Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is expressing its deep concern over the NGO Affairs Bureau’s (NGOAB) decision to cancel a project of Odhikar titling “Human Rights Defenders Training and Advocacy Program in Bangladesh”. The project activities were underway after getting due approval from the NGOAB. The cancellation letter issued by the NGOAB mentioned that upon the objection from the Home Ministry, they decided to cancel the same. Being fully aware of such right of the NGOAB to cancel projects, we would like to know the reason for such action, which we think is the right of the project holders as well as the general public. NGOs working in Bangladesh have to submit each and every project with detailed information to the NGOAB for approval. NGOAB then sends the proposal to relevant Ministries and only after getting clearance from them they issue the approval letter. The above-mentioned project must have gone through the same required procedure. The way the project was cancelled after a couple of months of starting of the same calls for an explanation by the authorities to the people.

As a Human Rights organization, ASK strongly demands that the position of NGOAB is clarified immediately and made public.

Sultana Kamal
Executive Director