Background

The organization named Palashipara Samaj Kallayan Samity (PSKS) was established as a Club by some enthusiastic youths of village Palashipara of Tentulbaria Union under Gangni Upazila of Meherpur District belonging to the south­ east region of Bangladesh on 15 February 1970.The initiators were: 1) Md. Nazrul Islam (President), 2) Md. Suzauddin (Vice-President), 3) Md. Mosharrof Hossain (Secretary), 4) Md. Emdadul Haque (Treasurer), 5) Md. Rustom Ali (Subscription Collector),6) Md. Abdul Aziz (Librarian),7) Md.Zohir Uddin (Member),8) Md. Abdul Jalil (Member), 9) Md. AbuIHossain (Member), 1O) Md. Daulat Hossain (Member),11) Md.Babur Ali (Member), 12) Md. Daud Hosain (Member), 13) Md.Nafar Uddin (Member),14) Md. Golam Hossain (Mmeber), 15) Md.Ayeen Uddin (Member) and 16) Md.Mosharef Hossain (Mmeber). The organization came into being in concern of education and control of early marriage and exceeding population in the un-elevated and problematic area. The Club had no Office of its own till 1975.The Library was started in the wall-almirah in the reading room of the Founder Secretary Md. Mosharrof Hossain with personal endeavor of the members.

Despite unwillingness, Jonab Forman Ali built an office room in his own land adjacent to his house in 1975 and allowed to resume the club activities there. All the members built there a room with muddy walls and straw-shade with their physical labor. As the number of readers in the library was very poor, there started Adult Education Program voluntarily in 1975. The organization got registered with the Department of Social Welfare on 20 August 1976.As a result of getting registration, enthusiasm and inspiration of the members increased gradually. Most of the members of the club were then victimized to early marriage. Realizing their own necessity, they became clients of family planning through establishing personal contact to the Office of Family Planning and collecting contraceptives, they distributed it among the close connected people.

In quest of further development of the club, some club members went to visit ‘The Aruapara Club’ in Kushtia in 1977. They found a letter in Bangla from Family Planning International Assistance (FPIA) in a dustbin of the Club. Taking the letter with consent of a member of that club PSKS wrote a letter to FPIA. In this contrary they sent several numbers of cartoons of contraceptives directly to PSKS Club through a representative of Home-bound Shipping Corporation without any prior information or contact. On receipt this the club members  became more inspired and felt  high intentness to work and they resume voluntary FP service very secretly. The cause for secrecy was that then it was much difficult  to openly say about  family planning. Afterwards  the Club got  registered with the  Department of Family Planning on 15 August 1978 as per advice by the then Thana Family Planning Officer, Mr. Anwaruzzaman. PSKS got Tk.3, 000 as donation from the Department of Family Planning in that year. Having received the donation, a pervasive response to work rose among all. Later on a team of delegates came from the Department of Family Planning to evaluate PSKS’s activities. They informed that it would not be possible to grant PSKS any further donation as it was for the urban areas. They divulged high satisfaction at PSKS’s performance. The evaluation team, as consolation, assured that they would recommend for PSKS to some foreign donor that would have intention to work in the rural areas. As they said, so did they! A letter was sent from “The Asia Foundation” in 1980.And as a result of contact in accordance with that letter, Officers from country and abroad in favor of “The Asia Foundation” came to visit PSKS for several times. Next time they themselves prepared for PSKS a project proposal which was submitted to the government’s National Committee “FPCVO” and after rambling for many times, PSKS was granted a budget of Tk.152,100 which was beyond expectation for the organization. Some persons among those members of the organization who were spokesmen of excessive population control and who were clients of family planning became staff. In search for female worker, some staffs made their wives Field Workers. The members began to run the “Integrated Family Planning Project” with nominal remuneration. The then Sub-divisional Officer (SDO), Mr. Toufiq-e-Elahi granted PSKS some bundles of tin and it made a thatched house where the project activities began to run. The members who got opportunity to become staff, proposed for a brick-built office building instead of clay made tin-shaded previous office. But there was no money accumulated. One taka monthly subscription by the members was the only income source of the organization. To tell frankly the members used to arrange the monthly subscription by stealing and selling something from their own houses.As job opportunity was beyond their dream, the members altogether decided to donate their six-months’ salary/allowance to the organization and afterwards they would continuously contribute 5% of their monthly salary/allowance as donation and if needed they would contribute more.The assets that have been created in the organization up to now are the result of their vow. Afterwards Janab Forman Ali, being satisfied with the organization, donated 2.5 decimal of land. It was possible to build a one-storied office on that land with the staff donation. Mr. A.K.M. Fazlul Haque Mia, the then District Commissioner formally inaugurated the office building. Overcoming all the barriers the organizational activities have been expanded day by day as a return of untiring efforts and dedication by the staff and members of the organization.