ARTICLE I
Name, Seal, and Insignia
Section 1
The name of the organization shall be Bangladesh Chemical and Biochemical Association in North America, or BACABANA.
Section 2
Seal
Section 3
Insignia
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1
Any student or professional of Bangladeshi origin residing in North America, and affiliated to chemical or biochemical sciences defined by Article III Section 2 will be eligible to be a member of the organization.
Section 2
Anyone with a bachelor or higher degree or an associate degree or equivalent from an appropriately accredited educational institution in chemical or biochemical science or related field will be considered as affiliated to chemical or biochemical sciences.
ARTICLE V
Elections
Section 1
a. The president and general secretary will be elected as a panel by the general members
b. Vote will be online
c. To be a president or a general secretary or executive committee member, a minimum of two years of membership is required.
Section 2
Chapter representatives will be voted by the members of the chapter. If someone leaves the chapter area permanently for job or any other purpose while acting as a chapter representative, the post will be replaced within a month.
Section 3
If the president and the general secretary are elected from the same chapter, then the chapter representative will be elected from the other members of the chapter.
Section 4
The chapter committee will be elected by the members of the chapter. The members will decide the number of committee members.
Section 5
The election commission will be composed of a chief election commissioner and four election commissioners nominated by the chief election commissioner.
ARTICLE VII
Manner of Election
Section 1
a. One member from the advisory board chosen by the executive committee will be the chief of the election commission.
b. The chief election commissioner will nominate the other four members of the election commission.
c. No president and general secretary panel can raise objection against the nominated election commission.
Section 2
a. Biannually the election season will be June 1st to July 31st.
b. Panels should be announced on the BACABANA website by 12:00 am (CST) of 7th June of the election year.
c. Nominated panels will be announced on the website by 11:59 pm (CST) of 21st June of the election year.
d. The voting will start online from 11:59 pm (CST) of July 7th through 11:59 pm (CST) of July 14th.
e. Result will be announced on 15th July by 11:59 pm (CST).
f. By the first week of August of the election year, in an annual meeting, the new committee will be sworn in.
ARTICLE IX
Responsibilities
Section 1
President: The responsibilities of the president include planning by discussing with the general secretary and the executive committee, setting agendas, assigning and monitoring responsibilities to execute the main objectives [Article II] of the organization according to the constitution.
Section 2
General secretary: The vice-president shall cooperate in the fulfillment of the responsibilities of the president and assume those duties in the president’s absence.
Section 3
Executive committee: The executive committee shall provide with suggestions and execute responsibilities (portfolios) assigned by the president.
Section 4
Central committee: The central committee shall discuss and approve the activities of the organization and make decisions on organizational plans and agenda.
Section 5
Chapter committee: The chapter committee shall be responsible for organizing the activities of the chapter.
Section 6
Election commission:
a. The election commission will conduct the election and the sworn-in ceremony of the incumbent central committee.
b. The chief election commissioner will call and preside over the emergency central committee meeting, and conduct poll on the proposed impeachment of the president. [Detailed in Article XII, Section 1b]
ARTICLE XI
Amendments of the
Constitution
Section 1
Any article of the constitution can be amended
by the approval of two-thirds of the central committee members.
Section
2
a. Authorization to submit the proposed amendment for ratification by any member must be endorsed by five central committee members, alternatively, by fifty general members or one-tenth of the general members (whichever fewer in number).
b. Upon submission of the proposed amendment by a general member, the executive committee will bring this amendment proposal in their next executive committee meeting.
c. The executive committee will put forward the proposed amendment to be voted in the next general meeting.
ARTICLE XIV
Publications
Endorsed by the executive committee, the
organization shall issue or sponsor the publications that fall within the scope
of the organization’s objectives.
ARTICLE II
Objects
Section 1
The objects of BACABANA shall be
a. To encourage Bangladeshi origin students, professionals and researchers in North America to attain professional excellence in the field of chemical and biochemical sciences.
b. To develop professional networking through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions, seminars, symposiums, and publications.
c. To exchange expertise in academic, industrial, and environmental sectors through collaboration between North American and Bangladeshi professionals.
ARTICLE IV
Composition of the organization
Section 1
a. The organization will be composed of a central committee, an advisory board, and chapters.
b. The central committee will consist of the president, the general secretary, elected executive committee members, and the elected chapter representatives.
c. The number of the central committee members shall not exceed seventy-one.
d. There will be an executive committee consisting of the current or former members from the central committee, as detailed in article IV section 2.
e. Any State or Province will be considered as a potential chapter of the organization. The number of representative(s) from a chapter for the central committee will be determined by total number of members residing in that chapter: maximum 1 representative for less than 20 members, 2 for 20 or more but less than 30 members, and 3 for 30 or more. The duration of the central committee is 2 years.
Section 2
The executive committee will be elected by the central committee members and will consist of minimum 7 or twenty percent (20%) (whichever greater in number) members of the central committee. All portfolios will be headed by the executive members.
Section 3
The advisory board will be independent of the central committee and will consist of not more than twenty (20) members. The members (from academy, industry and former presidents and general secretary) will be chosen by the president after discussing with the executive committee. If three-fourth members of the executive committee agree to nominate or reject someone to be an advisory board member, the president must accept the opinion. The duration of the board is two years. The advisory board members will be invited in any general gathering arranged by the central committee.
ARTICLE VI
Finances
Section 1
The organization will be funded primarily by donation, membership fee, and in future by publications, charity etc.
Section 2
The one-time membership fee for the student members is $25.00, for postdoctoral members $35.00 and for the professional members is $50.00, and (s)he will remain member as long as (s)he is physical staying in North America.
Section 3
All income to the organization shall be managed by an executive member assigned for that purpose.
Section 4
a. There shall be an annual apportionment of funds to local chapters.
b. 20% of all the income of the organization shall be sanctioned for the chapters and each chapter will get in proportion to their member number.
c. To receive the allocated fund, the chapter shall propose appropriate purpose.
Section 5
The president can allot up to $500/3 months for any purpose without the approval of the executive committee. The executive committee can approve up to $1000/3 months, whereas for any amount exceeding $1000/3 months, the approval from the central committee is needed.
Section6
Scholarship: The committee responsible for education (president, executive committee, and advisory board) will recommend to the central committee the amount, and the number of scholarship recipients annually.
ARTICLE VIII
Local Chapter
Section 1
Every State or Province has the potential to be a local chapter.
Section 2
Canada is considered as a branch of BACABANA. There will be a branch committee and representation to BACABANA central committee will be determined as per [Article IV, Section 1e]. BACABANA Canada committee decides the composition of the Canada branch.
Section 2 Each chapter will form a committee headed by the chapter representative of the central committee.
ARTICLE X
Meetings
Section 1
Executive committee: The executive committee shall meet (e.g., teleconference) at least once in every three months and at least once a year.
Section 2
Central committee: The central committee shall meet once a year.
Section 3
Chapter committee: The chapter committee shall meet once annually.
Section 4
General annual meeting: There shall be an annual gathering with all members of the organization. The annual meeting of the election year will incorporate the sworn-in ceremony of the new central committee.
Section 5
Emergency meetings: President can call emergency meeting, e.g., in the case of proposed amendment of the constitution [Article XI]. Emergency meeting can also be called by the chief election commissioner in the case of proposed impeachment of the president [Article XII, Section 1b].
ARTICLE XII
Impeachment and membership cancellation
Section 1
President/General secretary:
a. If the president or vice-president fails to meet the essential expectations required for the organization or commits any (unlawful) activities that defame the organization or becomes convicted by the law of the country will be subject to impeachment. The procedure of the impeachment is the same as that of the amendment of constitution. [Article XI]
b. The chief of the election commission will call and preside over the emergency central meeting to decide on the proposed impeachment of the president by conducting poll among the central committee members. In case of the proposed impeachment of the vice-president, the president will preside over the meeting instead of the chief election commissioner.
Section 2
Members: To continue as a member of the organization, one must fulfill the conditions of membership. Otherwise, (s)he will be automatically dismembered from the organization and any other duties assigned to him/her.
ARTICLE XIII
Vacancies
Section 1
If the post of the president is vacant, the vice-president will automatically take charge of the presidency till the end of the tenure.
Section 2
If the general secretary s post is vacant, the president will nominate a member of the executive committee for vice-presidency.
Section 3
If any executive committee member’s post becomes vacant and the president wants to fill the vacancy, then within one month the election commission will conduct election to fill the vacant position as per the election rules [Article 4, Section 2].
| AMENDMENT LOG | |||
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| Amendment number | Description of amendment | Date | |
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Initial Issue 1. Vice president2. Article IV, Section 1b “The central committee will consist of the president, the vice president, and the elected chapter representatives” 3. Article IV, Section 1d “There will be an executive committee consisting of the members from the central committee, as detailed in article IV section 2" 4. Article IV Section 1.e “Any State or Province will be considered as a potential chapter of the organization assuming that each State or Province has at least ten BACABANA members. If ten members are not available, a State or Province can merge with its neighboring State(s) or Province(s) to form a zone and be considered as a chapter." 5. Article IV Section 2 “The executive committee will be elected by the central committee members and will consist of minimum 5 or twenty percent (20%) (whichever greater in number) members of the central committee. All portfolios will be headed by the executive members.” 6. Article V Section 1c “To be a president or a vice-president, a minimum of two years of membership is required except for the first two central committees’ tenure” 7. Article VI Section 2 “The annual membership fee for the student members is $50.00 and for the professional members is $100.00 and will be revised by the central committee every 5 years. The membership must be renewed every 12 months. Continuous members of 15 years will be waived of annual membership fees.” 8. Article VI Section 5 “The president can allot up to $200 for any purpose without the approval of the executive committee. The executive committee can approve up to $500, whereas for any amount exceeding $500, the approval from the central committee is needed.” 9. Article VIII Section 1 “Every State or Province has the potential to be a local chapter if its member number is at least 10. In the case, where a State or Province does not have 10 members, two or more adjacent States or Provinces can form a (zonal) chapter to represent in the central committee. 10. Article VIII Section 2 “When a zonal chapter is formed, the representative in the central committee will be selected by the members of the zonal chapter.” 11. Article X Section 1” The executive committee shall meet (e.g., teleconference) at least once in every three months and at least once a year in person.” 12. Article X Section 2 “The central committee shall meet once a year in person” |
Amendment 1 1. General secretary2. Article IV, Section 1b “The central committee will consist of the president, the general secretary, elected executive committee members, and the elected chapter representatives” 3. Article IV, Section 1d “There will be an executive committee consisting of the current or former members from the central committee, as detailed in article IV section 2" 4. Article IV Section 1.e “Any State or Province will be considered as a potential chapter of the organization." 5. Article IV Section 2 “The executive committee will be elected by the central committee members and will consist of minimum 7 or twenty percent (20%) (whichever greater in number) members of the central committee. All portfolios will be headed by the executive members.” 6. Article V Section1c “To be a president or a general secretary or executive committee member, a minimum of two years of membership is required. 7. Article VI Section 2 “The one time membership fee for the student members is $25.00, for postdoctoral members $35.00 and for the professional members is $50.00,and (s)he will remain member as long as (s)he is physical staying in North America.” 8. Article VI Section 5 “The president can allot up to $500/3 months for any purpose without the approval of the executive committee. The executive committee can approve up to $1000/3 months, whereas for any amount exceeding $1000/3 months, the approval from the central committee is needed.” 9. Article VIII Section 1 “Every State or Province has the potential to be a local chapter. 10. Article VIII Section 2 “Canada is considered as a branch of BACABANA. There will be a branch committee and representation to BACABANA central committee will be determined as per [Article IV, Section 1e]. BACABANA Canada committee decides the composition of the Canada branch.” 11. Article X Section 1” The executive committee shall meet (e.g., teleconference) at least once in every three months and at least once a year.” 12. Article X Section 2 “The central committee shall meet once a year” |
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