The Hague 14 November 2009

The International Conference on “Engaging Diaspora as Development Partners: Migration and Remittance” was a unique effort of BASUG-Bangladesh Support Group, a Netherlands-based Diaspora organization with representations in a number of European countries and Bangladesh. It has succeeded in blending serious discussion on challenging issues of engaging expatriates to national development with presenting snapshots of rich cultural heritage of Bangladeshi Diaspora in the Netherlands. The Conference had a cultural evening that complemented discussions during the day.

The Conference and Bangladesh Diaspora Day were...
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Interview:

Advocate Tarana Halim, Bangladesh Women Parliament Member

Click here to read the interview as published in the newspaper

Bangladesh for the first time witnessed a record number of women candidates participating in the country’s national elections in December 2008. In all 53 women candidates contested the polls. Out of them 20 (38%) were elected to the 300-member 9th Parliament of Bangladesh. It may be mentioned that highest number of nomination came from the ruling Awami League (22 or 6.45%) while from Bangladesh Nationalist Party it was (20 or 2.30%) and Jatiya Party (JP) (10 or 3.98%). none of the Islamic parties, including Bangladesh Jamate Islami, a partner of the BNP-led alliance nominated any female candidate. Only six women from th...
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-International Migrants Day 2009 observed-

Migrants are still vulnerable to abuses across the globe

The Netherlands: In observance of the “International Migrants Day” on 18 December the Netherlands-based migrants’ platform, DFD- Diaspora Forum for Development – organised a Dialogue between the migrant organisations and civil society at Utrecht city last Friday. It may be mentioned here that DFD is a platform of 40 migrant organisations from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe active in the Netherlands. Speakers at the dialogue reaffirmed their commitment to remain vocal and active to ensure the rights of more than 200 million migrants across the globe and their family members at home. They said, the governments –both at receiving and sending ends - sho...
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Bangladesh Diaspora Day 2009 & International Conference

Date: 14 November 2009
Venue: Mondriaan Onderwijs Auditorium | Kon. Marialaan 9 | The Hague
Time Conference: 12.30 - 17.00
Time Cultural Evening: 18.00 - 21.00 (Ticket online €5,- | at the hall €7,-)

As a part of the on-going Remittance Project, BASUG- Bangladesh Support Group is going to organise an international conference on ‘Engaging Diaspora as Development Partners: Migration and Remittance’ and ‘Bangladesh Diaspora Day’ on Saturday 14 November 2009 in The Hague. Supported by Oxfam Novib the project is being implemented by BASUG in the Netherlands and the U.K. while its partner organisation, INAFI- Bangladesh (International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions) has...
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BASUG Financial Literacy Training in the Hague
Ambassador lauded the initiative: participants want more training

BASUG organised financial literacy training for the Bangladeshi migrants living in the Netherlands on 5 September at its conference room in the Hague. Supported by Oxfam Novib and in collaboration with its partner organisation, INAFI Bangladesh, the training was aimed at making the Bangladeshi migrants aware of formal channel of remittances transfer; equip the remittance senders with adequate knowledge and skill on how to identify their financial position, define financial goals and familiarise them with different financial products including productive investment opportunities in small and medium social enterprises back at home.

(Photo: Bangladesh ambassador Mizanur Rahma...
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BASUG’s Financial Literacy training held in London

London: As part of the on-going project “Harnessing Development Potential of Migration: Enhance Formal Channel of Remittances Transfer and Productive Investment of Remittances” the UK chapter of BASUG organised a similar training for the Bangladeshi migrants in London on 3 September 2009. At the London seminar Bangladesh High Commission Commercial Counsellor, A H M Ahsan, Sonali Bank Compliance Officer & MLRO, Colin Walsh and Richard Boulter, who had recently returned from working in Bangladesh as the Deputy Head of the DFID Programme and other local-central government representatives with remittance experts spoke and took part in the discussion. A presentation was made by Remittance expert, Rashed Al Hasan, Proj...
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EC-UN Project BASUG now in Sri Lanka with Remittance Project

BASUG has been implementing the EC-UN project titled ‘Leveraging Remittances for Socio-economic Development in Sri Lanka’. The project is being implemented by a consortium of three organisations, namely, BASUG, INAFI Bangladesh and Sri Lanka-based organisation, SEEDS. BASUG is the lead organisation of this on-going project.

The objectives of the project among others are: advocacy on formal channel of remittance transfer both in country of origin and country of destination; conduct financial literacy training, offer enterprise development training and business development services to the remittance recipient families and link the enterprise of remittance recipient families with microfinance institutions (MFIs) an...
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BASUG-INAFI conference on ‘Remittance and Migration’ in
Dhaka held: Documentary film on ‘Remittance’ launched

Dhaka: As part of the on-going Remittance project, a workshop was held at BRAC Centre in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh on 29 July 2009. Organised jointly by BASUG and its partner organisation, INAFI Bangladesh with support from Oxfam Novib, the workshop titled “Harnessing development potential of migrants: Enhance formal channel of remittance transfer and productive investment of remittances” was attended by different stakeholders

(Photo: INAFI Bangladesh Executive Director Atiqun Nabi speaking at the workshop. Sitting from left are: BASUG President Bikash Chowdhury Barua, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiar Rahman and Country...
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BASUG Project nominated by EC-UN Joint Initiative Showcased in Brussels Knowlegde Fair

The on-going 2-years project of BASUG in Bangladesh “Ensure development for vulnerable and underprivileged women in Bangladesh” was nominated by the European Commission-United Nations Joint Migration and Development Initiative as one of the Best Practices and was showcased at the first “Migration for Development Knowledge Fair” at the Musee du Cinquantenaire in Brussels from 1- 4 December 2008. The project is being funded by Seva Network Foundation and Zwarte Zaken Vrouwen Nederland.

The objective of this project is to increase women’s participation in decision making processes within the family and within the community, in view of working towards a gender balanced s...
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BASUG reports Violence Against Women & Child Marriage

“…. In the last five year and two months women were the most vulnerable group in Bangladesh that witnessed an alarming increase in human rights violations. From 1 January 2001 to 28 February 2006, a total of 5217 women and children were raped across the country. Among them 614 women were killed after rape 61 women committed suicide after being violated. Besides 1575 women were found to be the victim of dowry extortion related violence. Of them 1009 women were killed , 420 were brutally tortured, 55 were burned with acid, 84 committed suicide and 7 were divorced due to dowry related reasons…”(Source:. Odhikar, a human rights organisation press release on violence against women on the occasion of Interna...
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