About Us

History

Rotary Club of Greater Dhaka was chartered on 4th March, 1986 with 25 members under the Presidency of Rtn K M M Abdul Kader and late Rtn Engr Azizur Rahman as Secretary. The Rotary Club of Gulshan sponsored the club and Rtn PP M Mobin provided invaluable service as Governor's Special Representative (GSR) in the formation of the club. The then Secretary General of District 3280 Rtn Prof Jalal U Ahmed provided relentless support to the formation of the club.
Since the Charter, the club has played an active role in society and its past presidents and other members have had time to serve the District in different capacities. The club has kept the tradition of good fellowship among the members and with other clubs. The club has lost some of the charter members; most have left for abroad or went outside Dhaka for their vocations. Charter members Rtn B Sarker and Rtn Kamaluddin have left this world. In 1995, one of the architects of the club, Rtn. PP Azizur Rahman met with an untimely demise. He was the Charter Secretary as well as the President of the club for two rotary years. Aziz was a worthy Rotarian with an indefatigable spirit of fellowship and friendship. The year 2002 witnessed the loss of another beloved Rotarian of the club, Ferozuddin Bhuiyan, a past president and Paul Harris Fellow. In 2008, we witnessed the sad loss of Rtn Shirin Akhter Rita who died in a car accident in USA. Thereafter we lost few more dear Rotarians M Mobin, Chowdhury Wahidur Rahman, AFM Naziruddin, Prof Dr. M Alimullah Miyan, Dr. Mirza Ali Haider, Shahadat Hussain, Engr Nefaur Rahman, Engr Mohiuddin, Ashraful Hoque Chowdhury. The club fondly remembers today all these great Rotarians who gave their time, energy, and effort for the betterment of the disadvantaged community in society. The Club presently has 47 members. The club reached centurion status in the rotary year 2007-2008 when the membership number reached 106. The club has 02 PHS (Paul Harris Society), 1 MD (Major Donor), 10 MPHF (Multiple Paul Harris Fellow), 04 Benefactors, 25 PHF (Paul Harris Fellows), and 2 RFSM (Rotary Foundation Sustainable Member). In the club’s history, 10 Rotarians including spouses and lets attended Rl Convention in Singapore in June 1999. The club also participated in the Rl Convention in Austin, Texas, Singapore, Bangkok, Sydney, and Toronto. The club has sponsored two Rotaract clubs, one Interact club, and two RCCs. International service project activities of the club were initiated from 1995-96 rotary year through the initiation of Job Creation Program with the Rotary Club of Geelong in Australia, which received support from TRF and AUSAID. This was initiated by Rtn Dr Alimullah Miyan. This is a continuing program of the club. The club also participated in the Combat Hunger Project of District 3280 for 3 years (1997-98 to 1999-2000). In 1998 the club decided to setup a Disaster Mitigation Fund and designated Rtn Dr M Aimullah Miyan PhF as Disaster Mitigation Coordinator. Rtn PP Miyan with active support of the then President Rtn Faruqul Islam and the then DG Rtn M A Awal made an international call for assistance and eventually mobilized substantial funds for disaster mitigation. The Rotary Club of Great er Dhaka Flood Shelter-cum-School Building has been constructed at Sabianagar, Austragram, Kishoregonj. This three-storied building has been constructed at a raised platform at a cost of 47 lacs taka to house a secondary school and also to serve as a shelter during the flood. The building has been handed over to the community for use as a total gift by the Rotary Club of Greater Dhaka and its international rotary partners. Disaster management activities are continued by the committee in response to different natural calamities facing Bangladesh. Disaster relief was carried out in response to cyclone SIDR and Ayla. Ayla affected Chalna College is being helped with electrical equipment and materials while furniture and books have been donated by IUBAT. Support has also been provided to victims of Rana Plaza tragedy at Savar.

In 2001, the club joined hands with the Rotary Club Tilburg-Leijdal of the Netherlands for rural development at Salimabad with a fund of Tk. 16.94 lacs. The project involved sanitary latrine provision, safe drinking water, job creation, health care center, information, and social mobilization, all of which have been successfully put into operation by end of 2005. The project activities particularly the primary healthcare and income generation is continuing in the village under the management of Salimabad Local Committee which eventually lead to the formation of a non-government voluntary organization namely Social Safety Net which is continuing the development work in several villages including Salimabad including an income generating micro-credit turnover of 46 million taka.
In 2004, the club has established the first twinning relationship with the Rotary Club of Tilburg-Leijdal, the Netherlands which is a continuing relationship. There have been several reciprocal visits between the clubs and two rotary couples from the Rotary Club of Tilburg-Leijdal .
In 2005, the club implemented a Centennial Library and Teaching Resource Centre at a High School in Kallyandi, Narayangonj involving the construction of a library building, providing furniture & fixtures, reading books, and teaching materials. The library is now in operation and has been further expanded through local initiatives.
In 2008, the club took up a project on Sanitation and Hygiene at Geneva Camp at Mohammadpur. The prime initiator of the project is Rtn Dr. Suraiya Nafis who mobilized a contribution of US $ 10,000 from USA for the construction of community latrines at the camp. The project has been implemented bringing sanitation and safe water supply benefits to a large number of families in the camp.
In 2013, the club developed a relationship with the Rotary Club of Gouda in the Netherlands through mutual visits and presentations in respective clubs by Rtn Sifried Janzing and Rtn Dr M Alimul lah Miyan. The two clubs sponsored one Information Literacy training at a girls’ school at Savar. Another program on this has been committed for 2015 involving several schools in Savar. The two clubs committed to developing one international project entitled Savar Upazilla Knowledge-Based Development Project in co-operation with IUBAT University to give access to the higher professional education program to financially challenged students from the area. The project is undergoing processing at different levels for seeking support from The Rotary Foundation.
In 2014 – 2015 Club Installed 12 sanitary latrines and set up 1 pre-primary school at Durgahata, Bogra in the disadvantaged fishermen’s village. In 2015 – 2016 Club Installed 15 sanitary latrines and 01 shallow tubes well for safe drinking water at Mehedigonj, Patuakhali. From 2017-2022 there are many projects were introduced & adopted by the club in the area of basic education & literacy, maternal & child health, disease prevention & treatment, water sanitation & hygiene, community & economic development, and supporting the environment.
Rotary Club of Greater Dhaka every year organizing a contributory Project named “Sharing Eid with Slum Children” since 1990. Around two to four hundred children get new clothes, books, and food under this project. This is the oldest running project of RC Greater Dhaka. Some other contributory projects are the Distribution of Grocery Items at Old Homes, Student Scholarships, Tree Plantation and Monitoring, job creation for women Sewing machine distribution, cattle distribution for farming, winter clothes distribution, hygiene kit distributions & awareness building, medical health projects, Breast Cancer Awareness and Initial Screening, and Oral Cancer Screening and Treatment. We are extending our effort toward a new project “Cervical Cancer Awareness and initial screening”.
Apart from the club’s own projects every Rotary year, the Rotary Club of Greater Dhaka participates in different district projects, polio projects, and multi-club projects.
Rotary Club of Greater Dhaka is a vibrant club with commitments to fellowship and friendship as the basis of service to the community on its own and also through international partnerships. In keeping with the RI theme of Imagine ROTARY, the club has adopted the club theme of Consolidation and Fellowship and Growth for the ongoing rotary year. The vision is to sustain a club with good membership strength for significant service to the community and realization of the club and RI theme of the year.
The club members have taken into their hearts the motto of service above self. The club is confident to face the challenge now and in the future for its services towards humanity.