2022-08

Joint Meeting – August 2022 (held on August 8th)

Chaired by: Moin Asjad

Attendees are:

Trustees:
Br. Abid Rahman

Br. Abul Bashar Patwary

Br. Muhammad Azim

Br. Ferdous M. Ghazi

Br. Amer Sufi (Left at 11:45am)

Br. Javid Khatri

Sr. Nazneen Khan

Br. Mohammed Rafique Uddin

Br. Saria Sadique

Br. Md. Anwar Hussain

Br. Masud Hossain (Left at 12:00pm)

Br. Shahid Iqbal

Sr. Marina Azim
Br. Moin Asjad

 

Representatives:
Br. Mohammed Matin (Left at 11:45am)

Br. Foezur Rahman Chowdhury

Br. Ahmed Khan

Br. Noor Alam (Left at 11:35am)

Br. Zainul Abedin

 

Standing Committee Members:

Br. Akbar Mohammed

Sr. Siddika Maleka Hussain

Sr. Ghazala Khan

Br. Muhammed Kaysuzzaman Chowdhury

Br. Mohammad Shahidur Rahman

Sr. Sabia B. Patwary

 

Attendance required for quorum: 20
Attending number of members: 25

 

Meeting started on: 10:05am

Following Agenda items were discussed at the meeting:

  • Started with request to everyone to recite Surah Fatiha.
  • Financial update was provided by Br. Zainul Abedin
  • Summer School: Br. Saria provided update on the summer school. Mentioned following student and donation collection status:
    1. Students: 11
    2. All paid
  • Rafiq mentioned about having a liaison from the board and planning should be done to increase number of students in next year’s session
  • Zainul Abedin suggested to make a sub-committee to support the activity
  • Azim suggested that after program is over, Br. Tazim should publish a report and provide improvement suggestions.
  • Ferdous mentioned that food cleaning needs to be done after summer school
  • Jami suggested to put on picnic tables, Br. Ferdous mentioned that putting picnic table may lead to complain from neighbor if permission is not taken from city
  • Noor Alam brought in Hifz program suggestion to start from this year. Br. Azim mentioned he is not opposing the program but wanted to make sure we have time to execute such program with the resource AMDA has.  Question was asked if arrangement should be made to do the state mandated regular studies.  Br. Noor mentioned that this is done by home schooling and the guidance is provided by an organization (VALC). The parents take responsibility of the student’s daily study.  Br. Moin asked what resource AMDA needs to put in for the program, Br. Noor responded that AMDA needs to provide a room and the Hifz teacher to execute the program.  Br. Noor mentioned that he has discussed this with the IAGD Hifz program coordinator who has told Br. Noor that he will provide guidance to setup the program in AMDA.  Br. Moin requested to submit the feasibility of executing the program this year.  Br. Noor was assigned to provide the feasibility, if it is feasible then community email will be sent to gage interest for the program.  Br. Noor mentioned that he will provide feasibility study by the week of 8/6/2022. Br. Noor mentioned that minimum number of students needed to start the program is 4.

Following motion (Motion – 1) was placed for voting. Can a feasibility study be completed to start the Hifz program this year and report back to all board and committee? Voting: Yes – 24: No – 0; Abstain – 0 (Detail of voting is below)

 

Motion 1

Board of Trustee

 

Abid Rahman

Y

Abul Bashar Patwary

Y

Muhammad Azim

Y

Ferdous M. Ghazi

Y

Amer Sufi

Y

Javid Khatri

Y

Moin Asjad

Y

Nazneen Khan

Y

Mohammed Rafique Uddin

Y

Saria Sadique

Y

Md. Anwar Hussain

Y

Masud Hossain

Y

Shahid Iqbal

Y

Marina Azim

Y

Board of Representative

 

Mohammed Matin

Y

Foezur Rahman Chowdhury

Y

Ahmed Khan

 Did not sign-in during voting

Noor Alam

Y

Zainul Abedin

Y

Standing Committee

 

Akbar Mohammed

Y

Siddika Maleka Hussain

Y

Ghazala Khan

Y

Muhammed Kaysuzzaman Chowdhury

Y

Mohammad Shahidur Rahman

Y

Sabia B. Patwary

Y

 

  • Construction Update: Br. Saria provided update that the statement of work has been completed. Statement of Work along with the drawings are provided to general contractors for providing construction bid. Drawings has also been provided to the City of Sterling Heights building department for review and building permit. City did not provide date for completion of review.  Moin’s estimate is that it may take 3 weeks or more. Br. Anwar Hussain suggested to make minarets at four corners.  Br. Moin suggested that the proposal for minarets can be submitted at the end of construction as a separate proposal.  All agreed to the suggestion. 
  • Membership: Br. Moin mentioned that Br. Mohammad Ali who was taking care of the membership requested that someone pick up the responsibility since he is no longer in the Board of Representatives. Ahmed Khan mentioned he will talk it in BOR meeting and get back with update.
  • Email Address: Br. Azim mentioned that he supports maintaining email address in amda.us domain, but suggested that personal emails should also be included in the blast email addresses (trustees@amda.us; representatives@amda.us; scmembers@amda.us). There was no objection to the proposal.  Henceus domain addresses will be maintained.
  • Distribution list updates: Br. Ahmed Khan brought up the email blast address update. Moin mentioned that any members of any board and committee can check if his email is included and can add other email addresses.  These are maintained in google groups and detail on how to check on email was explained.
  • Idea for media and publication: Br. Abid Rahman brought up the proposal of assigning individuals to write meeting minutes for a meeting. Also assign backup to write the meeting minutes. Br. Moin mentioned that this practice was tried several times by assigning standing committee members. But it did not work out previously.  Moin suggested that Br. Abid may want to take that responsibility to write the meeting minutes, in addition all the members present at any meeting can also write and help the chairperson.

Br. Abid also suggested to create a committee for newsletter. Br. Moin suggested that it was an excellent idea, and it should be pursued, no volunteer stepped forward at the meeting to take the responsibility.

  • Formation of Imam Hiring committee: Br. Masud mentioned that members of the committee should not have any bias against any organization. Criteria of Imam selection should be based on qualification. Br. Kaysuzzaman mentioned that he was a member of the imam hiring committee in Bangladesh and mentioned that individuals with capability to assess credential mentioned in the application should be included in the committee. Br. Moin mentioned that it is a good idea but given the imitations in United States of America, the burden of credential assessment should not be placed on the committee, they should base the credential assessment on feedback from the institution from where the individual has graduated. Br. Moin mentioned that the responsibility of the committee should be to make recommendation of 2 or 3 individuals to all boards and committees based on their findings, if the individual with right credential is a right fit for the community, then the final decision should be made based on feedback from all board and committees. Br. Rafiq mentioned that he is a retired academician, and he has already talked to educational institute to get feedback regarding the application, which an applicant said he has graduated from. Br. Foez Rahman mentioned that the committee should also include young generation.  Moin mentioned that additional members should be added to the committee after discussion in next joint meeting.  Proposal was place by Br. Saria Sadiq to have Br. Rafiq, Br. Azim and Br. Javid on the imam search committee.

Following motion (Motion – 2) was placed for voting. Imam search committee should include Br. Rafiq, Br. Azim and Br. Javid. Voting: Yes – 24: No – 0; Abstain – 0 (Detail of voting is below)

 

Motion – 2

Board of Trustee

 

Abid Rahman

Y

Abul Bashar Patwary

Y

Muhammad Azim

Y

Ferdous M. Ghazi

Y

Amer Sufi

Y

Javid Khatri

Y

Moin Asjad

Y

Nazneen Khan

Y

Mohammed Rafique Uddin

Y

Saria Sadique

Y

Md. Anwar Hussain

Y

Masud Hossain

Y

Shahid Iqbal

Y

Marina Azim

Y

Board of Representative

 

Mohammed Matin

Y

Foezur Rahman Chowdhury

Y

Ahmed Khan

 Did not sign-in during voting

Noor Alam

Y

Zainul Abedin

Y

Standing Committee

 

Akbar Mohammed

Y

Siddika Maleka Hussain

Y

Ghazala Khan

Y

Muhammed Kaysuzzaman Chowdhury

Y

Mohammad Shahidur Rahman

Y

Sabia B. Patwary

Y
  • Severance payment for Br. XX: Proposal for severance pay discussion was brought forward by Br. Azim, mentioning the quorum requirement was not met. Br. Moin mentioned that quorum was met in last month meeting when amount of severance pay was discussed. But it was not met when the payment frequency was discussed and voted. At this point Br. Ferdous again proposed to do the payment as one payment. Moin asked how the proposal will be funded, to which Br. Ferdous mentioned that the payment will be made from operation (maintenance) fund. To this Br. Moin mentioned that it is not right to do this, since donors did not provide their hard-earned money to use for the proposed purpose. Br. Moin mentioned that this was also mentioned by Br. Javid in July meeting.  To which brother Javid mentioned that his proposal was to fund it from Zakat fund.  Br. Shahid asked Br. Moin that in last meeting he (Br. Moin) brought idea of corporations paying one month salary equivalent pay for each year worked and proposed that Br. XX be sent to Bangladesh for 3 years study paid by AMDA. Br. Moin clarified that he has specifically mentioned it was a statement and not an idea for AMDA and mentioned that after the statement made in July meeting, he specifically said that AMDA does not and cannot follow any of the statements since those are done by corporation.  Br. Moin also mentioned that he never said to send Br. XX to Bangladesh and that it is Br. Shahid’s personal interpretation.  Br. Moin clarified that it was an idea, and at the meeting he mentioned that, maybe we can consider paying for 3 years education, since 1 year has already been completed by Br. XX.  Question was asked where that would have been funded from; to that, Br. Moin mentioned that the fund could have come from Zakat fund collected specifically for the purpose.  At this point, Br. Moin was asked that he has voted in last meeting for the payment that was decided, Br. Moin clarified that he voted “Abstain” and not for the proposal.  He also mentioned that his take is that any fund for proposal could come from personal donation specifically collected for the reason and not from AMDA fund.  To this Br. Azim mentioned that Br. Moin did not mention this in the last meeting.  Br. Moin mentioned that it is his thought on any payment for this purpose.  Br. Javid asked if Br. Moin mentioned that the personal fund be collected from the individuals present in the meeting.  Br. Moin responded that he never intended that, and it can be anyone who wants to pay for the cause. Br. Moin reiterated that paying from donation received by AMDA for maintenance or operation should not be paid to fund the proposal.

At this point Br. Ferdous mentioned he is very sensitive to a specific word that was used to describe the action because he does not see this as such, since this practice is there in corporate world – making monetary offer and in return asking a recipient to sign document not to take legal action against the company.  Br. Ferdous was requested to clarify what word he is referring to, Br. Ferdous then clarified that the word used is “Bribe”. To this Br. Moin mentioned that there is difference in financial transaction of a corporate and of a public organization. Br. Rafiq mentioned that public organizations are at different level of scrutiny. Br. Moin mentioned to Br. Ferdous that Br. Moin was told about Br. Ferdous implying AMDA to be a private organization in an email sent on July 25th, 2022, to which Br. Ferdous mentioned that he did not and AMDA is a public organization.

Br. Moin mentioned that, in a public organization, just the statement Br. Ferdous made about the process followed in corporate world, meets the criteria of doing exactly what he is so sensitive about.

Br. Ahmed Khan mentioned that it is his feeling that some people in board wants AMDA to get sued.  Br. Moin asked why someone would bring or some people specifically in different board of AMDA would want to bring law suit against AMDA, not sure what the reason would be. No clarification was provided for the feeling statement Br. Ahmed Khan made.

Br. Bashar Patwary asked Br. Moin, about why did Br. Moin mention in his email that it is a bribe. Upon request from Br. Moin to show him what Br. Bashar meant; Br. Bashar showed the email that was sent by Br. Moin on July 24th, 2022.  Br. Moin requested Br. Bashar to read the content aloud so all present in the meeting could hear what was written.  To this request no response was provided by Br. Bashar. Not getting any response, following proposal originally placed for voting was reintroduced since quorum requirement was not met in July meeting and it is met in this meeting; Motion 3 – “Should the severance package for compensation be 1 time pay” Voting: Yes – 20: No – 0; Abstain – 1 (Detail of voting is below).

 

Motion – 3

Board of Trustee

 

Abid Rahman

Y

Abul Bashar Patwary

Y

Muhammad Azim

Y

Ferdous M. Ghazi

Y

Amer Sufi

Not Present during voting

Javid Khatri

Y

Moin Asjad

Abstain

Nazneen Khan

Y

Mohammed Rafique Uddin

Y

Saria Sadique

Y

Md. Anwar Hussain

Y

Masud Hossain

Not Present during voting

Shahid Iqbal

Y

Marina Azim

Y

Board of Representative

 

Mohammed Matin

Not Present during voting

Foezur Rahman Chowdhury

Y

Ahmed Khan

Y

Noor Alam

Not Present during voting

Zainul Abedin

Y

Standing Committee

 

Akbar Mohammed

Y

Siddika Maleka Hussain

Y

Ghazala Khan

Y

Muhammed Kaysuzzaman Chowdhury

Y

Mohammad Shahidur Rahman

Y

Sabia B. Patwary

Y

 

Meeting adjourned at 12:00 pm

 

Meeting Minutes August 2022