The very golden time of human life, young people in the age bracket of 18-28 are involved in the Rotaract movement named “Rotaract Club”, the youth organization of Rotary International, being sponsored by Rotary Club(s). This age group of people engages in international understanding & peace, develop friendships at home and abroad, expand their network worldwide, and is also concerned with community development, demonstrating leadership in society and institutions. Rotaract Movement is a unique platform and scope for developing leadership qualities and preparing oneself for her/his professional excellence.
It was deemed necessary to establish a warm relationship, enhance connectivity, and expand the network among Ex-Rotaractors of different times and generations for the betterment of their social and professional development, as well as cooperation, by a former Rotaractor, Md. Bayezidur Rahman, Charter President of RC of Shyamoli-Dhaka.
Upon his humble calls, a meeting was held in 1993 at his office of Manexim Ltd. at House 04, Road 16 (new], 27 (old) Dhanmondi, Dhaka, which was in the Dental Chamber (Your Dental Care) of Ex-Rtr Dr. Sabu (Dhaka). In these meetings, ER Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed Sabu, ER Syed Abu Zafar (Ramna), ER Kaiser Ahmed (Ramna and PDRR), ER Kh, Maswood Ul Alam (Gulshan & PDS), Syed Ghulam Qadir (Jessore & PDRR), and ER Md. Rafiqul Islam Rowly (Gulshan & PDRR) and ER Md. Bayezidur Rahman (Shyamoli-Dhaka) was present, the 7 Initiators of this platform.
All 7 initiators discussed in detail and agreed that such an organization needs to be established for the well-being of Ex-Rotaractos in personal life & career ladder upon sharing & caring among themselves. ER Bayezid volunteered the responsibilities of preparing the list of Ex-Rotractors, and he prepared the list of in-home & abroad over a year and kept updating that list till 2000 and beyond. After that, 2/3 more meetings were held till the end of 1994 at the same venue in different combinations, but not with all 7 initiators together. In one of these meetings, ER Abul Bashar Patwari (Dhaka) was present, and he was very enthusiastic about the initiative. With more than one affords nothing fruitful came out formally till 1995 for obvious reasons, but still, ER Bayezid was hopeful to organize an association of Ex-Rotaractors, and he gave a pause.
In October 1997, ER Bayezid again called and requested 4 out of 6 initiators (as between ER Sabu and ER Kaiser moved abroad) at his newly moved office, Alpha Trading’ at Lion Complex (4th Fl) 73 new airport road, Tejgaon, Dhaka. All they agreed to go ahead with the concept of forming an association of Ex-Rotaractors’ involving more ex-rotaractors. To do this, ER Bayezid stated doing a good number of organizing meetings with different small groups of ex-rotaractors in different places inside and outside Dhaka, beside his office regular basis, being morally supported & inspired by 4 respected initiators and other newly involved Ex-Rotaractors till the beginning of 1999. One of his close associates and co-workers was ER Nazneen (RC Gulshan). The role of ER Nazneen Ahmed (Gulshan) was very remarkable & visible in organizing this platform. ER Mozammel Hoque Shapon (Udayan & Deceased) also came forward to contribute to this drive during this time.
Besides Alpha Trading, 4 more organizing meetings were held at Dhaka in 1998-99, (i) at the Residence of ER Nazneen, (ii) at the Residence of Er Gulru Hasan’s Father, and Residence of ER Maswood. All these venues were at Banani, and all of them are former Rotaractors of RC Gulshan. Besides this, there was an organizing meeting held at office of ER Shahidul Huque Tutu (Narayangonj) at his Dhanmondi office, House no 6, road 16 (new).
Outside Dhaka, such organizing meetings were held up to 2/3 times at Chattogram with ERs. Tayub Chowdhury (PDRR), Amin Sohel, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Morshed (Deceased), Shahjahan, Gulam Faruk, Mashfique, Azizul Huq, and more at Ctg Club Ltd., in a café ‘Royal Hut’ in front of Circuit House, and at the office ER Aziz. Such meetings were also held up once at each Town: at Khulna with the ERs, Murad, Nuru, Chenab, and more at Khulna New Market and Chenab’s residence. At Jessore with ER Fazle Rabbi Mopasha (Jessore & PDRR) and ER Mozammal Hossain Tulu (Jessore), and more at the office of ER Mopasha. At Cumilla (with ER Abu Azmal Pathan and ER Feroz Mahmud (Deceased) at a medicine Shop. At Narayangong (with ERs: Khaled, Arif, Ahsan, Moloy, Khawja Tipu, Mejbah, and many more) at a café/Narayangong Club Ltd. With the support & inspiration of ERs out of Dhaka, the movement of this initiative was geared up.
Sometime in January/ February 1999, an organizing meeting was held at ‘Gulshan Ladies Club’. The venue was arranged and sponsored by ER Rowly a good number of ERs in new face were present there like, Sufi (RC Rajshahi), Jaigirder (Dhaka South), Dr Tawhidul Anwar (deceased) Prof of Dhaka University (RC Narayangonj), Sultan M Rahman(Dhaka), FH Arif (Dhaka Midtown), Osman(Gulshan), Nurddin Noman (Gulshan), Tabshir (Mymensing), Nurus Salam Bulu (Ramna), Maruf (Ramna), Mojibur Rahman Anny (Dhaka North East), Rafiq (Ramna), Mallik (Dhaka North), Tamzida Akhter Kangkon (Kustia), Ayub (Narayangonj) Anwarul Kabir (Narayangonj) and many more. In that meeting following decision was made,
- ER FH Arif proposed the name of the organization to be the Ex-Rotaractors’ Forum (ERF), and it was accepted by all ERs in the meeting.
- ER FH Arif also volunteered to draft a constitution for the proposed association.
- ER Rowly volunteered to arrange a webpage and e-mail for the ERF. (He immediately did it as webpage: http//come.to/erf and e-mail: exrtr@fcmail.com).
- Bayezid was assigned to develop a ‘membership form’ (one of his colleagues, Mr. Apu Akbar, assisted him in doing this, and that Form was finalized in the next meeting).
- It was also decided that an advertisement/ notice to be published in a widely subscribed daily newspaper (maybe The Daily Ittefaq) to draw the attention of prospective members.
Again, there was an organizing meeting (the last one) at Alpha Trading, Tejgaon, Dhaka, on March 22, 1999. Ex-Rtrs, Maswood, Zafar, Qadir, Rowly, Shaheed Siddique, Waseque, Anny, Justice Reza, Nazneen, Moloy, Mozammel Swapan, FH Arif, Selim Sajjad, Bayezid, and more. Rotaract leadership of the respective year, Rtr Mohiuddin Palash [DRR) Ferdousul Alam [DS] and Raihan [President of RC of Shyamoli-Dhaka) joined the meeting. In that meeting, ER Kh. Maswood Alam has proposed Ex-Rotaractor Syed Ghulam Qadir as convenor of the ERF, and it was happily accepted and supported by everyone in the meeting. Immediately after this decision, ER Bayezid handed over the meeting to the Convenor, changing over the presiding chair to ER Qadir, and he concluded the meeting with the following decisions.
- Adopting the decisions of organizing meetings.
- Approving a budget of Tk. 5,000/= for an advertisement in the Daily Newspaper.
- ER Rowly was entrusted to develop the ‘Logo’ of ERF.
- Alpha Trading Premises will be the Secretariat of ERF. The address of Alpha Trading will be the official address of ERF and correspondence.
- To organize the ‘convening meeting’ at a convenient place in Dhaka within one month, and the advertisement needs to be published before that date. The person responsible was ER Bayezid.
On April 20, 1999, 1st ‘convening meeting’ was held at the office of the Rotary Club of Dhaka, Rotary Cancer Detection Unit (RCDU)’, in National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH), Mohakhali, Dhaka, with the kind assistance of ER Rowly. ER Bayezid, with colleagues, some Rotaractors of RC Shyamoli-Dhaka successfully organized the meeting with the guidance of ER Rowly and Convenor ER Qadir.
The meeting was notified earlier through the advertisement in The Daily Ittefaq and The Bangladesh Observer (Advertisement in the Daily Observer was published at the courtesy of The Editor, ER Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former Rotaractor of Dhaka University, which was formed in 1969-1970). The advertisement came out giving a deadline for membership enrolment till May 31, 1999, will be considered charter members. Finally, fifty-eight (58) members enrolled within the mentioned date (Membership no, 001-058)
The Meeting was called to order and presided over by our respected Convenor, ER Syed Ghulam Qadir! In this meeting
- Twenty-seven (27) Ex-Rotaractors were present and eighteen (18) were enrolled as members of ERF filling up the ‘membership form’ with an enrolment fee of tk. 500 It was decided that these 18 members (Membership No 001-018) will be considered as the “Founder Members”.
- A Ten (10) member Convening Committee was formed, headed by the respected convener, ER Sayed Ghulam Qadir.
- Two (02) committees had been formed in this meeting, with the chairmanship (i) F H Arif: Constitution Committee to present a draft to the Convening Committee and finally approved one to be placed in “General Meeting” for Approval by General Members. And (ii) Bayezid: Membership development and Enrolment.
In the 2nd Convening Committee meeting in the month of May 1999 at held at Alpha Trading, it was decided that the first 21 members would be considered as the “Founder Members” (Membership No 001-021) instead of 18 for an obvious reason.
All together twelve (12) convening committee meetings in Dhaka city took place since April 20, 1999, under the leadership of respected ER Syed Ghulam Qadir.
Finally, the last convening committee meeting was held on April/ May 2000 at the residence of ER Syed Wasek Mohammad Ali (Dhaka North) at Gulshan-2,
- Seventeen (17) members EC Committee (2000-2002) was formed and led by President: Kh Mawoodul Alam & General Secretary: Md. Rafiqul Islam Rowly. Both were former members of RC Gulshan.
- It was decided to arrange the first General Meeting by June 2000. Responsibilities were taken by the convening committee members to successfully arrange the general meeting. A lighted past beeps for a shining future for ERF.
The General Meeting was gracefully held sometime in June-August 2020, at the RAOWA Club, Mohakhali. A Bulletin was cum Directory were published on that date with a very hard work of ER Ahmed Wasimul Bari (RC Notre Dame College). He was the last member in this Directory (M#100)
The convenor ER SG Qadir gave a report and informed total activities & decisions to the participants in the organizing & convening stage, including list the total membership made (100). He also placed the constitution. Thanking general members & convening Committee members, he handed over the meeting to the First (1st) President, Kh. Maswood Alam presided over the meeting, and in the process meeting all the activities & decisions of the convening Committee were approved, including the constitution of the organization. ER Md. Rafiqul Islam Rowly played the role of “General Secretary” in the meeting. The meeting ended with dinner and a musical program performed by eminent singer “Kumar Biswajit”.