‘Corruption still endemic, govt fails to act strongly’

Staff Reporter:

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman has said there is still no conclusive data to determine whether corruption in the country has risen or declined compared to previous years.

“There is no comparative information on whether corruption has increased or decreased. TIB is working on this. But what can be said with certainty is that corruption persists,” he noted.

According to him, various groups continue to misuse political and administrative power, engaging in factionalism, extortion and manipulation.

“Corruption has also occurred within government institutions in some areas, which is alarming,” he added.

Iftekharuzzaman, who once headed the interim government’s ACC Reform Commission, said there had been an opportunity for the current government to take a stronger stance against corruption.
“In that regard, they have failed—there is no way to deny it,” he said, adding that TIB is preparing an analysis covering the full tenure of the government.

He made the remarks at a press conference held at the TIB office in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi on Sunday.

The event, titled “The Commitment to a Well-Governed, Discrimination-Free and Corruption-Free Bangladesh: TIB’s Recommendations for Formulating Political Party Manifestos for the 13th National Assembly Elections,” highlighted TIB’s expectations from political parties ahead of the national polls.

Responding to questions from reporters, Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh is facing the challenge of overcoming decades of institutional weaknesses.

“We cannot quickly transform the country into a well-governed, democratic and corruption-free state with a magic wand. It is a long process,” he said.

He added that while the current moment offers an opportunity for change, the outcome will depend on how sincerely political parties seize that opportunity and how much influence money, muscle and religion exert on political activities before and after the elections.

Discussing business sector reforms, he said change must originate from within the sector itself. Ensuring open competition, transparency and accountability would ultimately benefit all entrepreneurs.

Otherwise, as seen in the past 15 years, only a specific group gains while others suffer. He warned that a portion of the business community had become a pillar supporting authoritarian tendencies, a situation that should not be repeated.

When asked about the strained Bangladesh–India relationship, Iftekharuzzaman described the situation as “the most embarrassing diplomatic and political setback in India’s history,” adding that India is unlikely to admit it openly.

However, he expressed hope that bilateral relations could still improve given the deep cooperation between the two countries.

At the event, TIB unveiled 52 proposals for political parties to include in their election manifestos.
These cover a wide range of areas, including corruption prevention, good governance within political parties, human rights, social protection, education, health, agriculture, financial sector reform, energy, climate resilience and private-sector governance.

Senior TIB officials, including Professor Sumaiya Khair and Mohammad Touhidul Islam, were also present.