We firmly believe that this trend is good neither for the party in power nor for the nation as a whole. The degree of violation of human rights under the present regime already bagged wraths from civil society of home and abroad. However, the fact that Dr Faruque was to be under remand on corruption charges -- a rare incident -- simply suspects the whole soul of the argument against him. The HC verdict on this is a pointer. Uprooted grassroots! It is well known that Proshika is an NGO with a large network at grassroots level to help the poor. It has been working for decades to help lift people's power. It undeniably displayed its efficiency in reaching the poor -- an observation even shared by the donors. Its grassroots level movements against dowry, environmental hazards, lawlessness and for enhancing women's empowerment, rearing green agriculture and realising the spirit of the liberation are all on record and in the minds of the people. Such an NGO of repute had to remain inactive for past several months (in fact for last two years with fund blockage). Its central office as well as regional offices had been put under the orgy of ransacking. The dedicated young activists -- thousands I suppose -- who opted to serve the poor had been hiding for fear of tortures. Some of the local offices became target of the mastans for tolls. Police took the chance and began to pile up cases to earn their pies from Proshika. Who suffer from this blow? It is the poor to suffer. Some of them got or need loans to rear livestock or do petty business, some to grow green vegetables or sell seeds. They eke out their living from the credit they get from NGOs like Proshika. As I traveled in recent days to seven sites, I observed a sign of sadness among not only the Proshika workers but also their clients. Another party that stands to lose in the long run is the NGOs themselves. The 'tit for tat' kind of politics that is in evidence especially with respect to NGOs could invite a havoc in the horizon. Their operations are likely to suffer due to actual or articulated political alignments. The NGOs would then have to wind up business and their heads hide in homes. Tit for tat! If Proshika or for that matter any other NGO is forced to close down, the ramifications could be large. Who would gain? The fundamentalists and the forces that forcefully oppose NGOs that stand for women's emancipation, education, health of the poor and overall development of the society. To this effect, with trust on my memory, I recollect one TV presentation in a private channel that showed some heads of NGO (like ASA, Gono Shasthya) alleging against Proshika and its chief on the plea that they worked for a particular party during the last general election. That was a time when every one wanted to be in the good book of the new government. Any way, that some NGOs should sail on such an allegation, true or false, is very frustrating. Who is neutral in this country? The alleged way ADAB was split could establish the point that many NGOs also belong to this or that political camp. If Proshika could be punished by BNP for the alleged support to Awami League during the last general election, should then some other NGOs await a similar fate for supporting BNP while in power? Against fundamentalists I think and it is my purely personal observation, that, neither Faruque, nor others express their allegiance directly to any particular political party. They might have their allegiance but not exposed to an extent that could harm their own organisation. I never heard Proshika raising any slogan for Awami League but admittedly, Proshika's stand during the last general election was against fundamentalists and anti-liberation forces. It might have requested voters not to vote for these forces but to vote for honest and pro-liberation forces. If NGOs mean that the menace of these evil forces should be wiped out from the society, then they all should join the movement against those forces. But if NGOs tend to think that they have come to earn the interest rates by lending money and thus build theirfort of fortunes, then it matters little to fight against any evil. Let Proshika progress I think there is still time to heal the wounds. Proshika should be allowed to work as it used to. Its funds should be released immediately. Any allegation against Proshika personnel should be as per the rules of the country. Of course, the government can (and had been doing) cripple Proshika as it holds on to massive power of police, but the precedence could be costly especially for the poor. We want that NGOs should work for the poor, compliment government's efforts to alleviate poverty and emerge as a powerful weapon for women's emancipation in rural areas. Abdul Bayes is a Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University
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