Beware about BQSP Consultant team: Please boycott the FCAB meeting on 1st October 2009!
Bangladesh Quality Service Project–BQSP has been started since July 2006 in Bangladesh with funding from EU $13,500,000.00. National Quality Management System is one major part of the Project. The main aim of the project is;
"To improve standard setting, certification, accreditation and metrology to an internationally accepted standard."
The Purpose
È To ensure that the System of Quality Management, Standards and Conformity Assessment is brought to an internationally accepted standard
È To support GOB in the establishment of an effective accreditation authority
È To strengthen BSTI in standards setting and metrology
È To strengthen the capacity of CAB in standards setting and compliance
In the name of CAB strengthening BQSP assign two consultants and gives few furniture and office equipments to the CAB strengthening. But what they have done yet? They have just trying to develop another consumer groups by using CAB's local units and withdrawn big amounts of money as remunerations, nothing else. One of the consultant is sited few times and rest one have busy with other job. Basically the consultant is working with BRAC University and have busy with many consultancy works. She never works for CAB and has more active to destroy its capacity and strengths. She conducted few meetings to use CAB local branches and activists and influence to create another consumer organization and promise she will canalize fund from UNIDO. Most of the areas she become failure. Even when CAB fight against price hiking at Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) in public hearing she stand against of CAB with showing flag of another organization. She some time shows BRAC university, some time law forum and some time business groups.
Finally they are inviting consultation meeting to building us consumer federation with out consulting with CAB and inviting meeting at Hotel Purbani on Next 1st October 2009. The details enclosed for your information. The team, even the others members of the Consultants never talked with CAB about the forming federation. Now they are influencing the consumer activists and others vested groups including the business groups to come forward to forming Consumer Affairs Federation and UNIDO will support their activities. The BQSP project started July 2006 and it will end June 2009 and now it is extended for another 6 months. But they have show their sustainability to justify their payments as consultants they are seriously interested to established new federation body in the name of consumers groups.
Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) is also federation of consumer groups and activists in Bangladesh. The Constitution has been changed and the general members and delegate from District Branches have formed General Council and will elect the National Executive Committee (NEC). In Chittagong region, we have formed CAB units at Union and Municipality ward level also. CAB Chittagong is now working to forming consumer groups at educational institutions amongst the students. There is also provision to become member of CAB as individual organization who really wants to contribute in consumerism in Bangladesh. But why they are interested? Why not our government? Who gives them to responsibilities? Is the Government people are sleeping?
Why we need another federation of consumer groups? This is just to serve the others vested parties purposes. As we know after the enacted the CPL, many ill motivated business groups trying to demoralize the consumerism, trying to stop CAB's works and them finally uses the Consultant groups to work ineffective CAB. After end of the BQSP who will take responsibilities of the federation? Is the Consultant groups or business groups?
What is most interesting things for us that may be learning for our nation? The consultants are engaged to strengthening capacity of CAB. But what they have done for last 3 years. They are just only receiving big amount of salary and TA/DAs and holding meeting, takes few pictures and submitted big volume of reports to their donors. CAB has no received any signal amount of money from the project and even does know how much money spent from the project in the name of QMS. Even has no idea what the progress reports submitted to the EU and also Bangladesh Government and what achieved from the project. Now the consultants' team crying for transparency, accountability and Good governance in Bangladesh. Now we have to say the consultants' team is transparent? is accountable to the people of Bangladesh or Government? Why we received international grants or loan, is to only provide some consultants job for big amounts of salary? Is they paid Income Tax, VAT etc? No body knows, who knows, may be God knows? This is the reality and we received thousands of dollars credit or loan as international grants and most the cases is same and maximum money were used to pay the consultants fees. A very nominal amount which is needs to test the kids is goes to people. BQSP is one of the models for us. Government should think it and seriously thinks about the international paid consultants. If the wages is paid by the project from government, the Government official should strictly monitor the financial transactions. Most of the time we have we have seen the Government supervisors are happy to get international tours, honorarium for training sessions, and part time job for relatives. That should be strictly prohibited. Otherwise the consults will received maximum money doing nothing for the people of Bangladesh and produced large volume reports with English, which is not readable to all.
Please come forward all consumer activists, please boycott the ill motive of BQSP-QMS Consultant Groups initiatives and stop the activities to forming of Federation of Association of Consumers Affairs of Bangladesh (FACAB) and proposed meeting on 1st October 2009. Please show our patriotism, fellow feelings and national unity, integrity and protect the vested group's interest. Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) always serve the national greater interests and with active participation of 15 cro consumers in Bangladesh.
S M Nazer Hossain
President
CAB Chittagong Regional Unit
Bangladesh
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Consumers Association of Bangladesh(CAB) Chittagong
House # 291 Road # 12 Block-B Chandgaon R/A, Chittagong-4212, Bangladesh
Tel: 04433382351, 01911602020, 01198086810, 01713110054
