While a large portion of Bangladesh's current state of progress can be chalked up to both the government and our thriving private sector, the work done by various non-government organizations and charitable organizations cannot be ignored.
Such organizations have been pivotal in helping push Bangladesh forward from the very beginning, as they can oftentimes reach areas and people in a swift manner that government officials, bogged down by bureaucracy, often cannot.
However, it is incredibly important for non-profits which rely primarily on public donations to carry out their operations to be as transparent as possible with the funds received in terms of how it is used. It should not require donors to go through hoops to find out how their donations are being spent or, as it has been in the recent case with Bidyanando, need a legal notice to be sent to such companies' leadership.
The importance of non-profit NGOs cannot be over-stressed, especially in the context of a country like Bangladesh where a vast majority of the population rely on the good work being done by these companies to get by. But that is exactly why it is all the more important for such entities to be transparent about the way they spend donors' money.
We must make it clear that this is not a call to restrict NGOs, which the administration has tried to do in the past through problematic laws such as the Foreign Donations Regulation Bill.
Bangladesh owes a debt of gratitude to the many NGOs and charities which tirelessly work to help those in need, but they must do so with accountability. Otherwise, it would be incredibly easy for fraudsters to occupy this space and swindle the public out of their money.
