9️⃣ Constitution of Bangladesh Hindu Samaj

Here is a simplified English version of the full constitution of Bangladesh Hindu Samaj.

1. Membership

1.1 Introduction of New Members

Any new member must be introduced by an existing member. Initially, only the Supreme President will act as the introducer for new members. Later, those introduced members will themselves introduce more people, allowing the community to grow organically.

Each person can belong to only one Unit, but may transfer to another Unit without losing membership benefits.

1.2 Voting Power and Its Growth

A member’s voting power increases based on how many members they introduce — directly or indirectly.

• If Member A introduces 100 members, their voting power = 100 + 1 = 101.
• If Member B introduces none, their voting power = 1.

Voting power difference decides the election outcome. Example: If A votes for Candidate X and B votes for Candidate Y, Candidate X wins by 100 votes (101 – 1 = 100).

Hereditary Growth of Voting Power

Voting power increases with the entire downline: If A introduces 100 people, and those 100 people collectively introduce 1000 people, A’s voting power = 1 + 100 + 1000 = 1101.

2. Categories of Members

The organization will have three types of members:

2.1 Friend Members

• Introduced by any current member
• No membership fee
• Cannot vote
• Cannot contest elections
• Cannot receive benefits
• Their role is to support and encourage the community

2.2 Beneficiary Members

• Must pay membership fees
• Can vote
• Cannot contest elections
• Can receive community benefits
• Eligible to access welfare services, aid programs, and support systems

2.3 Volunteer Members

• Must pay membership fees
• Can vote
• Can contest elections (only volunteers may stand for elections)
• Cannot receive benefits
• Their primary role is service, leadership, and organizational responsibility

3. Membership Process

1. A current member collects the name, phone number, and (if possible) email of the interested person.
2. The person is registered as a Friend Member under the introducer’s name.
3. If the Friend requires help, the Unit Committee may upgrade them to Beneficiary Member.
4. Otherwise, the Unit Committee will encourage them to become Volunteer Members.

Requirements to Become a Volunteer

• Must introduce at least 10 Friend Members
• Must work actively for at least 1 year to contest elections or join any Executive Committee

Annual Membership Reclassification

Every year during Durga Puja (Oct–Nov):

• Members may change category

  • (Beneficiary → Volunteer or Volunteer → Beneficiary, etc.)

• Members may transfer from one Unit to another

4. Annual Election System

Elections occur vertically, moving upward from Unit → Upazila → District → Central.

4.1 Unit President Election

• Held in first week of December
• Voters: All Volunteers and Beneficiaries of that Unit
• Each voter casts votes equal to their voting power

4.2 Upazila President Election

• Held in second week of December
• Voters: All newly elected Unit Presidents under that Upazila
• Vote weight of each Unit President = Total number of Volunteers + Beneficiaries in their Unit

4.3 District President Election

• Held in third week of December
• Voters: All newly elected Upazila Presidents under that District
• Vote weight = Total Volunteers + Beneficiaries under the Upazila

4.4 Central President Election

• Held in fourth week of December
• Voters: All newly elected District Presidents
• Vote weight = Total Volunteers + Beneficiaries in their District

4.5 Online Voting System

Most elections will use an online voting platform to ensure fast, transparent, and accurate results.

5. Types of Committees

There are three types of committees within the organizational structure:

5.1 Supreme Committee

• Consists of Trustees of the main Trust

• Includes:

  • Supreme President
  • Supreme Vice President
  • Lifetime Members

• Term: Lifetime

• Holds maximum decision-making authority

• Majority of Trustees can:

  • Remove any member
  • Appoint new members

5.2 Permanent (Standing) Committee

Found at all levels:

• Central
• District
• Upazila
• City Corporation
• Unit

Key Characteristics

• Initially appointed by Supreme President (minimum 5 members)
• Term: Lifetime
• Secretary acts as the head
• Every newly elected Executive President becomes an automatic Permanent Member
• Cannot engage in daily operations
• Can cancel any decision of the Executive Committee with two-thirds votes
• Disputes between Permanent and Executive Committees escalate to the next higher-level Permanent Committee

Signing Authority

Only the Permanent Committee Secretary and Executive Committee President can jointly sign cheques.

5.3 Executive Committee

Exists at:

• Central
• District
• Upazila
• City Corporation
• Unit

Key Characteristics

• Head: President (elected yearly)
• Can nominate up to 10 committee members from qualified Volunteers
• Responsible for all daily operations
• President has veto power
• Can remove or appoint Executive Members, notifying the Secretary within 24 hours

Signing Authority

Cheques must be co-signed by:

• Permanent Committee Secretary
• Executive Committee President

6. Hierarchical Structure of Committees

1. Supreme Committee – Highest policy authority
2. Central Permanent Committee – Long-term strategy
3. Central Executive Committee – National operations
4. District Permanent and Executive Committees
5. Upazila Permanent and Executive Committees
6. City Corporation Committees
7. Unit Permanent and Executive Committees

All committees operate under their respective higher committees.

7. Revenue Sharing System

All membership fees, donations, and income are shared upwards.

Example:

If a Unit earns 100 taka, then:

• Unit keeps 50 taka
• Sends 50 taka to Upazila
• Upazila keeps 25, sends 25 to District
• District keeps 12.5, sends 12.5 to Central
• Central keeps 6.25, sends 6.25 to Supreme Committee

Using the Funds

• Executive President may spend income for community development
• Spending previous year’s income requires approval from majority of Permanent Committee
• Supreme Committee conducts annual audits

8. Annual Budget

On January 1st, newly elected Presidents assume responsibility. They become Permanent Committee members and form Executive Committees with up to 10 Volunteers.

During the first week of January, they must:

• Prepare a full 52-week annual budget
• Get approval from the majority of the Permanent Committee

9. Formation of New Units

Wherever a new Unit is possible:

1. Supreme President forms a Permanent Committee with at least 5 members
2. Members gather at least 100 Volunteers
3. Community is mobilized, and the Executive Committee is elected democratically
4. Volunteers maintain communication with Debottor Property Trusts
5. Local investors are identified and encouraged

Land and Business Model

• Supreme Trust leases land/buildings from Debottor Trusts

• Development funded by investors

• Projects include:

  • Hotels, hostels
  • Schools, coaching centres
  • Shops
  • Livestock and farming projects
  • Microfinance initiatives

• Local businesses operate under a franchise model

Profit Sharing

Supreme Trust will share income with all relevant committees and stakeholders.