ARTICLE I: Business and Fiscal Year
BY LAW-1: The business and fiscal year of the Foundation shall be from January 1 to December 31.
ARTICLE II: Objectives
BY LAW-1: The Foundation shall organize an annual dinner and youth workshop(s) to recognize and promote achievements of the Bangladeshi-American community.
BY LAW-2: The Board of Trustees shall establish a Community Recognition Committee.
BY LAW-3: The Community Recognition Committee and appropriate Subcommittees shall make recommendations to the Board of Trustees, which shall make the final determination.
BY LAW-4: The Foundation shall recognize the following:
- Outstanding Youth: Graduates of high schools and degree programs, provided the individuals have been accorded the highest recognition of excellence by the institutions they attended in the preceding calendar year.
- Outstanding Professional: Professionals, including teachers and researchers for outstanding professional achievements, provided they have been so recognized in the preceding year by their institution or professional bodies.
- Outstanding Businessperson: Community members who have succeeded in business, provided they are Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) or Presidents of companies with at least US$100 (ONE HUNDRED) million gross revenues in the preceding year as of end-1998. Thereafter, the threshold amount shall be increased by a cumulative 10 percent per year.
- Outstanding Community Worker: Community members for their community services provided they are nominated by at least 20 Foundation members on an approved form and the nominators are unrelated to the nominee by blood or marriage. After receiving nomination, the Community Recognition Committee of the Foundation shall recommend both the eligibility and the year to recognize the nominated person(s).
- Other Categories of Recognition: To be determined by the Community Recognition Committee, in consultation with the Board of Trustees.
BY LAW-5: The Board of Trustees may name awards after an individual or organization in perpetuity, subject to approval. Minimum donation for such awards shall be at least US$10,000 (TEN THOUSAND) equivalent at end-1998, and thereafter increased by 20 percent per annum.
BY LAW-6: The Bangladesh Community Centers (henceforth, the Center(s)) shall be incorporated separately in each State. The cost of property acquisition and other physical investment will be funded by a specially established perpetual account of the Foundation.
BY LAW-7: The Board of Trustees shall determine the timing for land acquisition for each Center’s location and propose possible sites to members of the Foundation. However, the search for the first land acquisition shall not begin until there is at least US$500,000 in end-1998 prices in the Bangladesh Community Centers Account.
BY LAW-8: The location of a Center shall be determined by a simple majority vote of members with at least 51 percent participation from regular life members. For this purpose, the regular membership population shall be regarded as only those who participated in the preceding election for the Board of Trustees and who remain alive.
BY LAW-9: In proposing possible sites for the first Center location, the Board of Trustees shall be guided by the following principles: (a) that the location is easily accessible by motor vehicles for residents of Greater Washington, DC, area (b) that the land is suitable for at least two picnic shelters, an open air theater, one sufficiently large community meeting hall, and adequate parking space.
BY LAW-10: Once the Bangladesh Community Center in Greater Washington is fully operational, the Center shall start producing and airing cultural and educational programs for television and cyberspace.
BY LAW-11: After the first Center has been established, the Foundation shall establish future Centers in other areas of the United States where large concentrations of Bangladeshi-American reside. As new Centers are opened, they shall be designated to serve the community in a well-defined geographical area.
BY LAW-12: All Centers shall be run by professional (paid) staff, and administered to generate revenue surpluses. At least seventy-five percent of the annual excess revenues of each Center shall be transferred to the Foundation’s dedicated Fund for the establishment of Centers. Resources from this Fund shall finance all major capital improvement projects.
BY LAW-13: All Centers shall maintain a library on Bengali culture and literature, and all other aspects of Bangladesh. Those resources of the Centers amenable to on-line services shall be made accessible to Foundation members and other interested persons or institutions.
BY LAW-14: All Centers shall negotiate with their local educational establishments on using the Centers' facilities for educational instruction in, but not limited to, Bengali, English, Drama and TV Productions, religions, and subjects on information technology.
BY LAW-15: Public facilities of the Centers shall include meeting hall(s) and picnic shelters. These facilities shall be available to members and non-members for private use on an advance booking basis for fees determined by the Board of Trustees in consultation with each Center’s administration. Applicable fees for non-members shall be at least 20 percent above the fee rate determined for regular and associate members. Discounts for members shall be available only if membership has been effective for at least three (3) preceding full calendar months.
BY LAW-16: Each Center shall provide, upon acquiring its own premise, all assistance possible to the family of deceased persons of Bangladeshi origin, including transfer of the deceased to the burial place of the family's choice. Financial support towards this end shall come from the Community Assistance Accounts.
BY LAW-17: The Greater Washington-based Bangladesh Community Center shall provide Secretariat services on a cost-recovery basis, as determined by the Board of Trustees, to other non-profit organizations with similar objectives.
BY LAW-18: The Foundation shall open a Bangladesh Development Fund to undertake development activities to benefit the poor and vulnerable in Bangladesh. Towards this goal, the Foundation shall seek contributions from members and non-members and arrange special fund-raising events. The Board of Trustees shall announce in advance the precise manner in which funds are to be sent for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable in Bangladesh.
ARTICLE III: Voting Rights
BY LAW-1: Only regular members shall be eligible to vote on any issues, provided they are paid members for at least three (3) full calendar months.
BY LAW-2: All regular members shall have one (1) vote each, except family members shall have one (1) for each surviving spouse.
ARTICLE IV: Membership Fees
BY LAW-1: The Board of Trustees shall determine the membership fees for each category. Fees for associate membership shall be half the regular rate of the corresponding categories, except for bona fide students for whom the applicable rate shall be one-tenth the adult rate.
BY LAW-2: Life membership of the Foundation shall be non-transferable and be given in all four categories (individual, family, organization and corporate). The initial rate shall remain fixed until the end-1999, and thereafter according to the schedule then established by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE V: Election Commission and Board of Trustees
BY LAW-1: A three (3) member Election Commission, consisting of the Election Commissioner, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, and Deputy Election Commissioner, shall be elected from among Foundation members.
BY LAW-2: The first election of the Election Commission shall be held within three months of achieving 250 (TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY) regular members of the Foundation. The initial organizers of the Foundation shall receive nominations and votes. The position elected shall be the Election Commissioner, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, and Deputy Election Commissioner.
BY LAW-3: The terms of the Commission shall be for a period of six (6) years, and the Commissioners shall not be eligible for re-election for consecutive terms. In the event of resignation or otherwise incapacitation, Commissioners may be co-opted from the general membership, with simple majority consent from the Board of Trustees.
BY LAW-4: The first Election Commission shall coordinate the election process for the second Election Commission and thereafter all others. Procedures followed shall be according to Article V, BY LAW 6.
BY LAW-5: The first elected Commission shall seek nomination from regular members for the positions of four (4) Trustees-at-Large within a period of six (6) months of its own election. Thereafter, it shall organize election of four (4) more Trustees-at-Large at two year intervals.
BY LAW-6: Once all twelve (12) Trustees have been elected, the elected Trustees shall elect by a simple majority the Chairperson, Secretary, Joint secretary and Treasurer from the first cohorts for a period of two (2) years. This process shall continue with each cohort.
BY LAW-7: The election process for the Board of Trustees shall follow the procedure set-out below:
- The Election Commission shall receive nominations and determine whether the nominated persons are interested in participating in the election. If so, the Commission shall obtain written consent of each nominee and a short biographical write-up. The Commission shall provide appropriate format for these purposes and establish deadlines within which to provide all requested information; and
- The Commission shall then submit the ballot papers and biographical write-ups to the membership for votes.
BY LAW-8: For the purpose of ballot, postal, fax and other electronic balloting shall be acceptable from members unable to attend any meeting provided the votes reach the Election Commissioner 24 hours prior to a meeting.
BY LAW-9: The Board of Trustees shall be elected for a period of six (6) years, and only non-organization, non-corporate regular members shall be eligible to seek elective offices.
BY LAW-10: In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Election Commission shall co-opt Trustees first from among the candidates during the preceding election for the Trustees and then from among the general membership.
BY LAW-11: The Chairperson of the Board of Trustee shall chair the Board Meetings, and generally represent the organization to outside bodies and to the members.
BY LAW-12: The Trustee Secretary of the Board shall be second in precedence to the Chairperson, and shall carry out the Chairperson's function when authorized in writing by the Chairperson or otherwise authorized by a simple majority decision of the Board of Trustees, in case of the Chairperson's inability to function.
BY LAW-13: The Trustee Secretary shall be responsible also for:
- All administrative matters including keeping minutes of Board and General Meetings, and coordination in the execution of Board decisions.
- Preparation and presentation of the Annual Report, which shall include comprehensive lists of (i) all members and donors, by name, address, amount and date; and (ii) names of fund-raisers by events, location, date and amount of funds raised.
- Issuing quarterly press release relating to a statement of financial assets of the Foundation.
BY LAW-14: The Trustee Joint-Secretary shall assist the Secretary and act as the Secretary when authorized in writing by the Secretary or otherwise authorized by a simple majority decision of the Board of Trustees.
BY LAW-15: The Treasurer shall maintain the Foundation's financial accounts, co-sign with the Chairperson all checks issued by the Foundation, and present the auditors report at the annual general meeting.
BY LAW-16: Trustees may be re-elected.
BY LAW-17: The Board of Trustees shall appoint eminent persons on a Council of Advisors, subject to confirmation by a simple majority of regular members at a General meeting.
BY LAW-18: An eighty (80) percent majority or more of the vote cast with at least 67 percent participation by regular life members may remove any or all Trustees.
BY LAW-19: To facilitate activities of the Foundation, the Election Commission may co-opt unelected Trustees- At-Large in different States after consultations with the Board of Trustees. Until the Election Commission is elected, this role shall be exercised by the Founding Chairperson of the Foundation.
BY LAW-20: Special events and/or activities of the Foundation that involve other international and/or local organization shall be arranged by a special committee appointed by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Trustees with at least one Trustee on such a committee.
BY LAW-21: Any controversy arising from the formation and/or activities of such a special committee shall be referred to a general membership meeting, which could be through electronic communication, for discussion and disposal. The Election Commission shall coordinate this.
BY LAW-22: The Election Commission shall appoint annual auditor(s).
ARTICLE IX: Investment
BY LAW-1: The Foundation shall invest funds of the Bangladesh Community Centers Account, with no more than 50 (FIFTY) percent invested in growth stocks and most of the balance in a balanced mutual fund in US dollars.
ARTICLE X: Meetings
BY LAW-1: In addition to the Annual General Meeting, the Board of Trustees shall meet at least once a quarter. A special meeting of the Board shall be convened if requested by 5 (FIVE) elected members of the Board of Trustees or 67 (SIXTY-SEVEN) percent of the regular members of the Foundation. Meetings may take place electronically and through other means of communication. However, the Election Commissioners shall coordinate such special meetings.
BY LAW-2: The Chief Officer of each Center or their representatives shall attend meetings of the Board of Trustees. However, only two Chief Officers shall vote at the Board meetings on a two-year rotation basis.
