TIB Questions Whether State Reform Is Just Hollow Talk from the Government
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep disappointment and resentment over the final approval of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Ordinance while excluding important strategic recommendations such as the formation of a “Selection and Review Committee.” The organization has also raised the question of whether state reform is nothing but empty rhetoric for the government.
TIB expressed this disappointment and resentment in a statement issued on Friday.
The statement said that with the aim of transforming the ACC—known primarily as a tool to target the opposition at the behest of those in power—into an institution with the highest level of institutional independence as well as ensuring transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in its operations, an important strategic recommendation had been made to form a “Selection and Review Committee.” This recommendation, which had been incorporated with full consensus of all political parties in the July Charter and agreed upon by the relevant authorities of the government following TIB’s consistent consultation, was excluded from the final ordinance. This is not only disappointing but also indicative of the hostage-like situation of the state reform agenda at the hands of anti-reform elements within the government in almost every sector. As the chief adviser who made the groundbreaking decision to establish the Consensus Commission and 11 reform commissions, is he trying to send a message to all political parties and the entire nation that state reform is nothing but empty talk by keeping the ACC outside of accountability?
TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that based on two decades of experience, stakeholder opinions, international best practices, and the political and bureaucratic context of Bangladesh, the ACC reform commission had recommended the formation of a “Selection and Review Committee” to ensure that the ACC does not continue to function as a tool of harassment by those in power. The recommendation was made to overcome the crisis of public trust that the institution has suffered since its inception and its transformation into a means of protecting those in power while harassing the opposition. The government has failed to grasp this strategic recommendation, which aimed to transform the ACC into a truly accountable, independent, and neutral institution through biannual reviews, public hearings, and consultations conducted by the committee. This is extremely regrettable. For a government tasked with state reform, this is a contradictory and anti-reform precedent.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman further said, “What is even more disappointing is that, according to reliable sources, at least seven advisers have opposed this proposal. Yet they know that all political parties that signed the July Charter have agreed to this recommendation. Before creating such an example of violating the July Charter, why is the government not thinking that they themselves are encouraging political parties to violate it? Then why such blood-stained sacrifices? What kind of state reform is this when effective mechanisms to control corruption are shut down?”
The statement further said that since the draft of the ordinance which TIB had the opportunity to review was, in many respects, an improvement over the existing law, TIB commends the government. However, according to reliable sources, aside from the mentioned issue, several other consensus-based important strategic recommendations have also been excluded from the final ordinance. Expressing resentment and regret, the TIB Executive Director said that this can only reflect the corruption-enabling and anti-reform stance of vested and influential groups within the government.
