The Gandhi Ashram Trust (GAT), also called the Ambika-Kaliganga Charitable Trust, is a

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

and development organization working in

Noakhali Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...

since 1946 with

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

an philosophy of

rural development Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of l ...

. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's visit in 1947 to Noakhali, it has applied the Gandhian philosophy of rural development,

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

and social harmony to uplift living conditions of the rural poor, especially women, in that area. It has a two-pronged approach to developmental and

charitable The practice of charity is the voluntary giving of help to those in need, as a humanitarian act, unmotivated by self-interest. There are a number of philosophies about charity, often associated with religion. Etymology The word ''charity'' or ...

activities. Initially set up by the original owner of the premises (Barrister Hemanta Kumar Ghose) that were subsequently gifted to GAT, the Ambika Kaliganga Charitable Trust had carried out charitable functions and started working for the 1946

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

victims of Noakhali. Under

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

i rule, the Trust could not continue its activities due to the policies of the then government. After the independence of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

in 1971, with the emergence of the Gandhi Ashram Trust in 1975, there was a shift in the vision and mission of the Trust. Development and extension services for the poor and disadvantaged were taken along with charitable functions. Currently, the main focus of Gandhi Ashram Trust is the development of better standards of living, both material and eternal. It is working at the 5 district in Southern part of Bangladesh. Peace promotion, Human Development, Human Rights and Good Governance, Handicrafts promotion, Education, etc. are the main activities of the Organisation.

References

{{reflist Bangladeshi philanthropists Memorials to Mahatma Gandhi Charitable trusts History of Noakhali