Who will stand for them?

I went through a search at google writing ‘numbers of NGOs in Bangladesh’. The result came out with a variety as usual as google. The gist of the result I summarized and that stood not less than 2550, the number of NGOs working in Bangladesh. This number is only for the NGO Bureau registered. If I calculate the number of district-level NGOs who are working without NGO Bureau registration that number will definitely amazing. Except for all the critical calculations, my easy number went so: 64 district x 1000 = 64000 NGOs working in Bangladesh.

Let us have an idea about the number of staff working in the existing NGOs in Bangladesh. As per my google search result, only the top 10 NGOs of Bangladesh have almost half a million staff. My imagination permitted me to multiply by 4 to have an idea about the total numbers of NGO staff in Bangladesh. I had some logic to imagine such a number where there is only 10 NGOs contained more or less half a million staff. I will write about the staff numbers of NGOs in another article.

Most of the NGO Leaders are socially and economically sound and established. By dint of their personal effort, they have also tried to establish their NGO in a sustainable condition. Hopefully, my tension about the COVID 19 effect will not touch the NGOs. I also expect so.

When I listed the activities being implemented by the NGOs, that really hurt me. Most of the NGOs are running microcredit programs as the source of income for their sustainability. The COVID-19 has significantly hampered the income and economy of the lower-income people. It is remarkable that the lower-income group is the main target customer of the microcredit program.

So, what will be the result? Will the NGOs close the microcredit program? The answer will definitely be, ‘NO’. So, what will they do? They will redesign the program. In some cases, they will go for staff reduction.

I will request my readers to take a look on the regular livelihood of the NGO workers in Bangladesh. Except for very few NGOs, most of the NGOs do not provide any service benefits to their workers. This mentioned service benefit may include; provident fund, gratuity, risk-benefit, death benefit etc. Once upon a time, NGO workers used to get three times salary than a similar level government worker. But now a days, a government employee of Bangladesh are getting almost three times salary than a similar level NGO worker. In very few cases there are the difference. But the difference can never be an example.

Reasonably, NGO workers have to maintain a lower-middle-class livelihood in society. The serious thing is going to take place in the coming days. Today, when I am writing the article (9 May 2020), is accurately mid of Ramadan. Most of the NGO workers have not got their salary of the previous month yet, let alone the scope of Eid-Bonus. In some cases, they are in risk of losing their job.

In some other professions, the workers can form agitation for their salary, benefit, job etc. The main reason is that they are united through trade unions. What will be the address of the NGO workers? Will they lose their jobs silently? Who will stand for them?

God? Only God!!!