Govt to impose registration on foreign NGOs
Thursday, 23 April 2009
The government will not in future allow any foreign NGO to work in Bangladesh without first registering here, said social welfare minister Enamul Haq Mostafa Shaheed on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.
The minister also said the government was suspicious of the activities of "some Middle East-based NGOs" in Bangladesh,
"Many of them established themselves here in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The government doesn't want to aggravate them but is trying to bring them under proper regulation," he told reporters at the secretariat.
He said the government had taken steps to form a social security council, a single body to register, monitor and regulate NGOs.
"We will not allow any foreign-registered NGOs to operate in the country. They'll only be allowed to operate after registering here," said the minister.
He said some 175,000 NGOs were registered across the country under the social welfare ministry, women and children affairs ministry, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, social services directorate and NGO Bureau.
"Some 25 percent of those registered under the social welfare ministry have been barred from their operations and their registration might be cancelled," said Shaheed.
Other active NGOs will have to register afresh under the proposed social security council, he said
"We have already sent letters to the women and children affairs ministry, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, social services directorate and NGO Bureau," he said.
"We have also asked them for information on the funding and activities of NGOs for review," said the minister.
"If any anomalies are found against any NGO, we will take stringent action against them and all others will only be able to operate after fresh registration" he said.
The proposed council will be finalised before the next budget, said Shaheed.
The minister said the proposal had been sent to the prime minister and would go on to the cabinet for approval before passage by parliament.
The minister also said the government was suspicious of the activities of "some Middle East-based NGOs" in Bangladesh,
"Many of them established themselves here in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The government doesn't want to aggravate them but is trying to bring them under proper regulation," he told reporters at the secretariat.
He said the government had taken steps to form a social security council, a single body to register, monitor and regulate NGOs.
"We will not allow any foreign-registered NGOs to operate in the country. They'll only be allowed to operate after registering here," said the minister.
He said some 175,000 NGOs were registered across the country under the social welfare ministry, women and children affairs ministry, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, social services directorate and NGO Bureau.
"Some 25 percent of those registered under the social welfare ministry have been barred from their operations and their registration might be cancelled," said Shaheed.
Other active NGOs will have to register afresh under the proposed social security council, he said
"We have already sent letters to the women and children affairs ministry, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, social services directorate and NGO Bureau," he said.
"We have also asked them for information on the funding and activities of NGOs for review," said the minister.
"If any anomalies are found against any NGO, we will take stringent action against them and all others will only be able to operate after fresh registration" he said.
The proposed council will be finalised before the next budget, said Shaheed.
The minister said the proposal had been sent to the prime minister and would go on to the cabinet for approval before passage by parliament.