Non-government organisations in an emergency meeting yesterday noted that attacks on them are part of a 'blueprint' of the antidevelopment fundamentalists in power to destroy progressive social forces.

They viewed that the recent amendments to government polices on NGO affairs are aimed at "nationalising the NGOs" and harass them by restricting their registration and release of funds.

In the emergency meeting chaired by ADAB president Dr Qazi Faruque Ahmed, the NGOs expressed their concerns over the growing incidents of their harassment, attacks on grassroots-level NGO workers, rape, terrorism, toll extortion, and repression on minorities and political workers.

They urged the government to initiate fair investigations into all sorts of "human rights violations so far committed centring the elec-

tions" and put those involved on trial.

"Otherwise," the meeting said in a resolution, "a united social movement will be launched in association with civil society members to safeguard rights of all people irrespective of caste, creed and gender."

In a 10-point charter of resolution, the coalition of NGOs urged the government to stop the "evil move to nationalise" the NGOs through changing the policies and restricting their registrations and fund releases.

They demanded updated and more democratic policies to create a favourable environment for NGOs to work independently.

Any such policies must represent the NGOs, the resolution said, regretting that the cabinet committee on NGO affairs incorporated a central leader of Jamaat-e-Islami that is dead against NGOs.

The meeting scoffed at a reported move to take steps against some 300 NGOs for their political and business contacts as well as high charges for micro-credits.

Such steps, it said, would frustrate NGO activities in the areas of poverty reduction and good governance, which would cast a negative impact on the country's efforts in that direction.

The meeting regretted the attack on a female worker of CARE allegedly by a ruling party leader and toll collection from many NGOs.

"Moreover, different security intelligence agencies are harassing NGOs in the name of investigation while NGO Affairs Bureau is dillydallying about approving projects and releasing funds."

Very recently NGOs have been mandated to collect certificates from DCs and TNOs, which are causing harassment to NGOs, it noted.

The meeting recalled the harassment on NGOs during 1991-96 term of the present ruling party when they formed government with support from Jamaat.

"Hundreds of NGOs suffered administrative harassment and attacks from fundamentalists during that period," it said.