Who could Taqsem make Dhaka WASA a den of corruption?
There is no scope for ignoring the allegations against the WASA managing director now that its board chairman himself has raised them. Anti-corruption whistleblower Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged for conducting a neutral probe into allegations of irregularities and corruption reported in the media.
TIB said the WASA chairman wrote to the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry that its MD has made the state-run agency into “a den of corruption” and its board ineffective. Irrefutably, the whole issue is a glaring example of disregard for institutional responsibility and accountability. Although allegations of institutionalising irregularity and corruption in Dhaka WASA through misuse of power were raised continuously, no visible progress to prevent these was seen. With the influence of invisible power, such waywardness has been established as a model of disregard for accountability.
The anti-corruption watchdog had earlier brought the issue of “institutionalised graft” within WASA to the attention of the authorities concerned, stressing that Dhaka residents were deprived of services from the agency as a result. However, the blessed MD has made WASA his own estate and ruled it like lord.
Although there is a court order to probe an allegation of embezzlement of Tk 132 crore against nine people, including Taqsem A Khan. The incumbent regime has sprouted many monsters like Taqsem and Bacchu of Standard Bank during the longest uninterrupted regime of the country. The invisible power of the men hammers rules of law bent in favour of them like a mafia state where cohorts support one another to loot people.
Bangladesh is no longer on the right track of its rudimentary commitments stated in the Constitution, not that it established the spirit of independence. We recommend people and organisations come up to establish consumers’ rights and seek legal help from the judiciary. We also ask the government to understand people’s choices and work accordingly.
