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