Bangladesh is a developing country today. It needs improvements in its infrastructure sector, its education sector, its human rights sector, and its economic sector. While the government is busy fulfilling its own personal agenda, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work on these ongoing issues in Bangladesh. NGOs have gained so much power and acknowledgment in Bangladesh that the government has become quite insignificant in the development process. One such NGO that has had a major impact on the development since the Liberation War of Bangladesh is BRAC, formerly known as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. Today BRAC is one of the largest non-governmental international organizations. It is known for its intensive work with women empowerment, education reform, construction, microfinance opportunities and much more. BRAC has been very successful in Bangladesh, thus is has expanded to other countries across the globe.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC after the Liberation War of 1971 in Bangladesh as a post-war relief organization. It started off in a district called Sylhet as an assistance program for refugees and the homeless. It helped rebuild homes of many and created health facilities. After being successful with his first project, Abed moves onto even more complex issues in Bangladesh. He starts focusing on long-term community development and microfinance for the poor. BRAC progressively became one of largest NGOs operating in Bangladesh. “It began working on poor, providing programs for education, leadership, entrepreneurship development, income generation activities such as poultry and livestock-rearing, fisheries, forestry, and handicrafts.” BRAC also has created programs for primary health care, family planning, informal primary education, and teacher training. (Haque 2002, 415) Although these programs aid the needy to its full ability, Haque (2002) argues that these programs also replace the obligations and responsibilities of the government. These programs are effective in rural areas of Bangladesh and Haque (2002) also argues that if NGOs like BRAC stop doing their job, then it is very unlikely for the government to take initiatives to reinstates these programs for the people.
BRAC’s goals have expanded since its first project in Sylhet. Today BRAC is still determined to empower people and communities, who suffer from poverty, illiteracy, and civil discrimination. It is focused on bringing about productive changes to the economy and as well as facilitate equality amongst men and women by comprehending their true potential. BRAC believes in four values: Innovation, Integrity, Inclusiveness, and Effectiveness.
BRAC continuously looks for innovative ways to pull the poor out of poverty. Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo (2011, 3) speak of Jeffrey Sachs, an adviser to the United Nations, who explains that “Poor countries are poor because they are hot, infertile, malaria infested, often landlocked; this makes it hard for them to be productive without an initial large investment to help them deal with these endemic problems. But they cannot pay for the investments precisely because they are poor—they are in what economists call a “poverty trap.”” He further goes to explain that unless these countries are given foreign aid, it will become difficult for these countries to develop.
When it comes to NGO’s records of financial expenses and donations can be very controversial in terms of corruption. In addition to finances, in order to gain recognition in the global market, many NGOs forget their main purpose. Cooley and Ron (2002) explain how many INGOs and NGOs derail from the actual mission of providing aid to gaining market recognition. One example that Cooley and Ron (2002) gives is the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where NGOs were competing amongst each other for contracts creating a hostile environment amidst them. However, this is not the case with BRAC. BRAC has proved its integrity and honesty through its sincere working ethics. With more than 100,000 employees across the globe today, BRAC is successful because of its decentralized organizational structure. It has multiple leaders focusing on the different sectors of BRAC while maintaining shared goals and principles.
BRAC has created many programs in its enterprises’ sectors, such as Aarong, and the Ayesha Abed Foundation (AAF). Tamara Abed, director of both programs, has been quite successful in creating the largest retail chain of lifestyle stores in Bangladesh. Aarong started off as a sericulture program in 1978 for women in rural areas. It gave them an opportunity to make extra income in their household. These women began creating embroidered quilts and other crafts, however, they did not have a sufficient amount buyers to purchase these handicrafts. Thus BRAC created a platform for these women to market and sell their handicrafts. After all expenses of production, the profit goes back to BRAC’s funding pool. Aarong gradually became a large handicraft company with the partnership of AAF supporting its artisans.
AAF centers are working hubs for the artisans that create the handicrafts for Aarong. The AAF has over ten main centers and over six hundred sub-centers for its artisans. The AAF centers provide materials and tools to the artisans to produce the handicrafts. The AAF also provides health care, daycare for working mothers of AAF, retirement plans for retirees.
Previously the AAF had received some criticism regarding its environmental. A research conducted by BRAC’s Research and Evaluation Division (RED) discovered that the sericulture program by AAF was emitting harmful substances into the environment. In a 1997 research, Akter, Rahman, and Chowdhury (1997, 7) explains that several of the activities in the sericulture, such as dyeing, block printing press, and weaving does not have reliable waste and harmful substances disposal management. In a case study by Akter et al (1997, 19) five of AAF centers in Bangladesh were tested for harmful substances and waste disposal. These researchers took samples of waters from lakes, and ponds near the AAF centers to test a number of harmful chemicals given off from the dyeing process, the weaving process and the block printing process. The excess water from the dyeing process is dumped into nearby lakes and ponds. Their findings show that workers did come into contact with chemicals while mixing dyes. The researchers observed that the dyes and pastes used in block printing emit strong smells, which causes eye irritations, gastrointestinal pains, ulcers, headaches, and burning skin. None of the employees used gloves or mask during these process. (1997)
During the monsoon season, water overflows from these polluted ponds thereby flooding neighboring fields, which house fishes and a variety of crops. Villagers have complained to AAF of how the chemicals from the wastewater have had a detrimental effect on their fisheries. According to Akter et al, AAF “pays a yearly compensation to neighbors whose ponds or fields are affected by waste from their activities.” (1997) This 1997 research concludes that AAF is in dire need of a waste treatment system.
Aside from AAF’s environmental issues, it also has some health issues that it may need to work on, particularly on its employees. In a case study, Akter et al (1997) find that some workers of the weaving and dyeing process do not receive sufficient health care nor are they trained or health, paralegal issues, and social awareness. When asked if this issue still occurs today Professor Ahmed responded yes. He further explained that although these amenities are available, workers are not paid to attend these meetings, and those who do go, lose time, thus a cut in their salary, which can be quite significant in a poor household.
In April 2006 Akter, Nasima returns with another researcher Rahman, Mizanur, with the most recent analysis of the AAF and its environmental issues. (Akter et al, 2006) They find that AAF has drastically improved on its waste management sector. AAF established an Effluent Water Treatment Plant (ETP) at its first and largest center in Manikganj. Another area has been made for solid waste and there now is an adequate ventilation system at the AAF centers. However, one thing that the researchers noticed was that the workers were not using protective gear while working. (2006) Otherwise, there have been great improvements since the last research conducted.
As a non-state actor, BRAC has quite successfully grown into a large international organization that is looked upon by many others. What I find so great is their RED program where they have researchers and field operators who investigate and examine if the work is being done, if the people are being helped, or if there are any issues or complaints from the people. GlobalGiving a platform for donors and non-state actors, also somewhat conducts similar research to see if the non-state actors they are associated with are doing their job with the funding they receive. However when asked, Chief Programming Officer of GlobalGiving, John Hecklinger said there are only a few field operators who travel the world to check on the thousands of projects associated with GlobalGiving. Considering a number of projects, it is quite surprising that there are only a few field operators checking on these projects.
On the contrary, BRAC as an independent international non-state actor has many research programs in its system trying to crack down any issues within the organization. BRAC’s organizational structure and methods of maintaining and innovating new ideas create a guideline for the government sector. Keck, M.E., and Sikkink, K claims (1999, 93) that the boomerang pattern occurs when the target of the transnational network is to change a state’s behavior. The boomerang pattern is visible in the case of BRAC because, the programs and projects that BRAC is doing and has done should have been by the government. Like it was mentioned earlier in this paper, the government is too busy carrying out its own personal agenda. BRAC is largely involved in the development sector of Bangladesh and its high time that Bangladesh government takes initiative on bringing people out of the poverty trap.
The growing power of BRAC is slowly diminishing the role of government ministries and agencies and sectors related to microfinance, livestock, fisheries, sanitation, basic education and health care. Haque (2002) explains that NGOs and the Bangladesh government have collaborative relations. The government uses it power to regulate the amount of funds an NGO receives, as well as terminate NGOs that are not in the best interest of the government. Despite the government trying to regulate and filter the actions on NGOs, NGOs such as BRAC have such an influential effect on the development sector making it a threat to government institutions in development. BRAC is engaged in directly advocating and lobbying for their respective objectives and policy agendas with the government. The direct work experience of BRAC with the poor gives them an additional leverage over the government to shape public opinion in favor promoting objectives and policies. (2002)
Although BRAC is one of the top INGOs, there is always room for improvement. BRAC should expand its AAF Centers in Bangladesh and its Aarong outlets globally. Aarong was previously in London, but due to poor management, the outlet was shut down. However, I believe that it should again expand into foreign countries and build an expatriate network for BRAC. By building an expatriate network, the foreign Bengali youths living abroad can be involved and stay connected to its native country.
Another recommendation that I have for BRAC is that it should implement strict safety procedures at its AAF centers. Employees should have guidelines they can follow when natural disasters occur or if a fire occurs. They should investigate the structure of the location their AAF centers are residing so that they can avoid any tragedies such as the Rana Plaza collapse of 2013.
On the other hand, the Bangladesh government can collaborate much more with NGOs such as BRAC, so that the outcome of projects are much greater and will create a bigger impact on the constituents on Bangladesh. If there are more funding and more power and force behind a project, the results will be phenomenal. The government should create safety laws and enforce strict penalties if not followed. These safety laws should consist of worker safety, construction safety, and environmental safety.
Looking at the amount of power NGOs hold, such as BRAC, the government falls quite short on its responsibility and duty toward its constituents. BRAC’s initiative with Aarong not only created a business franchise but empowered people, especially women of rural areas. In partnership with AAF, BRAC created a grassroots company, which not only provides these women jobs but also gives them the necessary care that every human being deserves. It provides health care, education, retiree benefits and much more to the employees of its AAF centers. Through Aarong, BRAC was able to maintain the rich Bengali culture through its rural artisans. BRAC was able to preserve the arts, encourage literacy, create programs to diminish poverty and ensure the safety of the many people associated with BRAC’s programs.
This research article was written in 2014.
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