Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The cooperative movement began in Europe in the nineteenth century, primarily in England and France. The industrial revolution and the increasing mechanization of the economy transformed society and threatened the livelihoods of many workers.
The start of the 19th century in the UK was an age of child labor, exploitation and poverty. Those who failed to find work in the new factories were forced to rely on meager parish relief for the poor or to starve. By the early 1800’s, food prices were high and wages were being reduced. Much of the population suffered extreme poverty and deprivation.
Today the Co-operative Principles are successfully applied throughout the world to a vast array of co-operative enterprises, farming co-operatives, fishing co-operatives, credit unions, retail co-operatives, manufacturing co-operatives, even co-operatives providing internet access services.
Once co-operative was the most bright and shining sector in Bangladesh.
Co-operative was identified as the tested tool for poverty alleviation, to mitigate unemployment and finally it was considered to be a means of socio-economic development.
In 2012-2013 many Co-operative institution and their valuable infra-structures were demolished by the attack of cyclonic storm like sidr. About 50 lacs of self employed Co-operative entrepreneurs became unemployed, By looses, about 50 millions of deposit holder’s turned to helpless. No other sector was badly affected like Co-operative since the inception of independence.
The misery of the entrepreneurs knew no bounds, They are facing the miserable condition which is unprecedented in history of Bangladesh. Many of them are hiding. Many are in prison cell and a good number has been passing very in human life. In this sector, the picture is very terrible. It is beyond imagination.
Once it was very glorious, imaging and very colourful. By the idea of Co-operative many marginal farmers, potters, blacksmiths, Rickshaw-puller and other low income occupational person maintained their livelihood.
Today the condition is quite reversal. They are living from hand to mouth and live a life in humiliation and distress.
They have taken an absconding life. But why? Is Co-operative an upstart organization? Co-operative is a name of world wide established organization. Many countries in the world have been upgraded with the help of Co-operative management.
The lions share of economy in their countries are controlled by Co-operative system. In those countries the Co-operative banking system is in parallel line with the prevailing customized bank system.
In our neighboring country, the system is running with its glory. In our country it started its journey and activities with good-will and good name and fame.
Co-operative financial system was recognized through our post independence constitution.
After independence, the first govt. of Bangladesh approved 37 Co-operative Banks in 1973-74. In Bangladesh, there is a Co-operative Ministry, under which the Co-operative Directorate is controlling its 64 administration and as well as all the upzilla. Under this Directorate, there are thousands and thousands of employees working.
People were being motivated to implement its motto and mission. The youths are also being illuminated by the message of Co-operatives.
The Co-operative clubs or societies have been given the authority and registration. There are acts and rules for Co-operatives. Despite these prevailing rules, code and ethics the Co-operatives are declining and defaming its established image. The sector is going to be doomed and damaged.
Many factors are affecting it. Today, the multinational companies, NGOs had negative impact on the existing Co-operative societies. More over, this sector is given less attention from top echelon of its management. Besides, there were mismanagements, mistrusts, irregularities to control its mechanism. Above all, there is the leadership problem to handle it properly. We all know that the prime role of Bangladesh Ansar VDP is to ensure the socio-economic condition and public security. In order to augment the socio-economic condition of grass root level low and mid-level income group.
Govt. was very cordial to organize rural co-operatives by Ansar VDP volunteers. In the decade of 1980’s Ansar organization took a very challenging initiative to organize co-operative in their own way in co-ordination with co-operative Department. With this end in view Bangladesh Ansar VDP could launch a massive program of local societies with their volunteers. At that time as many as 10 thousand club and societies flourished in the country.
The clubs and societies became the centre of rural development under the banner of co-operative ideas.
Many projects were undertaken to fulfill the goal of marginal people living in the villages. At present those projects are non functioning. They are dead projects now.
No accountability, responsibilities and transparency is hardly seen in this sector. The interested group of the society has badly influenced to stop the project activities and deadlock situation has been created with a bad intention to hinder the progress.
The Department of Cooperatives (DoC) and co-operative societies under the regulatory body are now involved in irregularities like other institutions of the government. Especially, most of the cooperative societies established under the government patronization are now inactive although they have huge properties.
There is an allegation that a section of people are misappropriating the properties, and the common cooperators are not being benefited from the societies.
But if we want to make the sector effectively functional and free from corruption it would have reduced dependency on foreign aid and contributed to a sustainable economy, creating huge employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has unveiled the findings of the study ‘Cooperatives Management: Challenges of good government and way forward’.
The study reveals that there are about 186,199 cooperatives in the country and of them, 47 percent of cooperatives are dysfunctional due to the existing various limitations of regulatory and supervising bodies and internal problems of the cooperatives.
In conclusion, it can be said that employment generation and poverty alleviation need to be focused to build up a self-reliant Bangladesh through the cooperatives movement. So, building up an honest and skilled administration is necessary in every cooperative to achieve desired results. The government should take proper initiatives in a bid to increase public-cooperative partnership in different development activities and enacting laws to boost the country’s cooperative sector.
