“Our unity, our organization

Our organization, our power

Our water-body, our resource
Our resource, our development
Our development, country’s development”

Beel User Group

Guidelines
(Second edition, December 2010)

Name of the Organization:

……………………………………………………………………………Beel User Group

Address:
……………………………………………………………………………………………….......
..........Sunamganj
 Community Based Resource
Management Project
Local Government Engineering
Department

Foreword

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under Local Government

Division of Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative has
been implementing Community Based Resource Management Project (CBRMP, Loan
No. 567) with financial assistance of IFAD in Sunamganj since January 2003 with an
aim at transferring 300 waterbodies to fisher community under a MOU with Ministry
of Land of Bangladesh Government.

The objectives are to ensure sustainable beel resource management through

institutional, infrastructural and technical supports. All through the efforts to
resource management a community based approach is being followed.

These guidelines have been developed for the Beel Users Group (BUG) of CBRMP to
assist them in building viable institution of their own and practice a sustainable
resource management.

These guidelines have been developed in a participatory manner consulting with

the fisher community and the experts in community based beel resources
management. In developing it the values and the rules of Government Jalmahal
Policy Guidelines have been followed.

This is a revised version updated in the light of the present Jalmahal Management
Guidelines 2009 and the learning so far gathered by the project in implementing the
programme of beel resource management and development.

(Sk. Md. Mohsin)

Project Director
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 Contents

Page
Foreword 2
Abbreviation & 4
Glossary
Article I Name, Address and Territorial 5
Limit
Article II Values and Objectives 5
Article III Activities 6
Article IV Structure of the Organization 6
Article V Membership 7
Article VI BMC/Office Bearers 8
Article VII Meeting 11
Article VIII Rules of Fishing/Harvesting 12
Article IX Rules of Selling and Marketing 13
Article X Rules of Benefit Distribution 13
Article XI Financial Management 13
Article XII Amendment 14
Article XIII Dissolution 15
Article XIV Certification 15

Annexes

Annex I Undertaking 17
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Abbreviation and Glossary

BMC Beel Management Committee

BUG Beel User Group
Beel Depressed area in floodplain
Fishers Act The protection and Conservation of Fish (amendment) Acts, 2002
Haor Low laying flood plain located at northeast part of Bangladesh
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development ( UN Organization)
Jammahal Government owned Water-body leased out with user right
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
Sanctuary All-time restricted area for fishing in beel/haor

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 ARTICLE I: Name, Address and Territorial Limit

Section 1 Name of the Organization: ………………………………….BUG

Section 2 Address:…………………………………………………………………….

Section 3 Working Territory: The villages …of the union (s) ……….
( respectively) in the Upazila…………….fallen under the
command areas of the beel…………………………located at the
mouza No. …….. of the Upazila……….., in District Sunamganj.

ARTICLE II: Values and Objectives

Section1 Values:

Promoting the access of genuine fishers to beel resources,

irrespective of gender, and establishing their institution with
improved skill of better resources management for increasing
the production of the beel resources in a sustainable manner
based on a MoU signed by the Local Government Division of
Ministry of LGRD&C following the Clause 3 (Ka) of Government
Guidelines for Jamaal Management 2009.

Section 2 Goals:

Increasing the production of beel resources in a sustainable

manner and thereby improving the wellbeing of the poor fisher

Section 3 Objectives:

1. Having user’s ownership of local fisher to beel resources

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2. Improving the ecological condition of the beel resources and

restoring that

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3. Raising the production of the beel at optimum level
4. Ensuring to establish the Fisheries Acts for promoting the
conservation of haor/beel resources
5. Developing skill of fishers for better resource management
6. Ensuring participatory approach in decision making of beel
resource management
7. Extending support and practicing haor-based resource
management
8. Promoting women participation in mainstream beel resource
management
9. Giving support and participating policy campaign for
promoting better haor resource management

ARTICLE III: Activities

1. Mobilizing in group and forming institution of fisher

2. Mobilizing fund by group savings and member contribution
to ensure yearly lease fee and initiate development of beel
resources
3. Arranging and attending BUG meeting regularly
4. Drawing participatory long and short term plan for beel
resource development and implement that in an organized
manner
5. Initiating re-excavation of beel and canal for improving the
fish habitat
6. Arranging training for better group management
7. Arranging training in technical skill development for better
beel resource management
8. Demarking the beel area and retain that properly
9. Establishing fish sanctuary and maintain that properly
10.Planting swamp tree and protect that for promoting swamp
forestry
11.Introducing well managed cost effective fish harvesting
techniques
12.Taking all out efforts to conserve the beel eco-system
13.Taking initiative to add value to harvest such as processing,
sorting, drying and so on
14.Taking initiative to ensure more income by using the beel
shore for agricultural activities
15.Initiating welfare activities for the needy BUG members and
for the others in the society BUG belong to
16.Taking efforts to ensure more participation of women in beel
resource management
17.Taking initiative for better marketing of the beel produces
18.Contacting concern departments such as Fisheries,
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Agriculture, Environment for improved management of beel

resource

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 19.Taking initiative to resolve any conflicts of interest in beel
resource access/management
20.Initiating efforts to promote and practice the rules of
contemporary Government Jalmahal management policy
guidelines
21.Observing the days to promote social and environmental
values
22.Protecting the beel resources from any illegal and harmful
activities such as poaching, damaging and so on
23.Ensuring fair distribution of the benefit among the BUG
members
24.Taking initiative to give the BUG a sustainable institutional
structure
25.Taking initiative to raise capital of BUG for promoting credit
scheme, collective IGA and so on.
26.Ensuring very transparent account management through
regular systematic documentation of all transactions

ARTICLE IV: Structure of the Organization

The BUG shall have a general body comprising all BUG

members, and an executive committee called Beel Management
Committee (BMC)/Office Bearers, comprising 9 members elected
by direct voting by BUG members.

ARTICLE V: Membership

Section 1 Eligibility for Membership:

1. Should have permanent resident and living within the

command villages of the beel holding land below 2.5 acre
2. Should be actual fisher according to the criteria cited in
Government contemporary Jalmahal Management Policy
Guidelines
3. Should be in the list of fishers drawn by the CBRMP for the
concerned beel and endorsed by the concerned government
official as per contemporary Government Jalmahal
Management Policy Guidelines
4. Should not be convicted by Court
5. Should be 18-60 year age
6. Only one member from one family may be member of BUG
7. Defaulter or expelled from other development/social
organization cannot be member of BUG
8. CO members shall have got the priority to be member of BUG

Section 2 Admission and Dues:

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 1. For first initiated BUG the fisher shall have to apply to
CBRMP and he/she should be in the list of fisher drawn by the
CBRMP for that concerned beel
2. For membership to ongoing BUG the intended fisher shall
have to apply to concerned BUG and he/she should be in
the list of fisher drawn by the CBRMP for that concerned beel
3. An admission fee of Tk. 25 shall be paid
4. To get enrolled in an ongoing BUG, the intendant shall have
to pay all the dues that others members paid meanwhile
5. BUG member shall have to give a signed undertaking
( given in annex 1) that he/she shall abide by all the rules of
the BUG guidelines

Section 3 Rights, Roles and Responsibilities of Members:

1. Shall enjoy the full user right on beel

2. Shall be agreed to give all the fees/dues applied as BUG
members
3. Shall take part in 80% activities of beel fishing ( not
applicable for women member)
4. Should be gender proactive
5. Shall be regular in attending BUG meeting
6. Shall have to take part in planning and implementation of
beel development
7. Shall have to take part in training
8. Shall have to provide full support and active roles in
protecting the beel resource
9. For enjoying any benefit from beel resources at least 80%
attendance in BUG meeting shall have to be ensured
10.For guarding beel any family members of the BUG member
can be substituted in his/her absence
11.Shall have to consciously follow the rules of BUG byelaws and
the Fish Conservation Acts.
12.Shall elect BMC members
13.Assist and cooperate Project initiated research and
monitoring activities related to beel resources and fisher
community development

Section 4 Resignation, Termination and Absence:

1. May leave willingly

2. If died
3. Irregularity in paying dues and participating assigned
activities
4. Absent in BUG meeting for consecutive three times without
any valid reasons
5. If get convicted by court
6. Proved involved in anti-social/moral activities
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7. Migrated permanently
8. Get involved in anti-BUG activities

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 9. If become physically and mentally unfit
10.If involved in misappropriation of BUG fund
11.In case of losing membership the member shall get back
his/her savings
12.Any expelled member shall not be entitled to get benefit
from group fund, except his/her savings, if he/she is expelled
due to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 of Section 4 in Article V.

Section 5 Nominee/Successor:

1. Nominee of a BUG member shall be allowed to receive all the

benefits earned by him/her in case of his/her death,
physically disability due to accident or age. However,
nominee can’t be a member of BUG
2. As nominated by the BUG member in his/her application form
3. In case of any ambiguity or dispute, BUG in a meeting shall
take decision for selecting nominee for delivering benefits
and that shall be properly written in resolution in a meeting
with quorum.

ARTICLE VI: Beel Management Committee (BMC)/ Office Bearers

Section 1 Size and Composition:

Size and Composition: The BMC shall be of 9 members where

30% members shall be women. The composition of the
committee shall be:

President: 1
Vice-President: 1
Secretary: 1
Assistant Secretary: 1
Organizing Secretary: 1
Treasurer: 1
Member: 1
Member: 1
Member: 1

Section 2 Terms:

BMC shall be elected for two years, No BMC member can be

elected for the next consecutive period.

Section 3 Election of BMC:

All BMC members shall be elected by direct voting by the BUG

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members. Each member shall have one vote to cast against

each office bearer. In voting, secret ballot method shall be

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 applied. A standard rules and procedures of election shall be
followed introduced by the project until and unless the BUG shall
standalone being a sovereign entity.

Section 4 BMC Meeting:

BMC shall usually sit for meeting after the 15 days of BUG
meeting. President shall chair the meeting and in absence of
him/her Vice- President shall take the roles of the president.

Section 5 General Roles and Responsibilities of BMC:

1. Shall work as office bearers of the BUG

2. Shall lead the BUG to achieve the objectives with values
3. Shall initiate the plan and implement it for better beel
resource management
4. Shall attend the fortnightly meeting and review the progress
of the decisions taken in BUG meeting
5. Shall take initiative to mobilize fund beel development
6. Shall set strategy for long term ( 5 -10 year) development of
the beel resources
7. Shall take organized effort to mobilize and pay all the dues
such as leas fee in time
8. Shall ensure efforts to implement existing Fishers
Conservation Acts
9. Issuing license and permission for individual and
subsistence fishing
10.Shall arrange training for the BUG members
11.Shall resolve and disputes/conflicts in BUG
12.Shall octant proper institute/body to arrange local shalish to
resolve any disputes
13.Shall ensure stronger unity and integrity among BUG
members

Section 6 Specific Roles and Responsibilities of BMC members:

1. President:

1.1Shall preside BUG , BMC and the Annual General meeting

1.2Shall call the meeting
1.3Shall represent the BUG to other organizations
1.4Shall take the lead to plan and implement all the
development efforts of the beel
1.5Shall maintain and transact all the financial transaction and
sign all the instruments/documents in this regard
1.6Shall take vital role to resolve the conflict
1.7Shall take constructive effort to give the sustainability to BUG
1.8Shall encourage the BUG members for contributing to beel
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development and institution building

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2. Vice President:

2.1Shall take the responsibility in absence of President

3. Secretary

3.1Shall write and maintain all the documents and records

3.2Shall take the role for day to day management of BMC
3.3Shall prepare all the instruments of transaction and signed
those
3.4Shall ensure the management of all development activities
including beel harvest
3.5Shall call the meetings in permission of President
3.6Shall take the role of the organizing secretary in absence of
him/her
3.7Shall arrange training for the BUG members
3.8Assist in project initiated research and monitoring activities
related to beel resource and fisher community development

4. Assistant Secretary

4.1Shall take the role of Secretary and Organizing Secretary in

absence of them

5. Treasurer

5.1Shall keep records of all BUG resources and transaction

5.2Shall update the BMC on fund status
5.3Shall place the financial report to BMC and General meeting
5.4Shall transact all transaction with bank and others jointly with
President and General Secretary
5.5Shall collect the bank reconciliation statement ever month
and place in BUG and BMC meeting
5.6 Shall collect all the dues from BUG members, prepare
instruments to pay the dues such as lease fee to concerned
departments/bank
5.7Shall prepare a half-yearly financial statement and place it to
BMC meeting

6. Organizing Secretary

6.1Shall give efforts to make the BUG dynamic

6.2 Shall mobilize BUG members for taking development and
social activities
6.3Shall ensure field based actions to protect beel resources
6.4Shall take initiative to resolve conflicts
6.5Shall arrange campaign on days to promote social and
human values
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6.6Shall take initiative to mobilize BUG members in regular

meeting

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 6.7Shall assist President and Secretary to take initiatives for
building BUG institution
6.8Shall take initiative to promote gender values in BUG

7. Executive Members

7.1 Shall assist the BMC in its works and take issue based
responsibilities

Section 7 Resignations, Termination, and Absence:

Resignation from the BMC shall be in writing and received by the

committee whether by President or Secretary with a copy to
concern SUPM. A BMC member shall be terminated from BMC
upon excess absences, more than two unexcused absences from
BMC meeting a year and if loss the general membership on
valid grounds mention in section 4 of Article V. A BMC member
may be removed for other reasons by three-fourth vote of
remaining BMC members, but in this case the decision shall be
agreed by majority members present in immediate following
monthly regular meeting of BUG

ARTICLE VII: Meeting

Section 1 Regular Meeting:

BUG shall sit for regular meeting on monthly basis at a particular

time and place. In that meeting the minutes of the last meeting
shall be reviewed and passed and current and future plan of
work be set. The meeting shall be conducted in a systematic
manner ensuring participation of all members. All meeting
resolution shall be duly signed by the members attended

Section 2 Annual Meeting:

Annual General Meeting shall be held once a year. A meeting

notice shall be served to all BUG members before 30 days of the
date of the meeting. In this meeting the overall yearly physical
and financial progress including the internal audit reports shall
be placed and reviewed, and next year plan of activities shall be
drawn.

Section 3 Special Meeting:

Special meeting can be called by President on emergency issues

with a notice of maximum 7 days and minimum 3 days.
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Section 5 Quorum:

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 For quorum of any meeting attendance of three fourth members
shall be required to pass any decision and where at least half of
the women members enrolled in any group/committees should
be present.

Section 6 Voting:

All issues to be voted on shall be decided by a simple majority of

those present at the meeting in which the vote takes place

ARTICLE VIII: Rules of Fishing/Harvesting

Section 1 Collective/Organized Fishing:

1. At least 80% members of BUG shall be participated in

harvesting
2. Harvesting shall take place following a plan including date,
day and time approved in BUG meeting
3. All harvested fish shall be gathered at definite selected place
4. Women shall be encouraged to participate in harvesting with
specific work suitable for them such as sorting fish , record
keeping and so on

Section 2 Individual Fishing:

1. Individual fishing shall be carried out on gear license basis

2. BMC shall have the authority to give license to individual
3. License value shall be categorized on gear types ,
season/time and place basis
4. Anybody from beel command villages may apply for gear
license to concerned BMC
5. No harmful gear ( as declared by Fish conservation Acts )
shall be allowed for licensing
6. No individual fishing shall be allowed during closed period
and at restricted zone such as fish sanctuary

Section 3 Subsistence Fishing:

1. Villagers adjacent to beel may catch fish during a particular

season, time and with specific gears for consumption only as
determined by the concerned BMC
2. Villagers allowed for subsistence fishing shall have to collect
identity card from BUG for fishing
3. Fees against subsistence fishing, if imposed, shall be used
for social causes only
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Section 4 Compliances:

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 1. For fish harvesting BUG shall follow the rules of existing Fish
Conservation Acts
2. Dewatering shall not be allowed for fish harvesting
3. Sanctuary shall be fully restricted for fishing
4. Any katha, if selected for pile fisheries that shall be
maintained according to the rules of pile fishing
5. Breaking any rules in harvesting , may be fined by BMC
6. The customary methods of harvesting, if do not conflict with
Fish Conservation Acts and effective catch that may be
practiced.
7. All records of fish harvest shall be recorded on spot in
specific books and formats

ARTICLE IX: Rules of Selling and Marketing

Section 1
1. The harvested fish shall be sold on open auction adjacent to
beel area. For mobilizing maximum numbers of parties in
auction necessary contact should be done prior to the date of
auction informing the date, time and place of the auction.
2. For better price the fish shall be sorted and that shall be
done by the women BUG members and others as well on
payment.
3. The fish shall not be sold on credit
4. BUG member as well may take part in auction
5. For earning more income the harvest may be marketed to
other places too such as bigger market at district town, but
that should be decided in BUG meeting
6. The sold money shall be deposited in Bank account on the
day of selling or by the next day.

ARTICLE X: Rules of Benefit Distribution

Section 1 All members of BUG shall take part in activities that are equally
distributed in terms of responsibilities and considering the
competitiveness, and benefit shall also be equally distributed to
members irrespective of gender.

ARTICLE XI: Financial Management

Section 1 Source of fund:

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1. Member admission fee

2. Weekly/Monthly savings in BUG

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 3. Members contribution to BUG activities
4. Gear license fee
5. Sell from fish and other produces
6. Loan taken by BUG
7. Penalty
8. Others as approved by BUG in consent of CBRMP
Section 2 Heads of Key Expenditure:

1. Office rent
2. Office management and caretaking
3. Books for account and record keeping
4. Guarding
5. Harvesting
6. Establishing sanctuary
7. Fixing demarcation pillar
8. Setting Katha
9. Maintenance of sanctuary, demarcation pillar and Katha
10.Guarding
11.Investing in IGA
12.Arranging promotional activities, such as day observation,
conservation campaign and so on
13.Contribution to social causes
14.Training
15.Exposure
16.Others as approved by BUG in consent of CBRMP

Section 3 Bank Account:

1. BUG shall maintain an Account with suitable schedule bank

2. The account will be operated with joint signatures, Cashier
and President or Secretary instead of President
3. All transactions of the BUG shall be done through bank
4. Any withdrawn shall be supported by BUG meeting
resolution in attendance/presence of 90% BUG members
and the expenditure shall be approved by concerned CBRMP
official
5. Reconciliation of bank account shall be done on monthly
basis

Section 4 Internal Audit

1. Internal audit of BUG shall be done on yearly basis after beel

harvest and completion of the beel development activities
2. The income and expenditure statement shall be prepared
before the internal audit and that should be presented and
approved by respective BUG monthly meeting
3. The internal audit shall be placed in BUG annual meeting for
approval
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4. BUG members shall be trained in skill of conducting internal

audit

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 ARTICLE XII: Amendment

Section 1 These guidelines may be amended when necessary by two-third

majority in Annual General Meeting of the BUG. However, any
amendments shall be subject to approval of Project Director,
CBRMP until and unless the BUG statutorily shall standalone
being a sovereign entity.

ARTICLE XIII: Dissolution

Section1 If inevitable, the organization with all its committees may be

dissolved. In the case of dissolution that decision shall have to
be taken in Annual or a Special General Meeting of BUG with
two–third majority, and subsequently a petition to Project
Director, CBRMP shall have to be submitted by the concerned
BMC with that copy of the resolution duly signed. Upon that
Project director, CBRMP may dissolve the organization subject to
whether the BUG has settled all its liabilities prior to that.

ARTICLE XIV: Certification

These guidelines were approved by the Project Director, CBRMP

on ………..2010.

……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………
Signature Date:

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ANNEXES

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 Annex I

Undertaking

I do sign hereby and promise to abide by all the rules and responsibilities
mentioned in these Guidelines:

Serial # BUG member’s Father/Husband Age Village Signature

Name name

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