Some provisions ‘repressive’
Twenty-four development and rights organisations yesterday expressed deep concerns over the proposed Voluntary Social Welfare Organisation (Registration and Control) Act-2019, saying some of its provisions are “repressive, ambiguous and contradictory”.
Issuing a joint statement, local and foreign organisations working in Bangladesh demanded that the government should change, correct or omit such provisions.
They also called upon the government authorities concerned to include stakeholders and experts to re-write the draft law before taking steps for its approval.
After analysing the draft law prepared by the social welfare ministry, they found that several of its provisions and sub-provisions will create huge obstacles to the activities of voluntary and social welfare organisations, says the statement.
Besides, there will be possibilities of misusing the law due to ambiguity of some provisions, sub-provisions and words, it says.
Provision 11 (1 and 2) of the draft law says a registered organisation will be abolished if it fails to renew its registration in due time every five years or if its application is rejected.
Provision 17 (1, 2, 3) says registration of an organisation can be cancelled based on “show cause” reports and the organisation will be abolished on the very day of cancelation.
Such provisions will put an undesirable end to organisations’ people-oriented activities, create risks of rights violation against the beneficiaries and employees, and scope for arbitrariness of regulatory bodies, which are not expected in any way, it further says.
Some of the signatories of the statement are: Brac, Nijera Kori, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Ain o Salish Kendra, Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh, Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh, Association for Land Reform and Development, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Campaign for Popular Education, Oxfam Bangladesh, ActionAid Bangladesh and Transparency International Bangladesh.
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