The Department of Women Affairs, Sirajganj has allocated Tk1.5 crore to 160 women welfare organisations in the last five years with a view to uplift the status of women in the society, but now almost 90% of the organisations have no existence.
The organisations had registered their names in the list of Department of Women Affairs to get government’s grant.
Normally, the Bangladesh Mohila Kollyan Parishad, district administration, the Department of Women Affairs and Women and Children’s Affairs Ministry scrutinise the information provided by the organisations before providing the grant.
It is alleged that leaders of Bangladesh Mohila Kollyan Parishad and employees of Department of Women Affairs are involved in the illegal business.
Most of the accused are involved with politics of the ruling party, local sources said. The women affairs’ department allocated Tk2,090,000 to 102 organisations while it was proposed to raise the allocation to Tk20, 00000 in the current fiscal year.
During a visit to some areas, it was revealed that around 50 organisations which are supposed to have offices at Sirajganj Sadar, Kazipur, Ullapara, Belkuchi and Kamakhando upazilas, have no existence.
Sokhina Talukder, wife of former Awami League president Motahar Hossain, had started ‘Gozaria Mohila Kollyan Samity’ at Gozaria village.
After her death, her daughter-in-law Jannat-Ara-Talukder Henri, also a leader of AL had become president of the organisations and took government allocations several times. But, the organisation is now hardly functioning.
Many leaders of the ruling party and wives of many leaders have got the allocation in the name of running women’s welfare organisations.
But, deferring with the allegations, these leaders said they had started their organisations after getting the allocation, but they were compelled to shut down because of many unseen obstacles.
Moreover, many of them expressed hope that they would start operating the cooperatives soon.
Fatima Al Ashraf, programme officer of Sirajganj District Department of Women Affairs, said: “To get grants, women leaders set up the organisations attractively, once they get allocations, there is no trace of them.”
Laila Nagis Begum, district women affairs’ officer, said after making the list, they send it to Dhaka. Later, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Department of Women Affairs and Bangladesh Mohila Kollyan Samity grant the allocation. She said they had visited 20 offices of the organisations two months back, but of them, 16 organisation have no activities. The organisations were issued warnings, she added.
Jannat-Ara-Talukder Henri, member of Bangladesh Mohila Kollyan Parishad, Rajshahi region, and president for forest and environment affairs of Women Awami League, central committee, said the department of women affairs mainly created the list of the organisations.
“Then we send the list to women’s ministry through district administration,” she said, adding that about 10 out of 160 organisations are now functioning.
About her organisation, she said, “I have become busy with politics. I will soon start operation of the organisation.”
Ashraf Hossain, director general of the Department of Women Affairs, they would take actions after getting specific allegations.
