Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called on the government to permanently eliminate all direct and indirect avenues that allow the whitening of undisclosed wealth through the promulgation of a new ordinance.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, TIB urged the authorities to take immediate steps to repeal certain corruption-friendly, unconstitutional, and discriminatory provisions as a demonstration of commitment to transparency and good governance.
Highlighting the persistence of such amnesties, TIB noted that
since independence, successive governments have granted around 21 such opportunities for whitening undisclosed money.
According to the organisation, these repeated measures have discouraged honest taxpayers, encouraged corruption, and contributed to its proliferation.
TIB’s assessment revealed that the previous authoritarian government extended such an amnesty without question for the current fiscal year (FY25). However, following the assumption of office, the interim government revoked the provision allowing the whitening of undisclosed wealth through the payment of a 15 percent tax.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, emphasised the urgent need to abolish remaining provisions that enable the whitening of undisclosed amounts. He noted that such provisions contradict Article 20(2) of the Constitution.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman expressed hope for a positive response from the government, adding that a formal letter outlining these concerns has already been submitted to the Finance Adviser.
