Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy/Implementation/Affiliate health criteria/Reports/2024/Wikimedia Bangladesh
| Affiliate basic information | ||
|---|---|---|
| What is the affiliate name? | Wikimedia Bangladesh | |
| Please list the languages supported by this affiliate | Bangla | |
| Please list countries where this affiliate operates | Bangladesh | |
| Reporting timeline (e.g. January-December) | January-December | |
| Reporting year (e.g. 2024 or 2024-2025) | 2024 | |
| Primary contact (user name) | Moheen (WMBD) | |
| Secondary contact (user name) | ROCKY (WMBD) | |
| Goal delivery | ||
| What is the affiliate mission? | The purpose of the organization is to promote, without self-interest, the creation, preservation, and dissemination of free knowledge in Bangladesh, ensuring equitable access to knowledge, learning, and participation for all. | |
| What are the affiliate goals? Link to the strategic plan, if there is one. | Here are our 9 strategic goals:
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| Organizational development | ||
| How does the affiliate make decisions? How are decisions communicated? | Wikimedia Bangladesh is a membership-based organization. Since its founding, member participation has been at the heart of its decision-making. The General Members constitute the core of the association and elect its leadership. They meet at least once a year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is the organization’s highest decision-making body.
In accordance with the bylaws, the members elect a volunteer Executive Committee for each term. This Committee provides strategic guidance, oversees the organization’s activities, approves annual plans and budgets, and ensures that Wikimedia Bangladesh remains committed to advancing free knowledge. Minutes of the AGM are shared with all members. Decisions made by the Executive Committee are recorded and communicated through official channels, including internal mailing lists and community announcements, ensuring that members and volunteers remain informed about the organization’s governance and direction. | |
| What is the current state of the affiliate finances? Link to the latest financial report, if there is one. | Wikimedia Bangladesh/Reports/2024-25/Financial | |
Affiliate health and resilience
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| How many people participate in the decision-making process in the affiliate? | As of January 2024, Wikimedia Bangladesh had more than 50 members. Of these, 31 actively participate in the association’s decision-making by attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM), contributing to discussions, and submitting proposals. These members hold voting rights and are eligible to stand for election to leadership positions. | |
| Has there been any significant changes in the level of the affiliate membership body (e.g. increase/decrease of number of dues-paying members)? | Since its founding, Wikimedia Bangladesh has maintained a stable membership base. Between June 2024 and July 2025, the number of members increased from 55 to 61. The affiliate follows a careful membership policy that evaluates applications strategically, which ensures effective growth; as a result, the increase is gradual but steady. | |
| Are there any affiliate activities in the past year that were led by affiliate members? Please share the highlights. | The question does not fully reflect how Wikimedia Bangladesh operates. Most activities are carried out collaboratively by the Board, staff, and community volunteers, regardless of their membership status. In the past year, members and volunteers have actively contributed to workshops, training sessions, and other community-led initiatives. | |
| Leadership and inclusion | ||
Diverse, skilled, and accountable leadership
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| What kind of skills does the affiliate leadership possess? | Leadership at Wikimedia Bangladesh combines the experience of the elected Board with the expertise of active volunteers and staff who manage day-to-day operations. Board members bring skills in governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, and community engagement. Volunteers and staff contribute project management, outreach, technical, and communication expertise. The organization supports ongoing capacity building and professional development to strengthen leadership skills and ensure effective management of affiliate activities. | |
| Is there any kind of succession plan for the affiliate leadership? | Wikimedia Bangladesh has established procedures to ensure smooth transitions in leadership. The Board oversees the identification and preparation of potential successors when elected members or key volunteers step down. This includes planning for timely handovers, preparing guidelines for continuity, and supporting new leaders with the information and resources needed to carry out their responsibilities effectively. | |
| Are there any trainings that affiliate leadership undergo before they assume their leadership position? | Before taking on their roles, members of the Executive Committee (EC) receive orientation and guidance on governance, financial oversight, community engagement, and organizational policies. Ongoing mentoring and support are provided to help EC members perform their duties effectively and contribute to the strategic goals of Wikimedia Bangladesh. | |
| Are there any requirements for affiliate leadership to disclose their conflict(s) of interests? | Wikimedia Bangladesh requires all members of the Executive Committee (EC) to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. A conflict arises when a personal or professional interest of an EC member could influence, or appear to influence, their decisions in the organization. Procedures for identifying, reporting, and managing conflicts are established in the affiliate’s governance policies, ensuring transparency and accountability in leadership. | |
Diversity balance (especially gender)
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| What is the diversity level of the affiliate leadership and membership body? | Wikimedia Bangladesh seeks to promote diversity within its Executive Committee and membership. Currently, one of the nine members of the Executive Committee is female. The EC includes members with diverse professional backgrounds and experience. Among the broader membership, volunteers come from different regions, age groups, and communities, reflecting the affiliate’s commitment to inclusive participation in its activities and decision-making. | |
| How is the affiliate leadership encouraging gender diversity in the decision-making process(es) of the affiliate? | Wikimedia Bangladesh encourages gender diversity in its decision-making processes by actively considering inclusivity when selecting and mentoring Executive Committee members. The affiliate supports participation from underrepresented groups and provides guidance and capacity-building opportunities to ensure all members can contribute effectively. While leadership positions are currently limited, ongoing efforts focus on creating a more balanced and inclusive environment for decision-making within the Executive Committee and the broader membership. | |
Universal Code of Conduct compliance
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| How does the affiliate leadership ensure, enforce, and evaluate compliance with the Universal Code of Conduct obligations? | Wikimedia Bangladesh ensures that all participants in its events and activities adhere to the Universal Code of Conduct. Information about expected behavior is communicated clearly to participants before and during events. Compliance is monitored by designated members or organizers, and any issues are addressed promptly according to established guidelines. The affiliate also regularly reviews its policies and procedures to strengthen respectful, inclusive, and safe participation in both online and offline activities. | |
| Engagement and Collaboration | ||
| Please share the publicly available records of regular meetings, activities, events, or conference in the past year where the affiliate has participated. | See our annual report: Wikimedia chapters/Reports/Wikimedia Bangladesh/2024 | |
| Community connection | ||
| How many affiliate members are active contributors to the Wikimedia projects? | Approximately 70% of Wikimedia Bangladesh’s members actively contribute to various Wikimedia projects. The remaining members participate in offline activities throughout the year, supporting the affiliate’s programs and initiatives. | |
| How many affiliate members are not active contributors to the Wikimedia projects? | While approximately 70% of Wikimedia Bangladesh’s members actively contribute to Wikimedia projects, the remaining members primarily participate in offline activities such as workshops, training sessions, and community events. The exact number of members not contributing online cannot be precisely determined, but it is estimated that fewer than 20% contribute irregularly to Wikimedia projects. | |
| How many affiliate members are active organizers (of projects, events, conferences, initiatives, etc) within the Wikimedia movement? | The way this question is formulated does not fully reflect the reality of Wikimedia Bangladesh’s work and membership structure. While most members contribute actively to Wikimedia projects, the exact number of members not contributing online cannot be precisely determined. It is estimated that fewer than 20% participate irregularly in Wikimedia projects. | |
| How many people have participated in affiliate projects, events, conferences, and/or initiatives in the past year? | The following numbers reflect the participation of members and volunteers in Wikimedia Bangladesh activities over the past year. In 2024, the affiliate organized and supported numerous community-led initiatives, including workshops, training sessions, edit-a-thons, and outreach events, with over 1000 participants taking part in these activities. | |
| Partnerships and collaboration | ||
| Please list all activities/initiatives that the affiliate has organized or co-organized in past 12 months. | An overview of the activities and initiatives that the organization has organized or co-organized over the past year can be found in our 2024 Annual Report: Wikimedia chapters/Reports/Wikimedia Bangladesh/2024 | |
| What would affiliate leadership list as the top 3 (three) capacities of the affiliate? (e.g. evaluation, community governance, programs and events, organizational governance and resource policies, conflict management, partnerships, fundraising, communication and media relations, contributor development, on-wiki technical skills, policy advocacy, etc) | Our focus capacities in 2024 were our three focus areas (see our annual report): 1. Volunteer supports | |
| 2. Parameters for Free Knowledge | ||
| 3. Technology | ||
| What are the 3 (three) capacities that the affiliate would like to strengthen in the next 12 months? | Over the next year, Wikimedia Bangladesh seeks to strengthen the following three capacities:
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| Strategic goals for each of these priorities were established between June 2023 and July 2024. | ||
| The strategic goals form the basis for our planning for 2025: Wikimedia Bangladesh/Events/2025 | ||
| What are the organizations, community projects, or groups that the affiliate had been working or seeking to work with to develop and support the 3 capacities? | To develop and support its strategic capacities, Wikimedia Bangladesh works closely with its community members and volunteers, as well as partner organizations within the Wikimedia movement. The affiliate also seeks to collaborate with educational, cultural, and public institutions, including museums, libraries, and archives, to promote free knowledge and broaden participation. These partnerships help strengthen organizational capacity, support community growth, and encourage inclusive engagement across Wikimedia projects. | |