Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation
Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation came into being under Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation Act (Act Viii of 1998) on 6 May 1998. Its main office is situated at Sonargaon in the district of Narayanganj. It can according to its necessity open its branch in any place with prior approval of the government. The management of the Foundation is vested upon a Board of Governors. The Minister of Cultural Affairs is the chairman of the Board of Governors. The members of the Board include three MPs nominated by the government, the secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs or of the concerned Division, an officer equivalent to the rank of joint secretary nominated by the Finance Division, the Director General of bangladesh national museum, the chairman of bangladesh small and cottage industries corporation, the Director General of Bangla Academy, the chairman of bangladesh parjatan corporation, the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs or of the concerned Division, the Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj, three persons interested in folk art and crafts nominated by the government, the Director of the Institute of Fine Arts and the Director of Bangladesh Folkart and Crafts Foundation.
The Director of Bangladesh Folkart and Crafts Foundation works as its secretary. The function of the Foundation includes preservation of historical folk art and crafts materials, to arrange training programmes on arts and crafts, to set up folk art museum in different parts of the country, to establish an arts and crafts village at sonargaon in Narayanganj district, to arrange for research on folk art and crafts and to publish research findings and other information, to encourage the study and practice of folk art and crafts of traditional values, to design a plan and carry out its execution for the promotion of folk art and crafts, to help any person or institution engaged in pursuing research on folk art and crafts, to help the government in drawing up a policy for developing folk art and crafts, to advise the government or the local authority or an organisation in any matter concerning folk art and crafts, and to take joint programme with' foreign and international institutions working on arts and crafts with prior permission of the government, and do such other works that are supplementary and relevant to its activities. The Foundation holds at least one meeting in every three months at the place and time determined by the chairman.
The chairman of the Board normally presides over the meeting. But in absence of the chairman, one member of the Parliament from among the members of the Board nominated by the chairman presides over the meeting. The funding of the foundation includes government grants, donation from any local authority, donation or grant from any foreign government or institution or international organisation with prior permission of the government, sale proceeds of books, journals published and of other assets of the Foundation. The Foundation can invest its fund in any sector approved by the government. [Zobaida Nasreen]
