Editorial
Mocking poverty
Such despicable behaviour calls for tough action
Srijoni Bangladesh and Payatok Bangladesh may not be household names in the country. Even so, they happen to be NGOs which have as part of their agenda certain poverty alleviation schemes. That, at least, is the image they would like to create for themselves. But what happened in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenidah the other day, according to a report in a leading Bangla daily, cannot but boggle the mind. These two organisations arranged a programme, attended by senior government officials, aimed at distributing certain sums of money to a few individuals in order for them to deal with some immediate economic problems. The money, as the recipients were informed, was theirs. They were also told by the organisers not to waste it. All of this was duly recorded on camera and made note of by the print media. But what followed was as surprising as it was outrageous. Once the programme was over and done with and the government functionaries had departed, the money only moments earlier given to the poor individuals was taken back from them. It was explained to them and to others that the distribution ceremony had been a dress rehearsal for something that might take place later. And there lies the humiliation of it all. By seizing the money back from those to whom they had given it, the NGOs in question not only made a mockery of the poor but also made themselves open to charges of fraud. The government officials who were present surely thought they were providing encouragement to the NGOs by their participation in the programme. Now that the organisers have clearly committed such a despicable act, what will be the response of those officials? The entire incident calls for a thorough inquiry. That the organisers have committed an act bereft of the high calling of morality has been made obvious. The upazila nirbahi officer concerned has promised to look into the matter. We feel that a much more serious position must be taken here. Poverty ought not to be turned into a photo op. The organisers of the charade need to answer a lot of questions.
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