Our Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF VOICE FOR GLOBAL BANGLADESHI’S:

ADOPTED ON August 22, 2020 (AMENDED ON Oct 7, 2020)

1. Name: Voice for Global Bangladeshi’s (V4GB)
2. Our Vision
3. We are independent of any political ideology, economic interest, or faith.
4. Our vision is to ensure every Bangladeshi origin living in Bangladesh or in abroad enjoys Bangladesh constitutional rights, all the human rights protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
5. Our Mission
6. Our mission is to undertake research and take appropriate actions to preventing and ending grave abuses of human rights to Bangladeshis in Bangladesh or abroad.
7. We aim to carry out a wide range of educational activities, promoting the values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreed human rights standards.
8. We encourage people to accept that all human rights must be protected, and encourage governments, political organisations, businesses, other groups, and individuals to support and respect human rights.
9. We aim to work in partnership with others across the globe – people who are Bangladeshi origin, their families, careers, and other professionals to ensure anyone facing challenges has access to advice, guidance, and support.
10. Our Values

V4GB is a global movement and our activists across the world will be standing up for humanity and human rights. Our purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom, and truth are denied. Our values underpin our vision and purpose, as they guide us in all that we do:

1. Respect for diversity – we embrace diversity and promote fairness and respect for all.
2. Individual – we recognise the intrinsic value and potential of everyone.
3. Participation – we promote opportunities for the most marginalised people to have their voices heard. V4GB will strive to ensure global Bangladeshi women have equal opportunity and participation within the organisation.
4. Equality – we actively seek recognition of the rights of all people, and challenge prejudice and discrimination.
5. Sustainability – we work with others to ensure that support for Bangladeshis and their families around the globe can be sustained into the future
6. Power

To achieve its aims and objectives the V4GB may:

1. Raise money
2. Open bank accounts
3. Take out insurance
4. Employ staff
5. Acquire and manage buildings
6. Organise seminars, educational & social events, and courses
7. Work with other groups/organisations and exchange information
8. Other activities which will help it to fulfil V4GB aims and objectives.
9. Membership
10. Anyone interested in joining the V4GB must meet the criteria and comply with the Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life
11. Membership of the V4GB shall be open to any person over 18 and shall be available to anyone without regard to gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual preference, religion, or belief.
12. Membership shall be available for anyone from Bangladeshi heritage and interested in helping the V4GB to achieve its aims and objectives, willing to abide by the rules of the V4GB and willing to pay any subscription.
13. Every individual member and each organisation (if V4GB agree to accept organisation/corporate membership) shall have one vote at General Meetings.
14. Each member organisation (if V4GB agree to accept organisation/corporate membership) shall appoint a representative to attend meetings of the V4GB and notify the Director General of that person’s name.
15. The Member must complete, sign and return application form and other necessary forms and information as may be required by the V4GB.
16. The Member must not have any aim or purpose that conflicts with the Vision and Mission Statement or constitution as adopted by V4GB from time to time.
17. The Member must not act in a manner which, is prejudicial to the aims or interests of the V4GB.
18. Member may resign from the V4GB by notice in writing at any time.
19. The executive committee may terminate the membership of other members at any time. Membership may be terminated either by expulsion or by withdrawal.

Withdrawal – A member who desires to terminate his/her membership by withdrawal shall submit application to the executive committee.

Expulsion – A member may be terminated for any of the following causes by a majority vote of the executive committee of the V4GB following due process:

• Continuous failure to comply with his/her obligations.
• Bringing the organisation into disrepute or his/her any act detrimental or prejudicial to the interest of the V4GB.
• Violation of the provisions in the aim and objectives or constitution of V4GB.

7. Executive Committee
8. The Group shall be administered by Executive Committee of the Officers and not more than 31 (thirty-one) members elected at the Group`s Triennial General Meeting (TGMs).
9. Officers of the Executive Committee shall be amended as the President, Vice President/s (up to maximum 5 VP), the Director General, the Deputy Director General (up to maximum 3 DDG), the Director for Financial Affair, the deputy Director for Financial Affairs, the Director for Membership Affairs, the director for Academic Affairs, the Director for Media Affairs, the Director for Community Affairs, the Director for Women Affairs, the Director for Human Rights Affairs, the Director for Legal Affairs, the Director for International Relations Affairs, the Director for Literature and Cultural Affairs and the Executive Directors..
10. The Executive Committee shall meet at least 3 times a year. The Executive Committee Meeting will be held in virtual settings or face to face.
11. President shall Chair all meetings of the Group. The Director General is to take and keep minutes of meetings, prepare the agenda for meetings of the Committee in consultation with the President, the duties of the Director for Financial Affairs is to supervise the financial affairs of the V4GB and keep proper accounts that show all monies collected and paid out by the V4GB. The Director for Membership Affairs is to maintain the membership list and update accordingly. The Vice Presidents shall perform the duties of the president in the event of his or her absence. Director of Media Affairs shall be responsible for all media and communications including press releases, press conferences, publicities, and publishing. The Director for Academic Affairs key role is to be setting the direction of V4GB, providing strategic leadership for global activities such as organising seminars, trainings, workshops and championing the enhancement of our researches for global Bangladeshis. The Director for Community Affairs shall engage and develop relationship with the Bangladeshis here UK and globally, pursue and organise community events/ projects. The Director for Literature and Cultural Affairs is to facilitate cultural and literature events, expression and visibility for the Bangladeshis globally, working across the performing, visual and media arts to highlight the achievements to create a better image as well as the historical struggle of Bangladeshis in the world. The Director for International Relations Affairs shall be responsible for international relationship work, this includes contact and coordinate speakers for meetings/seminars. Shall develop, maintain, and regularly update the Web site, V4GB TV, other systems to improve communication globally. The Director for Women Affairs will celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of global Bangladeshi women while focusing global attention on areas requiring further action to ensure maximum participation of Bangladeshi women globally, the Director for Human Rights Affairs, shall be responsible to take initiatives to ensure all human beings are entitled to human rights, not all human beings experience them equally throughout the world. The director will work to enhance human rights of global Bangladeshis, including: Civil rights (such as the rights to life, liberty and security), Political rights (like rights to the protection of the law and equality before the law), Economic rights (including rights to work, to own property and to receive equal pay), Social rights (like rights to education and consenting marriages), Cultural rights (including the right to freely participate in their cultural community), and collective rights (like the right to self-determination). The Director for Legal Affairs ensures organisation operate according to constitution and meet its legal obligations in the day to day running of the business. The Director is the primary person responsible for managing legal issues faced by V4GB globally. The quorum for Executive Committee meetings shall be 30% of the Executive Committee Members.
12. Voting at Executive Committee meetings shall be by show of hands unless it is overly sensitive and require secret ballots. If there is a tied vote, then the President shall have a second vote.
13. The Executive Committee may by a two-thirds majority vote and for a good and proper reason remove any Committee member if person has the right to be heard before a final decision is made.
14. The Executive Committee may appoint another member of the V4GB as a Committee member to fill a vacancy provided the maximum number is not exceeded.

8. Finance
9. Any money obtained shall be used only for the V4GB activities.
10. Any bank accounts opened shall be in the name of the Voice for Global Bangladeshi’s.
11. V4GB should have at least three nominated signatories including the Director for Financial Affairs. Any cheques issued shall be signed by the Director for Financial Affairs and one other nominated official.
12. Online banking, known as internet banking or web banking should be available that enables members and others to conduct a range of financial transactions through the bank website, however, the V4GB should introduce an online banking protocol to prevent fraud, should the Executive Committee decides to use internet banking system.

10. The Annual/Biennial/ Triennial General Meeting
11. The Annual General Meeting of the V4GB shall be held once a year. This shall be held not more than fifteen months after the holding of the preceding AGM. The AGM/BGM/TGM Meeting will be held in virtual settings or face to face.
12. At least 21 days’ notice shall be given to all members.
13. The purpose of the Annual General Meeting is to
    • receive and adopt the Annual Accounts
    • receive the Annual Report from the committee
    • elect members and officers for the committee (in case of election) every three years at a BGM (Triennial General Meeting)
    • consider any motion before the meeting
    • appoint an appropriate person (auditor) to independently examine the books and determine their remuneration (if any) for the following year

11. The Special/Emergency General Meetings

Special/Emergency General Meetings may be called by the Executive Committee whenever they feel it is necessary for the organisation. The Meeting will be held in virtual settings or face to face.

1. The Director General shall call a Special General Meeting within 21 days of receiving a written request to do so signed by no less than 20% of total members. The notice of the meeting shall give details of the business to be discussed at the meeting.
2. Only the business specified in the notice for the meeting shall be discussed at the Special/Emergency meeting.
3. If the meeting is not called within 14 days, the owners who signed the original request can ask another committee member to call the meeting. The meeting must be called within 14 days of receiving the new request

12. Changes to the Constitution
13. V4GB may wish to make changes to its constitution at an AGM, SGM or TGM.
14. Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Executive Committee in writing.
15. Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

13. Dissolution

1. The Group may be wound up at any time if agreed by two-thirds of those members
2. present and voting at any General Meeting. In the event of winding up, any assets
3. remaining after all debts have been paid shall be given to another Group with similar aims.
4. This constitution was adopted at a general meeting of the Group.