Manabik Shahajya Sangstha (MSS), a national non-government organization started its mission by a group of enthusiastic students of Dhaka University in the name “Cloth the Nude” providing humanitarian aid and rehabilitation to the famine and flood affected people in 1974 to mitigate their sufferings. After the task is over, MSS redirected its focus to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor, especially the urban and rural women of Bangladesh. MSS is working not only for poverty alleviation of the poor but also promoting human rights, good governance and rule of law, education and awareness raising with a vision to establish a society free from poverty where there is equality among citizens, citizens rights are respected and they actively participate in the democratic process for establishing those rights.

MSS was given an organizational shape in 1977. Thereafter, MSS started health and population services in 1982; an integrated savings and credit program for urban poor in 1984 which has since become sustainable and was again in the front-line when focus of development shifted to building democratic societies and promoting good governance.