[WSIS CS-Plenary] FW: Spine chilling BIJF’s report on Shidhulai Swnirvar Sangstha (Bangladesh)

[Hamidur Rahman]

Spine chilling BIJF’s report on Shidhulai Swnirvar Sangstha( Bangladesh)Shahidul K K ShuvraEvery tool of info-tech is attached to transparency and it is one of the shields to protect society from the invasion of corruption. Many IT pioneers often have roundtable discussions favouring eGovernance for urging the nation to be corruption free. They regularly express determination against wrongdoing via ICTs. Unfortunately, some recent news make us doubt on the sincerity of a few IT organisations. So far IT journalists, who have computer background, besides practice of journa! lism, are eagerly promoting the ICT sector. Some fantastic reports by them brought blessings to many IT bodies. But the current scenario is not the same as it was once. The tone of info-tech writers has been changing strikingly.Some promising IT journalists from different daily Bangla and English newspapers, IT magazines and agency made a body in 2002 called Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF). All of members are young but talented in the boarder perspective. Now they have developed professional skills in the new field of journalism, which is popularly known as IT journalism.    Members of BIJF are committed to keep their pen inviolate against corruption. So a few months ago almost every member got a letter from a member of BASIS. A few days before a meeting of BASIS that gentleman attached Bangla and English files with his well-written letter of request to the journalists. As a witness he narrated how the software think tank has been involved in corruption. A simple cashier cannot illegally channel out 20 lakh Taka gradually without help of BASIS board of directors. He also informed the journalists about the misappropriation of EEF fund of Bangladesh Bank by some unscrupulous members of the software trade body. He requested the journalists to carry out an investigation of the manipulation of the EEF fund and how it made some unscrupulous IT entrepreneurs rich instead enriching our software industry.Another hot topic over the Net was an informative discussion on SHIDHULAI SWNIRVAR SANGSTHA. Debates and discussions of several yahoo groups inspired the six members of BIJF to visit the project sites of the NGO in three groups. After the massive investigation, they released a 2,726 word report to the IT newsmen of all newspapers as well as info-tech based organisations. The investigative report surprised me a lot. I was reading the report with hair rising suspense.     I knew the executive director of SHIDHULAI  SWNIRVAR SANGSTHA had won three international prestigious awards for outstanding contribution in teaching under privileged students how to use the computer. One award was from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) named Equator Prize and another prize was given by Ashden Trust called Ashden Award, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT), UK. The executive director received one of the awards from ex-vice president of US Al Gore.  Prize money of the awards was more than one million dollars. In the context of Bangladesh the money is not a joke. How much tax did the award winner pay? What is the National Board of Revenue doing?    The winning of several international awards drew attention of many ICT related organisations as well as ICT journalists. I think receiving such awards was suicidal for the NGO because it pushed the people to see what the NGO is actually doing. By receiving many covetous awards the NGO itself opened the Pandora box to the people.       According to the claim of the NGO 88 boats are delivering its services. Among the 88 boats, 15 boats are been using as floating classrooms; 24 boats have library facilities, 10 boats are serving mobile education and information centres, 30 boats include charging stations which can charge 60-120 batteries for small solar-home-systems (SHS), and 60 to 120 portable solar lanterns and nine boats are used for health care and many more services.But BIJF investigation found the NGO had highly exaggerated its activities. It did nothing compared to its superficial claims. People of the NGO project area of Chalanbeel do not know much about its functions. Details are narrated exclusively in the BIJF report. News and columns on the basis of the report were published in some newspaper and also posted over the Net. Thanks to the members of BIJF who visited every nook and cranny of the NGO’s project periphery.Blame should be also shared by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ashden Trust, the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT), UK because inefficiently they selected the wrong man for the awards. How can they only rely on a few newspaper reports for awarding people? They should have monitoring team even at the grass root levels for selecting the right person for an award. Actually giving recognition to a dishonest man is one of the great hindrances to our development. Real organisations or persons cannot get a chance to go to funding, charity and other developing bodies while some of the dishonest men somehow set up good connection with them.           So far the outcome from ICT sector is not satisfactory, even after some contribution of a small number of individuals and organisations. Since 1990s we were expecting many success stories from the sector. But still the sector is lagging behind for some problems. So checking corruption is very much needed for the benefits of ICT sector.Caption- Members of BIJF found three underconstruction boats and one boat, which was locked.   
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Shahidul K K ShuvraIn-charge of IT and Science pages The Independent 01715245459 
 
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I am Dr. Hamidur Rahman working with USA based think 
Anti Corruption Trust, CA
 
 
 
 
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