Response of TI and TIB to recent allegations of political motivation unsatisfactory
Wednesday September 26 2012 21:52:41 PM BDT
By MBI Munshi
Dear Sir/Madam,
My anger and frustration regarding these allegations against TIB detailed in my previous emails resides in my apprehension that TIB had pursued a covert policy to subvert the last BNP government through distorted and exaggerated reports of corruption. Indeed, there may have been instances of corruption but nothing to warrant the labeling of Bangladesh as the most corrupt country in the world for four consecutive years. That so far none of the allegations of corruption against the BNP regime have been proven in a court of law even after 5 years of the cases having been filed is an indication of the politicized and motivated nature of the initial charges. The fall of the BNP government in 2006 brought into power an extra-constitutional body consisting of several advisors with the tacit backing of the military. Such a body is envisaged by the constitution but only for the task of holding free and fair elections within a given period of 3 months and certainly not for the 2 years that the advisors were in fact in power. The Caretaker Government, as it was called, was noted for its incompetence, brutality and corruption and its severe repression of the political parties with particular focus on the deliberate dismantling of the BNP as a political organization and force.
Elections were eventually held in late 2008 bringing into power the Awami League with the BNP having been demolished by 2 years of extreme repression and also with the extended confinement of most of its top leaders. The AL was largely spared the worst of the treatment with its leaders released from military custody well in advance of the election date. Many of the people instrumental in this artificial management of democracy are now members of the Board of Trustees of TIB.
The present Awami League government is without a shadow of a doubt the most repressive, brutal, autocratic and corrupt government that Bangladesh has had in the last 20 years. The numerous human rights abuses committed under this government have been extensively documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the US State Department, the US Senate, the European Union and the Asian Human Rights Commission. During the last 3 years there have been more than 250 reported cases of disappearances and extra-judicial killings which that have been attributed to the security forces and law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh. That TIB should be responsible for this present condition of the country due to its covert plan to topple the last BNP government and then have several of its Trustee members assist in the artificial management of democracy for 2 years should cause the members of Transparency International a moment of pause.
My frustration and annoyance rests on the fact that TIB should interfere in the democratic process at all and especially on the misguided notion that it is somehow empowered to bring in a secular orientated and progressive government of its choosing and in coordination with other external players. That the sovereignty of Bangladesh should have been infringed in this way is utterly unacceptable. The recent allegations brought by Amar Desh and Blitz merely confirms my suspicions of a political nexus pre-existing between the Awami League and TIB and that the internal investigations conducted by TI clearly smacks of a cover-up of this relationship. My concern is not in the fate of the BNP nor with the outcome of the 2008 elections but that TIB should have actively sought the change of government taking the democratic process out of the hands of the people and through the artificial management of the election system bring in an exceptionally oppressive, brutal and corrupt government is completely unconscionable and morally reprehensible. TI should carry out an open investigation of all the allegations to date and issue a public statement detailing its findings and also its methods of inquiry and with transcripts of those interviewed. The investigation recently conducted by TI lacks credibility and is completely unsatisfactory as it barely covers all the allegations leveled against TIB and it is unclear whether the editors of Amar Desh and Blitz have been approached for their views on the matter. So far neither TI nor TIB have issued statements refuting the allegations and the investigation report has not been made public which defeats the objective of transparency. TI should immediately move to address these inconsistencies and answer specifically the allegations of political motivation leveled against TIB.
Regards
MBI Munshi
Life Member
Transparency International Bangladesh
E Mail :mbimunshi@gmail.com
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=390441
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TIB's silence on the massive corruption in Bangladesh
Wednesday September 26 2012 22:05:38 PM BDT
By Isha Khan
There are allegations that Transparency International Bangladesh(TIB) remain silent on the massive corruption in Bangladesh because its management is heavily manned by either ruling party men or their connected people or known supporters.
Daily Amar Desh on 18 July 2012 wrote:
TIB: Most members are connected with Awami League:
Advocate Sultana Kamal Chakrabarty, Chairperson
Selina Hossain(writer), GS
Mahfuz Anam (editor,Daily Star), Treasurer
Advocate Toufik Newaz (Minister Dipu Moni's husband), Member
Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid, Member
ATM Shamsul Huda(former CEC), Member
Abdullah Abu Sayeed, Member
M Hafijuddin Khan, Member
Syeda Ruhi Gaznabi, Member
Rokia Afzal Rahman, Member
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/07/18/154939
The same daily published the following story on 12 August 2012:
Full Text here:
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/08/12/158945
The weekly BLITZ has the following story:
Transparency International politically dirtied in Bangladesh
Internationally known anti-graft organization Transparency International has been accused of being fully influenced and polarized by members and activists of anti-West left wing political parties in Bangladesh. According to information, activities of Transparency International [TI] in Bangladesh continues under the cover of an organization named "Swacheton Nagorik Committee" [Conscious Citizen's Committee], which operates 45 branches of its working for TI through 45 committees throughout Bangladesh. Out of 625 members of these 45 committees, 314 directly belong to Bangladesh Awami League [which believes in socialist political method and opposes free market economy as well as the West] while rest belong to left-wing political parties and fronts such as Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Socialist Party, Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal [National Socialist Party], Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal [Bangladesh Socialist Party] etc. There are 5 members of these committees who belong to Jatiyo Party, which is led by former military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad and which believes in establishment of Sharia law in Bangladesh. Many of these 314 members of the "Swacheton Nagorik Committee" [Conscious Citizen's Committee] are actively involved in politics and are holding posts in various committees of Bangladesh Awami League.
There are also members of other political parties in the "Swacheton Nagorik Committee" [Conscious Citizen's Committee]. According to information, there are 44 members in "Swacheton Nagorik Committee", who belong to Bangladesh Nationalist Party or Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as well as some of its Islamist alliances.
Most of the members of the Trustee Board of Transparency International in Bangladesh either are direct members of Bangladesh Awami League or had vehement supporter of this political party. Because of such situation, Transparency International in Bangladesh has been totally unable in providing accurate information to its global headquarters on the current state of high-profile corruption as well as spread of corruption in every sector in Bangladesh during current rule of Bangladesh Awami League led left alliance government. It may be mentioned here that, World Bank cancelled its earlier plan of financing Padma Bridge [the largest proposed bridge in Bangladesh] due to massive corruption during the preparatory stage. Following such strong allegation supported by evidences and documents, the communication minister in Bangladesh had to finally quit from his post in order to give opportunity to the ruling party is re-persuading the loan issue with the World Bank.
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/2479/transparency-international-politically-dirtied-in
We hope that TIB would publish their position in the media about their silence on current corruption in various sectors in Bangladesh.
Isha Khan
E Mail : bdmailer@gmail.com
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=390445
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