Cooperative movement—an approach to poverty alleviation and employment creation

The Department of Cooperatives (DoC) and cooperative societies under the regularity body are now involved in irregularities like other institutions of the government

The cooperative movement began in Europe in the nineteenth century, primarily in England and France. The industrial revolution and the increasing mechanization of the economy transformed society and threatened the livelihoods of many workers.
The start of the 19th century in the UK was an age of child labour, exploitation and poverty. Those who failed to find work in the new factories were forced to rely on meager parish relief for the poor or to starve. By the early 1800′s, food prices were high and wages were being reduced. Much of the population suffered extreme poverty and deprivation.
Today the Co-operative Principles are successfully applied throughout the world to a vast array of co-operative enterprises, farming co-operatives, fishing co-operatives, credit unions, retail co-operatives, manufacturing co-operatives, even co-operatives providing internet access services.
Bangladesh perspective
When International Cooperative Day was celebrated worldwide with the hope of bright prospects of cooperative enterprises, then the condition of the most of cooperative societies in our country are in very bad shape. It can be here mentioned the constitution of Bangladesh attributes that the cooperatives will play a vital role in the economy, but the cooperatives have become a less important issue now due to lack of proper steps and irregularities in the sector.
With the hope of being benefited from the principals of cooperative, the Department of Cooperatives (DoC) was established as an attached department under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives. It was established as the principal government organization responsible for facilitating economic growth and poverty reduction effort to the government. But, it is unfortunate the department has failed to play its responsible role in generating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country.
The Department of Cooperatives (DoC) and cooperative societies under the regularity body are now involved in irregularities like other institutions of the government. Especially, most of the cooperative societies established under the government patronisation are now inactive although they have huge properties.  There is an allegation that a section of people are misappropriating the properties, and the common cooperators are not being benefited from the societies.
But if we had made the sector effectively functional and free from corruption it would have reduced dependency on foreign aid and contributed to a sustainable economy, creating huge employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has recently unveiled the findings of the study ‘Cooperatives Management: Challenges of Good Government and Way Forward’.  The study reveals that there are about 186,199 cooperatives in the country and of them, 47 percent of cooperatives are dysfunctional due to the existing various limitations of regulatory and supervising bodies and internal problems of the cooperatives.
Some suggestions to save the cooperatives worldwide
*     All farmers and labours including small entrepreneurs will be united under the umbrella of cooperative to face the aggregation of corporate globalization.
*     All the poor of the world and cooperative organisations should be brought under five-tier cooperative structure in a bid to face corporate globalisation and increase cooperation among the organizations of different countries.
*     Cooperative organizations will be built up in all the sectors of economy.
*     Through the idea of cooperative philosophy, a responsible and harmonious world will be built up against the consuming culture of corporate capitalism.
*     To urge the respective government to perform all the development activities through the Public-Cooperative Partnership (PCP).
*     To call the respective government to enact cooperative-friendly laws including a provision that will help the cooperative societies increase cooperation with the cooperative societies of other countries. 
*     Make an appeal to the respective government to create a social fund for the development of cooperative sector.
Finally, it can be said employment generation and poverty alleviation need to be focused to build up a self-reliant Bangladesh through the cooperatives movement. So, building up an honest and skilled administration is necessary in every cooperative to achieve the desired result. The government should take proper initiatives in a bid to increase public-cooperative partnership in different development activities and enacting laws to boost the country’s cooperative sector. 

The writer is Deputy Director General & Commandant (PRL), Ansar-VDP Academy, Safipur, Gazipur

 

Cooperative movement—an approach to poverty alleviation and employment creation

The Department of Cooperatives (DoC) and cooperative societies under the regularity body are now involved in irregularities like other institutions of the government

The cooperative movement began in Europe in the nineteenth century, primarily in England and France. The industrial revolution and the increasing mechanization of the economy transformed society and threatened the livelihoods of many workers. The start of the 19th century in the UK was an age of child labour, exploitation and poverty. Those who failed to find work in the new factories were forced to rely on meager parish relief for the poor or to starve. By the early 1800s, food prices were high and wages were being reduced. Much of the population suffered extreme poverty and deprivation. Today the Co-operative Principles are successfully applied throughout the world to a vast array of co-operative enterprises, farming co-operatives, fishing co-operatives, credit unions, retail co-operatives, manufacturing co-operatives, even co-operatives providing internet access services. Bangladesh perspective When International Cooperative Day was celebrated worldwide with the hope of bright prospects of cooperative enterprises, then the condition of the most of cooperative societies in our country are in very bad shape. It can be here mentioned the constitution of Bangladesh attributes that the cooperatives will play a vital role in the economy, but the cooperatives have become a less important issue now due to lack of proper steps and irregularities in the sector. With the hope of being benefited from the principals of cooperative, the Department of Cooperatives (DoC) was established as an attached department under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development Cooperatives. It was established as the principal government organization responsible for facilitating economic growth and poverty reduction effort to the government. But, it is unfortunate the department has failed to play its responsible role in generating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country. The Department of Cooperatives (DoC) and cooperative societies under the regularity body are now involved in irregularities like other institutions of the government. Especially, most of the cooperative societies established under the government patronisation are now inactive although they have huge properties. There is an allegation that a section of people are misappropriating the properties, and the common cooperators are not being benefited from the societies. But if we had made the sector effectively functional and free from corruption it would have reduced dependency on foreign aid and contributed to a sustainable economy, creating huge employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has recently unveiled the findings of the study Cooperatives Management: Challenges of Good Government and Way Forward. The study reveals that there are about 186,199 cooperatives in the country and of them, 47 percent of cooperatives are dysfunctional due to the existing various limitations of regulatory and supervising bodies and internal problems of the cooperatives. Some suggestions to save the cooperatives worldwide * All farmers and labours including small entrepreneurs will be united under the umbrella of cooperative to face the aggregation of corporate globalization. * All the poor of the world and cooperative organisations should be brought under five-tier cooperative structure in a bid to face corporate globalisation and increase cooperation among the organizations of different countries. * Cooperative organizations will be built up in all the sectors of economy. * Through the idea of cooperative philosophy, a responsible and harmonious world will be built up against the consuming culture of corporate capitalism. * To urge the respective government to perform all the development activities through the Public-Cooperative Partnership (PCP). * To call the respective government to enact cooperative-friendly laws including a provision that will help the cooperative societies increase cooperation with the cooperative societies of other countries. * Make an appeal to the respective government to create a social fund for the development of cooperative sector. Finally, it can be said employment generation and poverty alleviation need to be focused to build up a self-reliant Bangladesh through the cooperatives movement. So, building up an honest and skilled administration is necessary in every cooperative to achieve the desired result. The government should take proper initiatives in a bid to increase public-cooperative partnership in different development activities and enacting laws to boost the countrys cooperative sector. The writer is Deputy Director General Commandant (PRL), Ansar-VDP Academy, Safipur, Gazipur