Nagar Daridra Basteebashir Unnayan Sangstha (NDBUS)

A three day conference was held in ABIDJAN, capital of Cot d'Ivoire on 3-5 June with participants from Angola,Brazil,Kenya,Morocco,Vietnam,Bangladesh and the host country Cot d'Ivoire. Representtaive from Bill and Melinda Gates foundation was also present during the three day conference. A study tour to visit a project area in Abidjan where bnted is working was also included in the conference schedule beside presentation and discussions of respective country. Salma A. Shafi, Project Adviser and SOSTA in Dhaka and Mehedi Imam, URBIS Coordinator in Dhaka presented Dhaka to the conference.

A meeting to pray for late Mr. Mannan, Chairperson of Nagar Daridro Basteebashir Unnayan Sangstha (NDBUS) was held at the T&T mosque, Korail on 20 th May, 2009 after Asar’s Prayer (in the afternoon). URBIS Project Advisor Salma A. Shafi; Architect Khadem Ali, Vice Chairman of Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) were present in the gathering. Different NGO officials along with members from different committees of NDBUS and his relatives & well-wishers were also present in the prayer session to pray for his eternal peace.Earlier, URBIS team in Dhaka laid down floral wreath at the grave on behalf of DIG.

Mr M A Mannan, Chairperson of Nagar Daridra Basteebashir Unnayan Sangstha (NDB US) d ied on 17 May 2009 at 1530 hrs at National Heart Foundation hospital following a cardiac failure. He has been laid to rest at Banani graveyard. He left his wife, daughter and two sons, thousands of well wishers, colleagues, friends, and relatives to mourn his sudden and untimely demise. Mr Mannan dedicated his life for the urban poor and was an advocate for establishing rights of the poor people living in slums and squatters; and lobbied at different levels of government and non-government activities. He was the founder chairperson of Basteebashir Odhikhar Surrakkha Committee (BOSC) formed in 1999 to protest slum eviction of the then government. In 2008 the organization became regist ered under Dhaka Social Welfare Office as Nagar Daridra Basteebashir Unnayan Sangstha (NDBUS). During his lifetime of work for the urban poor, he closely worked with Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), Coaliti...

Michael David Jenkins, Senior Program Advisor paid a short visit to Dhaka on May 6-8, 2009 . During this visit he met the NDBUS executive committee members at their office and visited ongoing training programmes on computer hardware and troubleshooting and mobile repair and servicing where he discussed about the learning objectives of the young members of the organisation. The young members were happy to have him among themselves in a training sessions and expressed that these training will help them in raising their ability in doing better be it employment or confidence building. Later, Michael Jenkins visited to the newly opened day care centre at Korail and on the way he also visited to bag making shops, furniture shops, mobile outlets, spice selling etc. being run under NDBUS initiatives in Korail.    On last day of his visit, Michael Jenkins met the UPPRP expert on land tenure and expressed that they will be working for poverty reduction of the poor in Dhaka where NDBUS a...

Dear all, Wish you seasons greetings & a very Happy Bengali New Year 1416. " SHUVO NABOBORSHO " Please accept our warm wishes and convey our greetings to your family members also. Happy New Year to all NDBUS Members, URBIS Project staff & DIG family. Executive Committee Members NDBUS Dhaka Bangladesh.

Studio workshop on ‘low cost housing’ by 4th year students of the Department of Archite cture, University of Asia Pacific was presented at the University of Asia Pacific on 29th March on low cost models for Korail (3 models), Rayerbazar (4 models) and Kalshi (3 models). The design workshop selected best five participants groups for a presentation on 8th April 2009 at CUS. Models and design sheets were put on display for NDBUS members and visitors for the next two days. The Studio Workshop on Low Cost Housing Proposed by the 4th year students of the Department of Architecture, University of Asia Pacific was arranged at the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS). The program held on 8th and 9th of April as a part of the "Urbis Capacity Building Support for NDBUS in Dhaka". Five groups presented their low cost housing design on three areas: Korail, Rayer bazar and Kalshi (Mirpur). Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and Honorary Chairman, Centre f...

A team of 45 members of NDBUS visited three pourashava towns on 22, 23 and 25th March 2009. The team in three pourashavas (Sirajganj, Kushtia and Mymensingh) visited CDCs (Community Development Centre), discussed about the procedures of ongoing activities under UPPRP. Prior to the visit, an orientation was conducted on 21st January by the UPPRP at Bengal Cafe, arranged by URBIS Capacity Building Support for NDBUS in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (For details please visit htt p://ndbus.blogspot.com/2009/01/briefing-relating-pre-study-tour-at.html).