The public’s perception of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is that, they are working for the common good of individuals or groups. Since the mid 1970s, the main focus of NGOs has been on social welfare activities, with interventions in the fields of social mobilization and rural development. The NGOs sector’s main interest of recent years, social welfare activities, is increasingly being incorporated into mainstream national development endeavors and NGOs are now acknowledged as partners in development. The majors areas in which NGOs are presently involved include relief and rehabilitation; rural development; education; health and family planning; micro-credit; infrastructure development; research and communication. The last three decades enormous growth of NGOs in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been regarded as the land of NGOs. Nobody knows how many NGOs are working in Bangladesh. Because of different NGO affiliation bodies, and absence of coordination among the agencies concerned the estimate about the number of NGOs vary greatly.
It is estimated that there are 19000 NGOs working in Bangladesh. In October 2008, NGOs registered with the NGO Bureau (NGOAB).
Micro-credit is one of the major functions of Bangladeshi NGOs. Bangladesh as well as replication worldwide represents its excellent success. By now it is the largest NGO’s Program of Bangladesh in the field of poverty alleviations. It was accomplished by the different NGOs as like BRAC, ASA, Proshika, RDRS(Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Development), TMSS, AMWAB and others NGO organization.
- Social Welfare Concept and AMWAB
Definition of Social Welfare agency is in THE VOLUNTARY SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES (REGISTRATION AND CONTROL) ORDINANCE, 1961
Rules no 2(f); “Voluntary social welfare agency” means an organization, association or undertaking established by persons of their own free will for the purpose of rendering welfare services in any one or more of the fields mentioned in the Schedule and depending for its resources on public subscriptions, donations or Government aid.
Rules no 3; No agency shall be established or continued except in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance.
The well-being of the entire society, social welfare is not the same as standard of living but is more concerned with the quality of life that includes factors such as the quality of the environment (air, soil, and water) level of crime extent of during abuse, availability of essential social service, as well as religious and spiritual aspects of life.
In the Islamic view, Zakat (charity) one of the Five Pillars of Islam, has been collected by the government since the time of the Khalipha Umar in the 7th century. The taxes were used to provide income for the needy, including the poor, elderly, orphans, widows, and the disabled. According to the Islamic jurist Al-Ghazali(Algazel, 1058–111), the government was also expected to store up food supplies in every region in case a disaster or famine occurred. (See Bayt al-mal for further information.)
AMWAB is an Organization which stands or consists as for welfare base activities. There are all activities accomplished by in these sense.
- AMWAB is a Non Profitable Organization
AMWAB is a non-profitable organization. AMWAB performs various types of services and welfare activities through direct and by the member organizations. And it’s all project Function and activities has been continue in this concern of social charity. There is no other purpose as for only accrued profit or money.
- AMWAB and Social Business
AMWAB is inspired by the Islam as its inherent philosophy of social development. AMWAB is an apex body of 320 NGOs working in Bangladesh. There are so many socio-economic problems in Bangladesh. In order to eliminate those problems an innovative socioeconomic approach has been reinvented which is called 'Social Business'. In Islam there are some effective concepts of social businesses which guaranteed the sustainable economic development of the society. The main theme of the Social Business is to eliminate social causes to fulfill the need of mass. The shariah mode of businesses like zakat, sadaqah and quard contain the adequate ingredients of social welfare oriented business concept. Islam emphasized eradication of moral poverty as well as income poverty. Whereas conventional concept of Social Businesses silent in their mind. If we compare Islamic principles with social business principle then one can underscore more points than conventional Social Business concept.