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ROTARY: Servinq the Humanity

by Prof Jalal U Ahmad
FOUNDED on 23 February 1905 by Paul Percival Harris and three of his friend^. Rotary is a world fellowship of business and professional persons who accept the "Ideal of Service" as the basis for success and happiness in business and community life In Rotary, thoughtfulness of others is regarded as the basis of service and helpfulness to others as its expression Together, they constitute the Rotary "Ideal of Service". To attain this ideal. Rotary encourages men and women to develop their abilities to render service through their respective vocations in their communities. Rotary is an Ideal in action.
The motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self".
Rotary Is what the Rotarians do. Being a Rotarian means strong commitment of time, wisdom, energy'and resources. Rotarians render service to humanity through four avenues of Rotary Service, namely, club service, vocational service, community service and international service.
Through Club Service. Rotarians associate themselves with their club's projects and programmes In addition to other organisational obligations.
Vocational Service concerns with an individual Rotarian’s exemplification of service through his/her profession or
Each Rotary club is a group of business and professional persons representing different vocations who meet together once a week in fellowship arid .are united in the practice of the "Ideal of Service ". A Rotuy club selects its membership on ^he basis of one active member from each recognised business and profession to the community. In this way. each Rotary club has in its membership a representative of cross-section of the business and professional activities in the community; and thus. Rotary is
. unity in diversity.
Rotary international is the" association of all Rotary Clubs of the world in 185 countries and geographical regions with a membership of over 26.500 clubs. These Rotary clubs have approximately 1.200.000 . members who are known as I Rotarians.
vocation, and personal enrichment through service.
The Community Service, often called the heart-beat of Rotary, is its greatest public relations. Through this avenue of service. Rotary reaches the common.people and In parties ular, comparatively less fortunate people in the community. The type of project a Rotary club undertakes depends on the specific needs of the community and the club’s financial resources. Through this- avenue, a Rotary club sponsors a Rotaract club or an Interact club; clubs for young adults and younger persons respectively. A Rotary club, through this avenue can also sponsor a Rotary Village Corps/Rotary Neighbourhood Corps/Rotary Community Corps consisting of persons having inherent qualities of Rotarians, but cannot become
Rotarians for reasons beyond their control. Through these organised groups of future leaders. Rotary clubs also undertake many humanitarian projects.
International Service is the avenue through which Rotary clubs all over the world endeavour to enhance International understanding, goodwill and peace by their Rotarians as well as by Involving other people who believe in the ideal of service.
In addition to the normal humanitarian projects of helping the needy like organising eye/dental/limb camps, providing safe drinking water, giving sanitary latrines, donating blood, helping and giving relief to the distressed people affected by natural calamities, adopting villages for gradual developrhent, arranging vocational training for unemployed youths, organising literacy centres for underprivileged children and adults etc. Rotary undertakes some major projects through The Rotary Foundation of • Rotary International. This Foundation is the largest privately managed trust in the world having a fund of approximately US Dollar 700 million for doing good to humanity. The formation process of this great trust began in 1917 and today. The Rotary Foundation spends huge amount of money through its programmes globally. The Rotary Foundation Is a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Illinois. USA. where the world headquarters of Rotary International is also situated.
The programmes of The Rotary Foundation covers in the fields of: (I) Ambassadorial Scholarships. (2) Group Study Exchange. (3) Grants for University Teacher^ to serve in developing countries, (4) Matching Grants. (5) Health. Hunger and Humanity Grants. (6) Rotary Volunteers to serve in countries other than their own (7) PolloPlus. and (8) Peace Forum.
The Rotary Scholarship programme which began in 1947. has so far awarded scholarships to about 20.000 men and women; and since then, over 25 million US Dollars are "spent annually for
this programme.
The Group Study Exchange (GSE) programme arranges for teams of outstanding business and professional people to spend four to six weeks in another country acUvely studying jts people and institutions. Since the Introduction of this programme in 1964, more than 11,000 young people have taken advantage oi becoming members of the GSE Teams.
Rotary Grants for University Teachers to serve in develop-' ing countries enable college or university faculty members to teach for six to ten months in developing nations, thus bringing their special knowledge and expertise where it is most needed.
In all the above three programmes. those persons closely related to Rotarians are not eligible to participate. These programmes are meant to give preference only to persons other than those of a
Rotarian's family, in the educational programme only. The Rotary Foundation spends huge fund every year more than that being spent by many in-^ ternationally famous organlsaW lions including Nobel Prize Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
Through the programme of Matching Grants, projects of an educational or charitable nature can be undertaken by Rotary clubs in more than one country Jointly for furthering international understanding.
To commemorate the 75th , anniversary of Rotary in 1979, The- Rotary Foundation Introduced a multimillion US Dollar wdMdwlde programme under Health,‘Hunger and Humanity popularly known as 3-H programme to Improve health, alleviate hunger and enhance human development.
Through the Rotary
Volunteers programme, Rptarians. Rotary Foundation Alumni and Rotaractors arc cl Igible to receive a grant from the Rotary Foundation for their voluntary services which also enhances international understanding. The most gigantic single programme in Rotary's history Is the PolioPlus programme by which Rotary raised a fund Of over 240 million US Dollars to help governmental and private health organisations world wide to immunise children against poliomyelitis and to wipe out this dreadful disease globally by 2005, the centenary of Rotary. Under this programme, the plus identifies the support that is given by Rotary International to UNICEF. WHO and the EPl programmes for immunis'ng the children of the world against the six deadly childhood diseases, namely, po-llomyellties, pertusis. measles, diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis.
Through the programme of Peace Forum. Rotary arranges Peace Forums in different parts of the world to enhance international understanding, goodwill and peace amongst the countries and to br.ng them closer to establish world peace. Over the years. Rotary International played a great role for world understanding and peace, and also' recognised and honoured organisations of highest order and personalities like Former UN Secretary General Mr Parez de Cueller and Former US President Mr Jimmy Carter for their wonderful efforts iri the field of global harmony and |ieace.
The first school for the blinds was established by Rotary in 1955. Almost at the s une time. Adult Literacy Centre. Night School for the Adults were established. The first Bus Passenger Shed in Dhak.i near National Press Club was constructed In 1956. Such bus passenger sheds were later on constructed by different Rotary clubs in other parts of the country. The Leprosy Centre at Narayanganj. Rotary educational institutions in different towns and cities, adoption of villages are other activities of Rotary In Bangladesh. Almost all Rotary clubs in the country have their adopted villages for their gradual over-all development.
The Inland Fisheries Project or the fish nursery project in Comilla. the Livestock and Poultry Project In Mymensingh with assistance from the Rotary Foundation at a cost of'several crores of Taka are other examples of projects pertaining td food and livestock production and to improve quality of life and self-respect.
The project for "Manually Operated Shallow Tubewells for Irrigation and the Integrated Farming by Rotary have also contributed much in improving the lot of farmers in the country.
To wipe out the disease of poliomyelitis. The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has supplied polio vaccines to the EPI programme In Bangladesh worth more thaq 32 crore Taka through the UNICEF. This is a milestone of Rotary service in Bangladesh as a single pro-
lion with the Rotarians at home and abroad to save the lives ol the people in the disaster prone area In a remote village of Madhukhali under Chanua Union at Banshkhali Thana of Chittagong District. In the same year also Rotary in Bangladesh had spent more than one crore Taka for immediate relief and rehabilitation of the cyclone and tidal bore affected people in the coastal and offshore areas. At the Madhukhali cyclone shelter more than 1.500 people took refuge and saved their lives during the recent cyclone devastation of 1994 Rotary has also planned to have long-term rehabilitation programme including low-cost housing projects involving several million Taka in Bangladesh, and some of these projects have already materialised in recent years Including 1993-94.
Rotary In Bangladesh has always been a major recipient of help and assistance from Rotdry International and also from other sources of Rotary around the globe. But at the same time. Bangladesh Rotary has not lagged behind in its humble way to stand by the side of the affected humanity in the international arena during the time of their need Rotarians of Bangladesh have helped both natural and manmade disaster victims of the world including. India Pakistan. Nepal, Sri Lanka Bosnia, Myanmar (Rohinga Refugeesl and even of USA with the combined efforts of individual Rotarians. Rotary clubs in the country. Rotary District and Rotary International, crores ol I aka
In addition to all these pro-, grammes. Rotarians by way of international fraternity, help I each other to embark upon ' projects through World j Community Service (WCS) ac-tivtties. WCS enables Rotarians । In one country to pool the re-j sources of their club or Rotary | District to conduct service I projects in another part of the world. Through these endeav-I ours and efforts. Rotary plays a I vital role to face the challenge of building a better world and | serving the suffering humanity.
Rotary Activities In I Bangladesh: Now let us know I something about the role of Rotary in our part of the world. [ The subsequent paragraphs will briefly portray the role I played by the Rotarians in alle-1 viating the sufferings of hu-। inanity in Bangladesh.
Rotary started its journey in | Bangladesh with a humble be ginning in 1937 by organising Rotary Club of Dhaka. From this one club, upto the emer-| gence of the sovereign and independent Bangladesh in 1971. only seven Rotary Clubs were founded. This growth.
' though not fast, was steady In ; spite of difficulties and set i backs at limes. The Second । World War. the partition of ! British India and the Liberation War of Bangladesh, together, restarted the growth of Rotary in this part of the
I world But in sovereign , Bangladesh particularly when an Independent Rotary District ] was formed In 1984 with the entire geographical and politi
i cal boundaries of the country, the growth of Rotary got an ' added momentum Now in | District 3280, Bangladesh of Rotary International there me
1 87 Rotary clubs. 95 Rotaract I clubs. 35 Interact clubs and
105 Rotary Village corps and {approximately 2.500 , Rotarians, their families, and a I good number of Rotaractors. ; Interactors which means there
Is sizeable Rotary force to ren 1 der service to humanity
Rotary has always been I playing a pioneering role In ' Ilie field of service during these five decades In | Bangladesh It is not possible | to go Into the details of the | services Rotary has rendered i In this short write-up. Only a lew activities can be high
I lighted In the avenues ol I community cum international
1 service bv which the Rotarians | in Bangladesh are serving hu
gramme.
C.nicer Delection Unit and Medical Information Centre in Dhaka. Nurses Dormitory and Library at Chandraghona Christian Hospital. Hospital and Health Centre at Jessore. Women's Development Programme at Khulna. Rotary College at Ashtagram. Rotary Schools at Khulna. Dhaka and Betagi and at different places of Bangladesh. Eye and Diabetic Hospitals with the assistance of Rotarians of Bangladesh in some areas of the country including Chandpur. Comilla and Sherpur are some of the major breakthroughs of Rotary service in Bangladesh.
Rotary has also provided automobiles for carrying polio vaccines, ambulances at Kishoreganj etc to render help in the health sector. A floating Boat hospital is almost ready for operation. Rotary in Bangladesh regularly organises Eye, Dental and Goitre Camps. Only through Rotary, more than 25,000 cataract operations on average are performed every year in the country involving a fund of more than 50 lakh Taka. The Limb Camp at Khulna to provide artificial limbs to the handicapped per sons is a unique and different type of community project done by Rotary In the Scholarship Group Study Exchange and International Youth Exchange programmes the non-Rotarian people ot Bangladesh get opportunity and benefit of average 50 lakii Taka every year to go abroad and study
In addition to these pro Jects referred above, during emergencies and natural calamities. Rotary tn Bangladesh always comes forward with assistance to em bark upon relief and rehabili tation projects either Indtvid ually or collectively, or some times, by supplementing the governmental programmes Australia Bangladesh Cyclone Education Project at Cox's Bazar Is unique Of its kind to generate awareness against natural calamities in the coastal areas. Rotary, in early seventies, built three model cyclone shelters In the coastal areas ol greater Barisal district In 1991 92 also a big massive multipurpose Rotary Cyclone cum Rehabilitation Shelter was constructed by the Rotarv District in Bangladesh at a cost ol 33 lakh Taka in collabora
are spent every year against various projects and programmes in serving humanity in Bangladesh
This part ot the Rotarv world with the present geo graphical boundaries of Bangladesh was effectively served and ably led by 16 emi nent citizens of this area as District Governors at different times with different Rotary International District numbers either with multiple countries or with sovereign Bangladesh as the Districts' territorial limits In their humble ways to practice the ideal of service above self and to enhance in ternational understanding goodwill and peace. They were/are: I Late Rotarian S M Hossain (1955 56) 2 Late Rotarian Abdur Rahim Khan (1962-63). 3 Rotarian AFM Abdul Haq Faridi (1970 711 4 Rotarian Iftekharul Alam Kilchlew (1975761 5
Rotarian M Mashthur Rahman (198981). 6 Rotarian Aziz ill Huq 11984 851 7 Rotarian M A Wahab (1985861 8
Rotarian Prol Dr Mohammad Moniruzzaman (1986-87). 9 Rotarian Iqbal Ansari Khan (1987 88) 10 Rotarian
Habibullah Khan 11988 89). 1 1 Rotarian Abdul Mannan 11989 90) 12 Rotarian
Mustafa Zaman Abbasi (1990 91) 13. Rotarian Prof Jalal U Ahmad 11991 92) 14 Rotarian Engr LK Siddiqi (1992 931. 15 Rotarian Magfur Uddin Ahamed (1993 94) and the incumbent 16 Rotarian M Musharraf Hosain 11994-95) In 1995 9b the District imveruor will lie Rotarian A M F.milad UI Huq
Because ol ihe dedicated and exemplary services ren d by the Rotarians of Bangladesh for the cause of Humanl'y. some ol them have Ireen honoured and awarded by The Rotarv Foundation and Rotarv International which is recognised as a greal dtstinc tlon In the fiekt ol service by Rotarv il-i II
In । uuisliell Rotarians-.nd the Roiaiv families in Bangladesh as well as in other parts ol the world arc always al the service of humanity to render service above self to improve the lot of the common people
Let the Almighty bless us all
llw writer is Past District Goee'iior Rotary International District 3280 Bangladesh