History and Background
Following the emergence of independent Bangladesh, Bangladesh Red Cross Society-BDRCS was constituted vide President's Order no. 26 of 1973. It was recognized by the International Committee of Red Cross-ICRC on 20 September 1973 and admitted into International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies-IFRC on 02 November 1973. The Status (PO 26 of 1973) was last amended in 1989. The name and Emblem of the Society was changed from Red Cross to Red Crescent on 4th April, 1988.

The BDRCS has got countrywide network, covering all the administrative districts and 4 Metropolitan Cities (Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna), with 68 units (branches).

The President of the Republic is, ex-officio President of the Society. The BDRCS Chairman is appointed for a term of 3 years by the President.

Statutory Bodies
General Body
The General Body (GB) is the highest Body of the Society. Constitution of the GB is as follows:

• 2 Delegates from each unit (68 x 2) - 136
• Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer - 03
• Elected members of Managing Board - 12
• 1 representative each from Ministry of Health & Family welfare, Disaster Management, Social welfare and Defense.
• Honorary Member of BDRCS (presently only one)

Managing Board
The Managing Board is the Policy Making Body of the Society. Constitution of the Board is as follows:

• Chairman‚ - Chairman, Zilla Parishad (in case of District unit) and Mayor, City Corporation (in case of City unit)
• Vice-Chairman - Elected by the Unit Members (Life and Annual)
• Secretary‚ - Elected by the Unit Members (Life and Annual)
• Executive Committee Members - 5 elected by the Members and 3 nominated by the Chairman of BDRCS.
  Mandates
  The Statutes (PO 26) gives the BDRCS following Mandates in order to implement its humanitarian activities:

• Aid to the sick and wounded of the armed forces of‚ Bangladesh;
• Prevention & Alleviation of human suffering with complete impartiality;
• The establishment & maintenance of peace among all nations;
• Provision of relief‚ for the mitigation of suffering;
• Improvement of health, prevention of disease & mitigation;
• Providing training in nursing & first aid;
• Establishment & maintaining maternity & child-welfare institutions;
• Organizing the youth of the country as an effective limb of the Society;
• Providing Ambulance service.
• Organizing work-parties to provide comforts and garments for hospitals and health institutions.
• International Representation.
• Other cognate matters.

• Life Member
• Annual Member
• Institutional Member
• Honorary Member
• Associate Member

Management of BDRCS
The Management of BDRCS operates by the Secretariat at National Headquarters, Dhaka. Secretary General is the Head of the Secretariat. Management structure is as follows:

• Secretary General
• Deputy Secretary General
• 5 Divisions
• Disaster Management
• Health
• Planning & Development
• Central Service
• Finance
• 22 Departments/Programs

Human Resources
Staff

• Staff at NHQ- 469
• Staff at Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital- 971
• Staff at Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College- 200
• Total- 1,640

Volunteers
Program Volunteers-‚ 92,675 (aprox)
Youth Volunteers-‚ 160,000
Life Members‚ 100,000 (aprox)
Total- 352,678

Major Programmes/Projects/Activities
Disaster Management
BDRCS finalized its 4-year's Disaster Management Strategy (2005-2008) focusing on mitigating vulnerabilities of different disasters, particularly flood, cyclone and earthquake, giving emphasize on alleviating women and children' vulnerability and Disaster Risk Reduction. Finalization of Strategic/Development Plan 2009-10 is in process.

Disaster Response
In time of Disaster the BDRCS runs relief and recovery programmes with its own resources and supports from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies-IFRC, sister National Red Cross/Crescent Societies and other domestic/international donors as well. BDRCS participated in relief/recovery activities in response to all major disasters in the country including Floods and Cyclone Sidr 2007.

Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP)
The Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) came into being in 1972 to minimize the loss of lives and properties of the community people in cyclonic disaster. Since 1973 the programme is being implemented jointly by the BDRCS and the Government of Bangladesh (GOB). The GOB accepted the programme responsibilities for recurring expenses, while the International Federation provides the operational cost. The programme covers 32 Upazilas under 11 coastal districts and is aided by 42,675 volunteers including 14,225 female in 2,845 units (village).

Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM)
In line with the DM Strategy 2005-2008, the BDRCS planed to carry out flood risk reduction programme since early 2005 as part of its Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM) program at 80 communities in 10 flood prone districts (Lalmonirhat, Kuirgram, Tangail, Sirajgonj, Jamalpur, Munshigonj, Chandpur, Faridpur, Madaripur and Shariatpur). The Program has been supporting the communities through formation of community based organizations and implementing awareness raising activities, small scale mitigation activities, direct & indirect livelihood support and home based fruits bearing plantation. The CBDM Program is operating targeting 31,000 families (aprx 170,000 individual).

Earthquake Preparedness and Response Program (EPRP)
Bangladesh is susceptible to earthquakes. Although in the recent past no major earthquake has occurred, but in the past few hundred years, several large catastrophic earthquakes struck this area. A strong earthquake affecting major urban cities may result in damage and destruction of massive proportions and may have severe long term consequences for entire country. Considering the alarming situation the BDRCS has been implementing, under its 4 years DM Strategy, “Earthquake Preparedness and Response Program (EPRP)" in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, particularly targeting the urban households in order to mitigate their risk and vulnerabilities and to enhance their response capacity.

Building Community Disaster Preparedness Capacity (BCDPC)
In line with the BDRCS DM Strategy the BDRCS has been implementing “Building‚ Community Disaster Preparedness Capacity-BCDPC" Project since April 2006. The objective of the Project is “to reduce the impact of cyclone, specially amongst women and children through organizing disaster preparedness activities" in 20 sub districts under 9 coastal districts. As collective efforts of BDRCS and British Consortium of Swedish and German Red Cross the Program is supporting cyclone shelter users to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their coping capacities through building organizations and implementing awareness raising activities. The targeted beneficiaries of the BDCPC Project is approximately 30,000 families (2,06,400 ‚ individual) covering 85 cyclone shelters.

Community Empowerment Program (CEP)
The Programme is known as “Community Empowerment Programme (CEP)". It is operational at six upazilas (Banshkhali, Anowara, Patiya, Chokoria, Pakua and Kutubdia) under Chittagong and Cox's bazar districts. The Programme was introduced after the devastating cyclone 91 with the support from GoB and IFAD to increase the economic capacity of the vulnerable people through operating Micro Credit activities. Currently the programme is running by the BDRCS on sustainable basis.

Tracing Services
Tracing Service is one of the worth mention activities of the BDRCS. This Department, is recognized internationally, has been rendering services in obtaining whereabouts of the persons reportedly missing as a consequence of armed conflict, political unrest, natural disaster, migratory Movement or any undue circumstances and re-establishing family contact between the separated families.‚ The activities of the Tracing Department such as Exchange of Family News, Tracing out the missing persons, Family reunification are governed by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.

Health

Health Institutions

• • Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College
  • Durr-e- Samad Red Crescent Women Medical College
  • Mother and Child Care center (5 Centers)
  • Community Mother and Child Care Centers (57 Centers)
  • 4 Hospitals (Tungipara-Gopalganj, Paharpur-Dinajpur, Kaliganj- Gajipur, Telighthi- Netrokona)
  • 2 Eye Hospitals (Chuadanga, Jaypurhat)
  • 2 Out Door Clinics (National Head quarts, Narayanganj)
  • Nursing Training Center (Dhaka)
  • 7 Blood Centers (Dhaka, Sylhet, Jessore, Chittagong, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Khulna City)
Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital

Blood Services
The BDRCS commenced Blood Programme through establishing Dhaka Blood centre at Muhammadpur, Dhaka in 1981. Later, establishing of blood centres at Sylhet, Jessore, Chittagong, Dinajpur, Faridpur and Khulna City expanded the blood programme. At present the Society has been motivating the Communities in voluntary non-remunerated blood donation through 7 blood centres.

German Red Cross-BDRCS PHC Project
BDRCS developed gradually 61 MCH centers throughout the country since 1976 with financial and technical support of Danish RC (1984-1994), Japanese RC (1985-2001), American RC (2001-2003) and German RC (2000-2010). In 2000 BDRCS and GRC developed 13 MCH centers in the south eastern part of Bangladesh with new strategies to achieve sustainability for the centers. In 2005 another 10 partnership agreements were signed. 2005-2006 BDRCS and GRC took in 51 MCH centers under the umbrella of PHC-project. 26 centers have declared sustainability, 25 are programmatic with regressive financial support by GRC. 3 more centers reached sustainability in 2006, 5 will reach by end of 2007, 3 will reach by end of 2008 and 15 centers will reach by 2010.

SRC-BDRCS Partnership Project
The “Improved Community Health through Decentralized Water and Sanitation Services" Project introduced since April 2006 with the support of Swiss Red Cross (SRC). It is a community lead BDRCS, SRC and Union Parishad (UP) partnership Program that addresses public health issues particularly Watsan component. The Project is located in Chapainwabganj covering 52 villages (68 communities) in 3 UPs under Sadar upazilla and works through village level platforms and volunteers community resource persons (VCRP). Targeting 13,452 families (71,3890 individual) the program is facilitating the communities to achieve its goal “sustainable improvement in the health of people leaving absolute poverty".

Training Services
The Training department established in 1997 with a view to develop the human resource of the Society and to support necessary trainings to all other members of the Red Crescent family including unit executives/Governance, Volunteers and other stakeholders of the Movement. It got the momentum since 2003. The dept. presently providing First Aid and Search & Rescue training for the employees & volunteers of many national/international organizations, govt./non govt. organizations, national/ multinational companies, foreign embassies etc. against service charges aiming at its financial sustainability; and it is also enhancing image of the Society and the Movement. Since 2003-

- Number of First Aid Course has been increased by 100%
- Number of trainees has been increased by 150%
- Income out of training fees is increased by 375%

Red Crescent Youth & Volunteers
The BDRCS has been mobilizing school and college level students and youth group to work as Red Crescent Youth (RCY) to support the BDRCS NHQ and Units in implementing their humanitarian activities (e.g. disaster response and preparedness programs). The RCY is a vital force of the Society to support the distress and vulnerable people to reduce their sufferings and enhance their risk reduction & coping capacity. Apart from BDRCS own initiative, Japanese Red Cross and International Federation has been supporting BDRCS to develop the RCY capacity.

Information & Dissemination
The Information & Public Relation Department of the BDRCS has been working to disseminate the BDRCS humanitarian activities and credibility in an efficient manner. The Department is working with the financial and technical support of the International Committee of the Red Cross-ICRC. Apart from highlighting BDRCS actions, the Dept has been working in dissemination/promotion of Fundamental Principles of RCRC Movement, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and protection of RCRC Emblem.

Promotion of Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values
The Movement's humanitarian principles and values lie at the heart of all BDRCS activities. The NS is actively engaged in dissemination of Red Cross/Red Crescent Principles and values, and emblem protection (supported by both ICRC and IFRC) at all levels of the Society. Emphasizing impartiality and neutrality of its actions, the National Society's approach to humanitarian values encourages respect for the dignity of human life, and promotes gender and ethnic equality. Building on its existing work in this field, BDRCS strategies seek to maximize opportunities for the integration of humanitarian values within all the National Society's programmes. The BDRCS plans to further focus their HV interventions through actively applying the cross cutting issues of Anti Discrimination and Tolerance into their programmes. Potential areas for interventions would be in: HIV/AIDS, Gender, Acid Victims and Ethnic conflict.