OBJECTIVE: The objective of the Foundation shall be to promote
development of the Bangladeshi-American community. Activities
of the Foundation shall include:
·
Organizing regular events,
including a BANGLADESH DAY, to recognize and
encourage community achievements, and to promote
Bangladeshi culture.
· Providing resource persons for guidance and
inspiration of the community's youth.
· Providing emergency assistance and scholarships to
mostly the Bangladeshi-American community members.
· Facilitating information exchange on, and between,
communities in the US and Bangladesh.
· Establishing a network of Bangladesh Community
Centers, run by professional management, in major centers
of the community, for: encouraging a spirit of dedication, friendship, service and
benevolence among members; sponsoring, coordinating, and facilitating various social,
educational and cultural activities, including maintaining on-line services and promoting
youth exchanges between Bangladesh and other countries; and, providing residential
accommodation-cum-catering for students and visiting members.
· Raising funds for development projects and programs
for the poor and vulnerable in Bangladesh.
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERSHIP
CATEGORIES: Membership shall be regular or associate in the Individual, Family,
Organization and Corporate categories. Only regular members shall have voting rights, and
children under the age of 16 years of an individual or family member shall automatically
become an associate member.
INDIVIDUAL
membership shall consist of an individual of 16 years old or over; FAMILY,
spouses and children under the age of sixteen; ORGANIZATION, any
non-profit organization or association; and CORPORATE, any
registered business irrespective of size.
ARTICLE
IV
MEMBERSHIP
ELIGIBILITY: Membership is open to all, whether Bangladeshi-origin or not, and no
individual, family, business or non-profit organization shall be denied membership on the
basis of their race, ethnicity, or political and/or religious beliefs.
ARTICLE
V
MEMBERSHIP
FEES: The initial regular life membership fees are as follows: corporate, one
thousand (1,000) US dollars; non-profit organization, five hundred (500) dollars; family,
two hundred (200) dollars; and, individual, one hundred (100) dollars.
Dues-paying
associate membership fees, in all categories, shall be one-half of the applicable rates
for regular members. In the case of bona fide
students, the associate membership fees shall be one-tenth the applicable rate for adults. All associate members shall have the right to
convert to regular membership by paying the fee difference prevailing at the time of
conversion.
ARTICLE
VI
MEMBERSHIP
PRIVILEGES: All regular life members shall have voting rights, provided at the
time of election they have been registered members for at least three (3) full calendar
months.
Regular and
associate members shall receive discounts on fee-paying services of the Foundation, such
as registration fees and other services to be provided under the network of Bangladesh
Community Centers.
ARTICLE
VII
COUNCIL
OF ADVISORS: The Board of Trustees shall appoint eminent persons to the Council of Advisors,
subject to confirmation by regular members at an Annual or Special General Meeting. The Advisors shall provide non-binding advice,
which the Board of Trustees may seek from time to time.
ARTICLE
VIII
BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
A Board of Trustees consisting of twelve (12) elected individuals from among the regular
members shall run the Foundation.
ARTICLE
IX
There shall
be no compensation or salary payments to Foundation members, members of the Board of
Trustees or the Council of Advisors.
ARTICLE
X
The
Foundation shall not be responsible for any individual action or obligation of its
members.
ARTICLE
XI
The
Constitution and/or the accompanying By-Laws may be amended by an eighty (80) percent
majority votes in which at least 67 percent of the Foundation's regular members
participate.
ARTICLE
XII
Sources
of financial support of the organization shall be membership fees, fund-raising, benefit
dinners, and donations.
ARTICLE
XIII
Annual
General Meetings shall be held each year.
