Non-governmental Organizations In Bangladesh Research Articles

Social Welfare and Poverty Reduction Activities of NGOs in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

Bangladesh is both a developing nation and a medium-sized economic power. It is among the eleven market-based middle-income countries with the fastest expanding economies. It is the forty-second market-based economy on the planet in nominal terms and the thirty-first largest by purchasing power parity. According to the IMF, Bangladesh's economy is the second biggest country on an upswing in 2016, with an annual rate of 7.1%. Since the early 2000s, Bangladesh's poverty has unexpectedly decreased, accelerating economic growth. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) actively contribute to the decline of extreme poverty in our nation. NGOs engaged in some charitable work and improved social welfare. This study's primary goal is to show how NGOs and their initiatives affect Bangladesh's social welfare and poverty reduction. Researchers have used primary and secondary data and powerful statistical tools to assess pertinent data to accomplish these goals. From the researchers' observations, data analysis, and findings, it is clear that NGO programs significantly promote social welfare and reduce poverty in Bangladesh.

English

Over the years, we have seen the growth of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)' activities in Bangladesh and their massive influence on its development process. This article looks at the field-workers employed by local NGOs in Bangladesh. This paper's main objective is to find out funding pattern, project continuation, and their effects on field workers' careers. A total of 50 respondents were randomly selected from 10 local NGOs of the Rajshahi City Corporation Area (in the north-western part of Bangladesh). It was found that NGOs' foreign funding declined in Bangladesh due to its transformation to a middle-income economy. A large number of field-based workers lost their jobs from local NGOs due to fund crisis. Current development workers were worried about their job. Their lives and livelihoods were at risk. Almost every aspect of Bangladesh's socio-economic development has had local NGOs' input, including women's development, microfinance, education, and health. Services of field workers are still very much needed. Key words: Bangladesh, career, field-workers, foreign fund, local NGOs, well-being.

Effectiveness of Micro-Credit Programs in Socio-Economic Development: A Study on Selected NGOs in Bangladesh

Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) evolved in Bangladesh with the commitment of bringing positive social change and attaining balanced socio-economic development through the disbursement of micro-credit among the marginal people in society. The main intention of the study is to assess the impact of micro-credit on the overall socio-economic development of micro-credit receivers. The Chi-square (χ2) and Multinomial Logistic Regression techniques have applied on primary data collected from 260 beneficiaries of micro-credit of ASA and BRAC NGOs in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. The χ2 analysis shows that the amount of micro-credit taken has a significant positive impact on respondents’ type of home, sanitation facilities, ownership of other household assets, health service received, yearly income, expenditure, and savings, and participation in family’s decision making, whereas an insignificant relationship is observed for occupational status, children education, ownership of land and livestock, sources of drinking water, economic solvency, and social status of the respondents.

Micro-credit, trust, and social solidarity in Bangladesh: A socio-philosophical analysis

Drèze and Sen are not entirely right in their apparent glorification of the roles of nongovernmental organizations in Bangladesh in An Uncertain Glory: India and Its Contradictions because they leave out and/or de-emphasize some important issues, especially those that are related to the problematic trusting relationship between nongovernmental organizations in Bangladesh and rural poor women. Nongovernmental organizations’ use of trust disturbs social solidarity in rural Bangladesh mainly because of their massive supervision mechanism that they undertake to sustain the so-called trusting relationship between them and their debtors. The massive supervision mechanism damages social solidarity also because it creates a tension between local norms and nongovernmental organizations’ neoliberalist values of “discipline, efficiency and competitiveness,” which nongovernmental organizations try to inject into villagers by their numerous social engineering programs, which are state’s responsibility. Nongovernmental organization monitoring has some psychological impacts on their clients that also contribute to shaking social solidarity. The absence of a proper trusting relationship between nongovernmental organizations and rural poor women reduces the capabilities of the latter as a result of which Drèze and Sen’s glorification of Bangladeshi nongovernmental organizations and Sen’s capabilities approach are in tension. However, there are strategies that Bangladeshi nongovernmental organizations should employ to address the issues raised due to their massive supervision mechanism.

ASA: Cost-effective and Sustainable Microfinance Model NGO in Bangladesh

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) focus on understanding the needs of the poor and assisting them to improve their livelihoods by developing the most efficient and effective mechanisms to deliver finance. This case study concentrates on how the Association for Social Advancement, or ASA, approaches working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on microfinance using its diversified service portfolios and operational structures in Bangladesh. The achievements and threats of NGOs have been discussed in terms of current changes and challenges for a microcredit concept to alleviate poverty in Bangladesh.

Contributions of the Non-Governmental Organizations in Bangladesh : Are they Merely Ahegemony of Tagging Sustainability ?

Non-governmental organizations are claimed to have impacts on the sustainable development in rural areas of the developing countries and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) is identified as an example. This study has considered BRAC as the case and has been aimed to critically outline the roles of this selected non- governmental organization (BRAC) in sustainable development process. Also, with this particular aim, this study has explored the trends of current poverty situations in Bangladesh. Also, the impacts those BRAC are having through their sustainable development initiatives. This study has selected two villages of the Chandpur district of Bangladesh, where BRAC has been operating intense programmes. This study has used both the qualitative and quantitative methods of research. Results suggest that programmes undertaken by NGOs are capable of having positive contributions in the sustainable development process to a certain level. The fact is that the programme implementation, where efficiency of the NGO employees is an indicator of success factor. The research is empirical and is expectedly fill the gap of literature.

Personnel Management in NGOs of Bangladesh

Activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh have gained momentum due to the failure of both governmental organizations (GOs) and for-profit organizations (FPOs) in achieving their mission and objectives, and thus their inability to fulfill needs of the beneficiaries/customers. Prima facie investigations show that little research has been done on the personnel management of NGOs in Bangladesh. In view of this situation, using a mixed method of survey of archival sources, quantitative review of job advertisements data, unstructured interview, and a case study, this research examines personnel management practice of NGOs, and explores basic characteristics in the three areas of personnel selection and recruitment, training and education, and compensation and motivation. The findings suggest that large NGOs implement systematic practices, possess adequate organizational structure, employ professional managers, and nurture pragmatic environments for their personnel management. The NGOs emphasize professionalism and career orientation and implement long-term, forward-looking approaches in their selection, recruitment, and remuneration. These management practices also follow national employment practices, attach importance to national wage and salary principles, policies, and scales for the GO/FPOs, but formulate their principles and systems keeping those in view. The international NGOs (INGOs) follow domestic practices, implement policies and practices of their own which is found to create confusion in the national job market. The small and mid-size NGOs, however, do not possess personnel management practices of their own, rather they follow and imitate larger members. The authors envision further research on this topic with a focus on both of its micro and macro aspects, and use of advanced methods and tools to develop a full model of NGO-human resources management (HRM) in Bangladesh. Keywords: Bangladesh, Personnel Management, NGOs, Job Advertisement, Job Notification, Recruitment, Remuneration, Selection

Genesis and growth of the NGOs: Issues in Bangladesh perspective

NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) activities have virtually grown into a movement in Bangladesh and eventually playing a very significant role in the nation’s development process scene. NGOs have not been evolved over time. The NGOs throughout the world have evolved in the specific context of the society. The context of the developed countries and developing countries are certainly different. The last three decades, enormous growth of NGOs in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been regarded as the land of NGOs. This paper highlights common assumptions about the growth and genesis of the NGOs in Bangladesh. This study is mostly based on secondary information. The paper is based on the content analysis of different secondary sources of data and information. Observations are also drawn from several interview sessions. Key words: NGO, genesis, growth, poverty, voluntarism and Bangladesh.

Non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh: their contribution to social capital development and community empowerment

This article looks at the role of NGOs in terms of their capacity for social capital development and community empowerment. The article is based on qualitative research focusing on two NGOs in Bangladesh: Proshika and Practical Action Bangladesh, and their work in two communities, one urban and the other rural. The article also focuses on data obtained from two indigenous occupations: blacksmiths and goldsmiths. It argues that there are specific problems within these communities and that NGOs’ capacities for social capital development and community empowerment were limited.

Floodspace: Case Studies in Adapting to Climate Change-Related Flooding in Bangladesh

While policies and prevention strategies are contested on the global political stage, the effects of climate change are already in motion. Ocean levels have risen measurably in the last decade and will continue to rise during the remainder of this century (IPCC, 2007) . Low-lying communities that are already susceptible to storms and flooding will suffer increasing crises of public health, livelihood, housing and infrastructure. In Bangladesh, rising sea levels will have a serious impact on existing housing and infrastructure. This research focuses on three modes of adaptation that enable communities to co-exist and thrive in hydrologically dynamic ecosystems. Specific measures that are presently being taken in response to environmental change by three different organizations are described. By analyzing how these measures are carried out, this paper will contribute to a growing knowledge base of adaptive strategies implemented by individuals and non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh. Information sharing from this knowledge base is intended to facilitate civil society in proactively preparing for and responding to climate change-related events.

Communicable diseases in south-east Asia: call for papers

WHO’s South-East Asia Region, comprising 11 member countries, is home to 26% of the world’s population and 30% of the world’s poor.1,2 Of the 14 million deaths that occur annually in this region, 40% are due to communicable diseases compared with the global proportion of 28%.3 A high density of population, poverty, poor sanitation and tropical climate create an environment conducive to the emergence and propagation of communicable diseases.4 As a result, the region is at high risk for new and emerging infectious disease events and has become a hotspot for many zoonoses, drug-resistant pathogens and vector-borne diseases. The region is the epicentre of avian influenza, which has the potential for causing an influenza pandemic. Multidrug-resistant malaria, including artemisinin resistance at the border of Cambodia and Thailand, threatens to jeopardize the provision of effective antimalarial treatment worldwide.5 Chikungunya virus has re-emerged after 30 years, the spread of dengue is expanding geographically, and the impact of climate change on these vector-borne diseases is a matter of increasing concern. As many as 1.3 billion people in the region live in high-risk areas for malaria and dengue fever. The region alone bears 35% of the global burden of tuberculosis, 60% of lymphatic filariasis and 80% of leprosy cases.6 Fortunately, there is a high level of political commitment towards combating both old diseases as well as new and re-emerging ones. Successful examples include eradication of guinea-worm disease, elimination of yaws from India, excellent progress in tuberculosis control and in combating HIV. The opportunities for eliminating diseases such as visceral leishmaniasis are unique to this region. Though polio remains a lingering problem, enormous efforts are being made towards its eradication. Basic systems and human resources are in place and can be used to their full potential. Good work that is already underway needs to be documented and shared more widely. The WHO South-East Asia Region has been undergoing rapid economic development over the past few decades. While this has worked in favour of combating communicable diseases in terms of greater financial resources and priority given to health, it has had profound impact on communicable diseases in the context of globalization. The ease of international travel, population movement, urbanization, unplanned and unregulated developmental activities are all facilitating the spread of diseases, both within and across borders, thus threatening international health security. Furthermore, the economic growth has not been equitable and poor health is both a cause and consequence of non-inclusive growth.7 Innovative strategies are being implemented in the region to address these issues. The social insurance scheme in Thailand,8 national rural health mission in India,9 partnerships between the government and nongovernmental organizations in Bangladesh are just a few example of initiatives that governments are taking to address the concerns of the poor and to ensure equity and social justice in the health area. Core capacity is being built for early detection and rapid response to these new pathogens in the context of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Developing robust health delivery mechanisms is a key area for policy and research. WHO’s South-East Asia Region has a vibrant private health sector, including advanced pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, development and manufacturing capacity, which can be engaged towards further strengthening health services. Existing infrastructure can be used as a foundation to allow appropriate components of communicable disease control to be managed by primary health care. A theme issue of the Bulletin will provide a forum for sharing the region’s successes, and its future opportunities in disease control and research. The issue aims to foster greater international collaboration and partnership. Since the region has such a high communicable disease burden and risk, greater investment and collaboration will benefit not only the communities it serves but the entire world. The deadline for submissions to this issue is 1 June 2009. Manuscripts should be submitted to: http://submit.bwho.org and should respect the Guidelines for Contributors, available at: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/84/current_guidelines/en/index.html. They should be accompanied by a cover letter mentioning this call for papers. All submissions will go through the Bulletin’s peer review process. ■

NGOs in Bangladesh: Activities, resources, and governance

Summary This paper reports results from one of the first large, nationally representative surveys of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a developing country. The NGO sector in Bangladesh is highly organized and relatively homogeneous. Most NGOs utilize a branch and headquarters structure in which branches have limited autonomy from headquarters. At the branch level, most NGOs in the country, whether big or small, focus on credit services, derive more of their income from fees for services than from grants, rely on salaried rather than voluntary staff, keep detailed financial accounts that are externally audited, and hire middle-class college educated men as managers. The convergence to a modal institutional form probably is the result of the persuasive power of ideas, sociological pressures toward acculturation and conformity, as well as material incentives.

New Public Management, Service Provision and Non-Governmental Organizations in Bangladesh

New public management (NPM) is now a universal phenomenon dominating the reform agenda of all countries. Bangladesh is no exception. Following the dismal performance of the state-led development the old paradigm of public sector has come under scrutiny. There is now a call for a minimal government. The scale of operations and the role of the government have to be drastically reduced to focus on core functions. In doing so, this will pave the way for the private sector and the civil society organizations to undertake developmental responsibilities in their areas of expertise. This article is an attempt to analyze the significant role played by Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in rural development service provisions. It argues that the government has to share the developmental responsibilities with NGOs, which have proved their potential in reaching the target population and that an effective partnership is a sine qua non for the meaningful rural development in Bangladesh.

Information Systems and Nongovernmental Development Organizations: Advocacy, Organizational Learning, and Accountability

This article highlights a set of critical issues for information systems research that can be fruitfully explored through the study of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in developing countries. At the same time, the article argues that research on development NGOs needs to draw more fully on the study of information systems. A case study of the Association for Credit and Empowerment (ACE), a large NGO in Bangladesh that is currently reviewing its information management systems, forms the main part of the article. Our analysis identifies contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of information systems and the overall management of NGOs.

The Paradox of Sustainability: Reflections on NGOs in Bangladesh

Drawing on research from Bangladesh, this article questions the dominance of a narrow view of sustainability that rests predominantly on financial considerations. The push for financial sustainability has produced ambiguous results and, more important, has also introduced a degree of uncertainty into the relationship nongovernmental organizations maintain with their members. This article will argue that in the context of Bangladesh, an accurate notion of sustainability rests more on social and political considerations than on economic ones. Fundamental tensions exist between social/political and economic considerations, and paradoxically, the relentless pursuit of one may undermine efforts to establish the other. The article therefore seeks to subject the logic and validity of efforts to promote sustainability among nongovernmental organizations in Bangladesh to theoretical and empirical scrutiny.

Distant voices: the views of the field workers of NGOs in Bangladesh on microcredit

Recently, microcredit has become a fashionable cure‐all for most non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh. The provision of services to the poor is by definition always difficult, and even NGOs have problems. NGOs in Bangladesh define the poor in different ways when creating their target groups. The policies of nearly all NGOs in Bangladesh are formulated by their senior managers, and field workers are rarely consulted. This paper will explore the opinions on microcredit of selected field workers of four types of NGOs in Bangladesh – on how the problem of microcredit might be solved. Problems of microcredit programmes, they say, include non‐accessibility to the poorest, low return, misuse and overemphasis on repayment. Field workers discuss what level of importance should be given to microcredit as against services like education, health or awareness creation. Most conclude that NGOs are overemphasizing microcredit, which leaves little time and few resources for other problems of the poor, so bringing the whole ‘development’ effort of the NGOs into question. Most field workers think that many microenterprises are not sustainable and that in many cases clients will remain dependent on the NGOs for credit.

NGOs and Civil Society: (Un)stated Contradictions

While nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are recognized for the important role they play in development planning, particularly as sites for democratic change, little attention is given to how they prefigure the economic and social reorganization of everyday life and provide a venue for privatization and the liberalization of previously nationalized economies. This article examines the transformation of NGOs in Bangladesh since independence against the backdrop of struggles between NGOs and the conservative religious party, Jama'at-I-Islami. Highlighting the competing interests of the donor community and a heterogeneous cadre of development workers, the contradictory interests and outcomes of NGO activities are identified in the context of the neoliberal agenda of contemporary development assistance. As women mark the politics of both the Jama'at-I-Islami and the NGOs, they provide a crucial empirical referent for observing the transformation of civil society, or the space “between the state and its citizens,” in contemporary Bangladesh.