Richard William Timm

Timm died in South Bend, Indiana on September 11, 2020.

On other disasters, including the great flood of 1998, Notre Dame College and Caritas both participated in the relief effort both in and out of Dhaka City under the participation and influence of Timm.

Timm founded the Coordinator Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh (CCHRB) served as the president for three terms till 1993. He also worked with Justice KM Sobhan to assess the human rights in Myanmar, specially the human rights violation of the local workers deployed in the extension of the pipeline of Yadana Gas Field and presented the results to the Committee on International Relations of the US House of Representatives.

Timm was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1987 for International Understanding.

He served the Justice and Peace Commission as the executive secretary for almost 23 years from its inception in 1974.He conducted a study on over 1000 workers from 51 export-oriented ready-made garment factories while serving the JPC as the executive secretary. He evaluated the pay scale, freedom of association, maternity leave of the workers with the help of the students of Notre Dame College, Dhaka and Holy Cross College, Dhaka; later, the results were published on the mainstream media in Bangladesh. He visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts and authored three books where he focused on the deprivation of land rights of the indigenous people of those areas. He revealed the confidential plan of the Bangladesh Govt. to rehabilitate 200 poor families from different areas of Bangladesh to the hill tracts; the govt. allegedly sent letters to each district of the country to provide land of 5 to 10 acres to each family; and later, these families were alleged to take land from the indigenous inhabitants forcefully, where the army and the local governing structures allegedly helped them due to the local politics - according to his books. He founded the South Asia Forum for Human Rights(SAFHR) was the chief of it for 3 years at a stretch. He also founded CORR The Jute Works.

Timm was the first planning officer of Christian Organization for Relief and Rehabilitation(CORR) in 1970. He became the Director when the organization renamed itself to Caritas Bangladesh. He guided the formation of The Association of the Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB) which later became the association of more than 130 NGOs of Bangladesh. He is considered to be the Father of NGO in Bangladesh.

On November 12, 1970, a great cyclone struck the coastal areas of East Pakistan and killed at least 50,000 people. Timm, assisted by the students of Notre Dame College, CORR (The Christian Organization for Relief and Rehabilitation, later Caritas) and HELP (Heartland Emergency Life-Saving Project), conducted several relief expeditions in the affected areas. The response was among the biggest of those taken by Non-government people.

Since 1952, Timm has been working in the education sector of first the east Bengal province of Pakistan and then Bangladesh. He was a recognized person for the operations of Notre Dame College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in November 1949, the college is still carrying on with its reputation and quality and is one of the best educational institutions in Bangladesh by the official ranking. He also took the responsibility of the Principal of Notre Dame College for the term 1970-71 and worked as the Director of Studies as well. He was still connected to the college though not taking part in academic activities. He is also the founder of the Science Departments in Notre Dame College and the pioneer for the club activities. He is also the founder of both Notre Dame Debating Club and Notre Dame Science Club which are the first debating club and the first science club in Bangladesh.

Richard William Timm (March 2, 1923 – September 11, 2020) was a Catholic Priest, educator, zoologist, and development worker. He was the Superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Dhaka and a member of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province. He was also one of the founders of Notre Dame College in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was the 6th principal (1970 to 1972) of Notre Dame College.

Born with German ancestry from both sides on March 2, 1923, in Michigan City, Indiana, USA, Timm is the second of four siblings – elder brother Bob, who died on Okinawa in World War II, and younger sisters Mary Jo Schiel and Genevieve Gantner.