[🇧🇩] Corruption Watch

[Saif]

Tools against corruption should not be rhetorical

PASSPORT, road transport administration, law enforcement and judicial services have come up to be the top four corrupt services sectors from 2017 to 2023, as Transparency International Bangladesh surveys for 2023, 2021 and 2017, the latest three of the surveys that the corruption watchdog have...

www.newagebd.net

Tools against corruption should not be rhetorical
05 December, 2024, 00:00

PASSPORT, road transport administration, law enforcement and judicial services have come up to be the top four corrupt services sectors from 2017 to 2023, as Transparency International Bangladesh surveys for 2023, 2021 and 2017, the latest three of the surveys that the corruption watchdog have published since 1997, show. In the 2021 and 2017 surveys, the most corrupt service sectors were the same and in the same order — law enforcement, passport, road transport administration and judicial services. Only in the latest, Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2023 that was made public on December 3, passport services have topped the list and road transport administration services have defeated law enforcement. Land services sector has come in the fifth place in the 2023 survey whilst in the fifth place, it was health services sector in the 2021 survey and land services sector in the 2017 survey. The 2015 survey lists passport, law enforcement, education, road transport and land administration services as the most corrupt sectors and the 2012 survey lists law enforcement, judicial services, education, agriculture, and tax and customs services as the most corrupt sectors. All this suggests that the government’s claimed commitment towards eliminating corruption, including the National Integrity Strategy that was introduced in October 2012, was hardly anything but rhetorical.

The latest report shows that about 71 per cent of the households surveyed faced corruption in getting services in 2023 and 50.8 per cent of the households had to pay bribes for services. It further shows that service-seekers paid Tk 109.02 billion in bribes to get services in 2023 which accounts for 0.22 per cent of the gross domestic product for the 2024 financial year. The survey also adds that service-seekers have paid Tk 1,460 billion in bribes between 2009 and April 2024, almost the whole consecutive tenures of the Awami League government, which was toppled in a mass uprising on August 5, to access essential services. The 2023 report says that 86 per cent of the households seeking passport services faced corruption against 70.5 per cent that the 2021 report showed. In road transport administration services, 85.20 per cent of households are reported by the 2023 survey to have faced corruption against 68.3 per cent in the 2021 survey whilst in law enforcement services, 74.5 per cent of the households are reported by the 2023 survey to have faced corruption against 70.5 per cent as reported in the 2021 survey. Transparency International Bangladesh says that there are several tools to fight corruption but they have not been properly used, causing the persistence of high levels of corruption.

If no surveillance, no punishment for offences and rhetorical steps continue to persist, it is only natural that corruption could be institutionalised. If corruption becomes institutionalised, the row would be hard enough for the authorities to hoe. The government should, therefore, take legal action against individuals and quarters involved in corruption and strengthen institutions of accountability and other public agencies so that they could play a role in fighting corruption. In the changed political context, which came about with the toppling of the Awami League government, it should not be that hard given the will.​

 

[Saif]

Policy swings, corruption lead to forex market crisis

Regulatory mood swings and corruption during the Awami League regime created disorderly conditions in the foreign exchange market, which led the foreign exchange reserves declining to levels too low for comfort, according to the White Paper on the State of Bangladesh economy submitted to chief...

www.newagebd.net

Policy swings, corruption lead to forex market crisis
Staff Correspondent 05 December, 2024, 22:13

A file photo shows a man counting dollar notes in the capital Dhaka. Regulatory mood swings and corruption during the Awami League regime created disorderly conditions in the foreign exchange market, which led the foreign exchange reserves declining to levels too low for comfort, according to the White Paper on the State of Bangladesh economy submitted to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday. | New Age photo

Regulatory mood swings and corruption during the Awami League regime created disorderly conditions in the foreign exchange market, which led the foreign exchange reserves declining to levels too low for comfort, according to the White Paper on the State of Bangladesh economy submitted to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday.

The white paper submitted by a 12-member committee headed by economist Debapriya Bhattacharya observed that the Bangladesh Bank’s erratic policies, lack of transparency, and their consequences were responsible for the country’s financial health.

‘BB’s mood swings on exchange rate policy turned lethal when a multiple fixed exchange system was put in place in September 2022, disrupted the foreign exchange market. It discouraged the repatriation of export proceeds and remittance through formal channels and incentivised capital flight,’ it said.

Confidence among international lenders deteriorated, leading to credit downgrades and reduced external financing options, it said.

The government sought an International Monetary Fund programme to mitigate external imbalances, but policy inconsistencies remained a concern.

Historically, the BB operated under a managed floating exchange rate system from 2003 to 2022, but the recent shift to a multiple fixed exchange rate regime marked a departure from this approach.

The resulting market distortions highlighted the challenges of sustaining an artificially controlled exchange rate in the face of global and domestic pressures.

With the dollar being central to Bangladesh’s trade and finance, underpricing and multiplicities in exchange rates created loopholes for bypassing the system.

The report revealed that the BB overstated its foreign exchange reserves. While the central bank claimed $46 billion in June 2021, an IMF review identified only $39 billion in reserves.

Trade and current account deficits exerted significant pressure on reserves.

The trade deficit tripled from $9.5 billion in FY17 to $33.2 billion in FY22, while the current account deficit surged from $1.3 billion to $18.6 billion during the same period.

These deficits were exacerbated by rising global commodity prices, a stronger US dollar, and declining exports to non-US markets.

Another concerning trend was the rapid increase in unaccounted outflows, reported under errors and omissions.

Between FY22 and FY24, these outflows totalled at $19 billion, compared with those of just $1.5 billion in the preceding three years.


The report linked these figures to capital flights, saying that it was supported by anecdotal evidence of funds leaving the country before the August 2024 political transition.

The foreign exchange market faced persistent shortages as BB’s interventions failed to address underlying issues.

Artificially low exchange rates widened the gap between official and parallel markets, diverting dollar inflows to informal channels.

Banks depleted their NOSTRO accounts, and the BB sold substantial amounts of foreign currency — $13.58 billion in FY23 and $12.79 billion in FY24 — to settle import bills, particularly for state-owned entities like the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.

However, a lack of public disclosure about these transactions fuelled speculation and mistrust.

Exchange rate volatility further aggravated inflation.

The taka depreciated steadily against the US dollar, moving from Tk 60 a dollar in FY2003 to Tk 84.81 in FY21, with sharper declines from FY22 onward.

The US dollar reached a two-decade high in September 2022, driving inflation higher.

The white paper noted a strong correlation between the exchange rate and inflation, with headline inflation and food inflation closely tracking currency depreciation.

Corruption and regulatory inefficiencies during the Awami League regime eroded the credibility of Bangladesh’s financial institutions, exacerbating economic vulnerabilities, the report observed.​

 

[Saif]

White Paper finds systematic corruption in health sector

The White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy finds rampant systematic corruption in health sector through procurement and supply chain management, outsourcing of services, and career mobility of young doctors....

www.newagebd.net

White Paper finds systematic corruption in health sector
Staff Correspondent 06 December, 2024, 00:11

The White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy finds rampant systematic corruption in health sector through procurement and supply chain management, outsourcing of services, and career mobility of young doctors.

Corruption was also reported in connection with pharmaceuticals, diagnostics tests, private hospitals, and through appointments, promotions, transfer, leave permission of doctors and health professionals.

On December 1, a 12-member committee headed by economist Debapriya Bhattacharya submitted the report to the interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The interim government formed the committee on August 29 following taking over power on August 8 after the fall of the longest serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a student-led peoples uprising on August 5.

According to the paper, the Directorate General of Health Services has more than 60 procurement entities under its umbrella.

The DGHS oversees the procurement of various medical and non-medical commodities essential for healthcare provision. In this system of procurement, the health related products are being bought through open tender where, allegedly, the corruption is rampant.

There are instances where the under-the-table dealing is to receive less/quality compromised products that are not at par as specified in the tenders.

Deployment of human resources to clean and run a hospital with health workers, ‘outsourcing’ of such service deliveries in public hospitals, community clinics have been introduced.

There has been allegedly widespread corruption in contracting out the services, and largely, the services provided by the outsourced service providers are unsatisfactory to public health service entities.

The paper said that it was a common practice in the health service sector that pharmaceutical companies through their representatives maintain a good relationship with the practicing doctors so that doctors prescribe their medicines.

The paper said that the doctors and diagnostic centres are allegedly believed to be connected. The diagnostic centres use to offer doctors a percentage of the test cost which is borne by the patients. It is a common complaint by the patients in Bangladesh that the doctors suggest for unnecessary diagnostic tests.

According to the White Paper, the country lost $16 billion annually on an average between 2009 and 2023 because of the illicit fund flow amid systemic tax evasion, misuse of exemptions, and poorly managed public finances under the authoritarian Awami League regime.

The white Paper revealed that the significant fiscal opportunities lost to corruption, stated that halving tax exemptions could double education funding and triple health allocations.​

 

[Saif]

Bribery has cost the nation dearly

That service seekers in the country are hapless victims of bribery and corrupt practices of the public service delivery system had remained endemic until the first quarter of this year under review. A recent survey by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) throws further insight revealing

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Bribery has cost the nation dearly
FE
Published :
Dec 06, 2024 00:10
Updated :
Dec 06, 2024 00:10

That service seekers in the country are hapless victims of bribery and corrupt practices of the public service delivery system had remained endemic until the first quarter of this year under review. A recent survey by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) throws further insight revealing a detailed account of the pervasive culture of bribery in the country. The findings underscore the staggering extent of this entrenched malpractice. Between 2009 and April 2024, an estimated Tk 1.46 trillion was paid in bribes by service seekers to access essential services. According to the survey, a shocking 70.9 per cent of households encountered corruption while engaging with various public and private sector institutions.

The data, drawn from six national household surveys conducted between 2010 and 2023, highlight widespread corruption across sectors. Passport-related services saw the highest incidence of bribery (74.8 per cent), followed closely by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (71.9 per cent), law enforcement agencies (58.3 per cent), judicial services (34.1 per cent), land services (32.3 per cent), and local government institutions (29.7 per cent). An astounding 77.2 per cent of households that paid bribes felt it was an unavoidable part of the system, where services were inaccessible without such payments. Between May 2023 and April 2024 alone, households paid on an average of BDT 5,680 in bribes, with the total reaching Tk 10,902 crore. This sum equates to 1.44 per cent of the national budget for 2023-24 and 0.22 per cent of GDP. These corrupt practices disproportionately affect low-income and marginalised groups, who often lack the means to cope with additional financial burdens. Households earning below BDT 24,000 per month spent nearly 0.93 per cent of their annual income on bribes. Women, religious minorities, indigenous communities, and individuals with disabilities face greater challenges. Women, in particular, are significantly affected in sectors like local governance and education, where corruption hinders their participation and progress.

The survey also finds that in-person service delivery is more prone to corruption compared to digital or mixed methods (partly on-line, partly in-person). Despite efforts to digitise services, corruption persists due to flawed implementation. The reliance on mixed methods, where digital systems are only partially used, creates loopholes that facilitate bribery. This indicates a pressing need to fully digitise service delivery, as partial measures fail to eliminate opportunities for corruption. The absence of comprehensive digitisation and the persistence of impunity for corrupt officials exacerbate the problem. Bribery thrives in an environment where accountability mechanisms are weak and consequences for unethical behaviour minimal.

The TIB's recommendations highlight critical reforms to address these challenges. Strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other relevant institutions is paramount. Full digitisation of services, coupled with the implementation of "one-stop" service systems, could significantly reduce direct interactions and opportunities for bribery. The adoption of modern codes of conduct, including clear protocols, timelines, and service standards, along with mechanisms for recipient feedback, is essential for fostering accountability. These measures are not just idealistic aspirations; they represent foundational steps the government must take to combat corruption effectively. With the interim government committed to restructuring state operations, prioritisation of these reforms is crucial to restoring public trust and ensuring equitable access to essential services.​

 

[Saif]

Dev projects still marred by misspending, wastage: adviser

Adviser for power, energy and mineral resources Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Friday said that development projects in Bangladesh were still besmirched with wastage and misspending.

www.newagebd.net

Dev projects still marred by misspending, wastage: adviser
Staff Correspondent 06 December, 2024, 23:02

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan | File photo

Adviser for power, energy and mineral resources Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Friday said that development projects in Bangladesh were still besmirched with wastage and misspending.

He made the remark at the inaugural event of the 6th National HR Convention 2024 organised by the Federation of Bangladesh Human Resource Organisations at Southeast University in the capital Dhaka on the day.

‘The government does not have the means to understand these things. Different donor agencies and consultants explain these issues to us,’ he said.

‘We have already seen the consequences of wastage once. If these misspending and wastages continue, there will be an even bigger rebellion next time. Some think that the interim government is a one-time episode, but it’s not,’ Fouzul Kabir Khan added.

‘When I go on field trips and talk to the people, I observe that the anger still remains inside them,’ the power adviser said.

‘Karnaphuli tunnel was built at the cost of Tk 10,000 crore, however, I have observed while visiting, vehicles do not use that tunnel much. There is no end to wastage in development projects wherever I go,’ the adviser noted.

Fouzul said, ‘A power plant was built in Rupsha, Khulna, costing Tk 8,000 crore, but there is no gas available for it. On my way back, I saw that Tk 41,000 crore was spent on the Padma rail bridge, though a few thousand crore was saved in the final stages.’

He continued, ‘I learned that the project was expected to generate Tk 1,400 crore in revenue every year, and I thought it was a good initiative. However, in six months, it only earned Tk 37 crore in revenue, according to officials. This is how these projects are justified.’

He pointed out that such actions were simply wasteful and said that the blame did not lie only with politicians, government officials were also involved.

Md Sabur Khan, chairman of Daffodil International University and Global Entrepreneurship Network- Bangladesh Chapter, among others, was present in the event.​

 

[Saif]

Businesses call to curb red tape, corruption to spur investment

Investment barriers at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) must be addressed immediately to bolster investor confidence and increase investment growth, according to experts and top business leaders.

www.thedailystar.net

Businesses call to curb red tape, corruption to spur investment

Investment barriers at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) must be addressed immediately to bolster investor confidence and increase investment growth, according to experts and top business leaders.

The laws concerned must be amended right away in order to end the culture of bribery and establish corruption-free service organisations, they suggested.

"Facilitation of trade and investment must be a priority. A trade and investment commission with active participation from the private sector is required," Ashraf Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), said while speaking with The Daily Star recently.

He added that many reforms could be implemented immediately, such as those that can be initiated through executive orders or require changes in the rules rather than the law.

However, some major reforms will require changes to existing laws. So, they will require approval from parliament.

According to Ahmed, numerous laws must be updated to reflect changing global circumstances and business needs. This includes the Companies Act 2014, Export Import Control Act 1950, Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947, Competition Act, Income Tax Act, Customs Act, and VAT Act.

Ahmed said amending and updating these laws is required to create a conducive environment for investment.

However, many reform opportunities which will not require changes in the law also exist, such as automation of filing procedures for the RJSC, Chief Controller of Import and Export or customs.

Mohammed Amirul Haque, managing director of Premier Cement Mills, stressed the need for a platform that will focus on trade and investment as well as address problems and bottlenecks faced by entrepreneurs.

He alleged that the inconsistent policy governing the adjustable advance income tax of investors was discouraging investment by increasing the business cost by around 10 percent.

Haque added that entrepreneurs would have to keep a 35 percent profit margin to sustain the businesses in line with the existing income tax law.

This type of bottleneck indirectly encourages the siphoning of money, he alleged.

Asif Ibrahim, former president of DCCI, said the business community hopes the burning issues in the private sector of Bangladesh will now get due priority from the interim government.

Ashik Chowdhury, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), said he met over 300 chief executive officers over the past 50 days to identify the challenges faced by businesses and was focusing on addressing the barriers.

"Basically, I am doing this to bring necessary changes and reforms to create a business-friendly environment," he said.

According to Chowdhury, everybody acknowledges that corruption occurs at the NBR, posing a major obstacle to doing business transparently and smoothly.

Zaved Akhter, president of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), said although no reform commission has been formed regarding investment, all the reforms that have been taken will ultimately support investment and business.

Bangladesh is the only country in the world where investors raise capital for investment from the money market, he said, while investors in other countries raise capital from the stock market. Reforms are needed in this area, he suggested.

However, he said initiatives taken to change the structure of the stock market would undoubtedly support the investment.

Investment reforms should come mainly from the Bida, where everything can be done under one umbrella, he said, adding: "If the initiatives taken by the BIDA can be implemented, the confidence of investors will increase."

He added: "I am extremely confident that these changes will help create an environment for doing business."

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said a zero-tolerance policy must be formulated immediately and implemented to improve the state of law and order.

Additionally, he advocated for trade associations to be free of politics.

M Masrur Reaz, chairman and chief executive officer of the Policy Exchange of Bangladesh, said think tanks have already conducted a lot of research on how to build an investment-friendly environment and attract FDI.

"All the barriers have been detected. We just need the Bida or another high-powered government entity to address the issues by implementing the recommendations," he said.

In order to boost the confidence of foreign investors, he emphasised the importance of improving the ease of doing business.​

 

[Saif]

Capital flights, corruption make ensuring equality challenging

Planning and education adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Saturday said that building an equitable society in the current reality was challenging, given that huge capital flights, corruption and massive irregularities...

www.newagebd.net

Capital flights, corruption make ensuring equality challenging
Staff Correspondent 07 December, 2024, 23:01

Planning and education adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud. | File photo

Planning and education adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Saturday said that building an equitable society in the current reality was challenging, given that huge capital flights, corruption and massive irregularities had constrained investments in education, health, human resource development and other areas.

He made the comment at the inaugural session of the Annual BIDS Conference on Development (ABCD) 2024, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies at the Hotel Lakeshore at Gulshan in the capital Dhaka.

Wahiduddin, also an economist, inaugurated the four-day development conference titled ‘Equality, Opportunity, Freedom, and Dignity for Equitable and Sustainable Development’.

BIDS director general Binayak Sen delivered the opening remarks during the inaugural session.

Discussing how Bangladesh could build an equitable society following the student-led mass uprising, Wahiduddin highlighted the severe resource constraints faced by the interim government.

He pointed out that significant amounts of money were siphoned off abroad, while domestic funds remained in banks but were inaccessible.

Regarding the projects initiated during the previous government’s tenure, he pointed out that several projects were prestige-driven, undertaken primarily for publicity rather than necessity.

The interim government is now re-evaluating their purposes and outcomes, he said.

‘We are still trapped in the lower middle-income bracket, far from achieving what the Philippines has, let alone Malaysia,’ the adviser observed.

He mentioned that Vietnam’s per capita income in the 1990s was similar to Bangladesh’s.

‘Now Vietnam’s per capita income is 40-50 times of Bangladesh. They secure $20 billion annually in foreign direct investment, while we attract just $2 billion,’ he said.

‘We lack substantial global economic integration and need significant advancements in education and technology,’ he added.

Regarding Bangladesh’s LDC graduation, he highlighted the country’s qualification twice for the graduation.

Seeking an extension to remain an LDC is seen as regressive, he said.

‘Once qualified, a nation must graduate. We need active global engagement to navigate this shift,’ he added.

Wahiduddin Mahmud also expressed hope that Bangladesh would see an elected government in 2025.

‘No country can become rich overnight. It requires collective efforts and a sustained strategy. Our interim government is here for a short term,’ Wahiduddin said.

The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed on August 8 following the fall of the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5.

Indermit S Gill, the chief economist of the World Bank Group, said, ‘To escape being trapped in slower growth, middle-income countries need to balance the economic forces of creation, preservation and destruction.’

Middle-income countries which are home to six billion people, are in a race against time, he said.​

 

[Saif]

Mass uprising renews call to combat corruption

The country will observe International Anti-Corruption Day today with a fresh call to combat the widespread corruption upholding the spirit of the student-people uprising...

www.newagebd.net

Mass uprising renews call to combat corruption
Solamain Salman 09 December, 2024, 00:16

The country will observe International Anti-Corruption Day today with a fresh call to combat the widespread corruption upholding the spirit of the student-people uprising.

Experts said that corruption affected every aspect of the society in the past 15 years of the Awami League rule due to lack of governance and accountability, and indifference of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The Awami League, in its election manifestos, had announced a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and then AL lawmakers, ministers, and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina had also promised to fight corruption, but the announcements remained on paper only.

People have witnessed massive corruption, including money laundering, abuse of power, accumulation of illegal wealth and embezzlement of money from banking and financial institutions in the name of loans, in the past 15 years.

The Anti-Corruption Commission, however, failed to check the graft as its independence was also held hostage to the successive governments in the past, the experts said.

The governments, by dint of its authority to appoint the top brass of the commission, placed their favoured officers in the commission and maintained comfortable control over it, they said.

As a result, the commission’s ability to act independently in fighting corruption has remained severely tied down right from its establishment in 2004, they added.

Despite officially being an independent agency, the commission has rather been used as a weapon by the successive governments against their opponents, they observed.

For the same reason, the agency could rarely take into account the corruption allegations brought against the powerful ones, particularly politicians, bureaucrats and businesspeople belonging to or associated with the ruling parties, the experts said.

Even the commission, in most cases, has failed to initiate an inquiry or file cases against powerful quarters without a go-ahead signal from the government, they said.

According to the White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy, the country lost $16 billion annually between 2009 and 2023 because of the illicit fund flow amid systemic tax evasion, misuse of exemptions, and poorly managed public finances under the authoritarian AL regime.

The white paper, submitted to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on December 1, underscored the significant fiscal opportunities lost to corruption and stated that halving tax exemptions could double education funding and triple health allocations.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman told New Age on Sunday that the promises about zero tolerance against corruption remained only on paper.

‘The corruption is on the rise, and it was also institutionalised in Bangladesh in the past through the tripartite collusion of bureaucracy, politics and business,’ he said.

‘The tripartite collusion had created scope for abusing power, weakening the state structure as corruption, especially high-level corruption and money laundering, increased,’ he added.

The past government not only allowed corruption but also gave protection to the corruption, said Iftekharuzzaman.

‘Our young generation created scope of bringing change through mass uprising, so we have to utilise the scope with the spirit of the mass uprising to combat corruption.’

A positive change is, however, a must in bureaucracy and politics to make an effective functional Anti-Corruption Commission to check corruption, he said.

According to a TIB survey titled Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2023, people paid an estimated Tk 1.46 lakh crore in bribes to get services during the 15 years of AL rule.

The survey of 15,515 households revealed that 70.9 per cent of respondents encountered corruption while seeking services in 2023.

Between May 2023 and April 2024, service seekers paid about Tk 10,902 crore in bribes, which is 1.4 per cent of the revised national budget for the 2023-24 financial year and 0.2 per cent of the GDP, it says.

The survey also found that the Department of Immigration and Passports, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, and law enforcement agencies were the most corruption-prone sectors, respectively.

It said that 50.8 per cent of the surveyed households reported paying bribes or being forced to pay extra for services.

Former ACC director general Moyeedul Islam said, ‘The ACC could not play a role as an independent body during AL tenure as the partisan governments held the agency hostage and controlled it.’

He said, ‘All the political governments used the ACC as a weapon for harassing opposition people in the past, but the trend should change to fight corruption.’

He stressed the need for holding the corrupt people accountable to effectively combat corruption.

The commission should work effectively this time, as now a neutral government is in power, but top posts of the commission are lying vacant for more than one month, he expressed frustration.

The latest Transparency International report published in January also indicated that corruption was increasing in Bangladesh as the country slid two steps to the 10th position from the bottom among the 180 countries covered by its Corruption Perception Index 2023.

Bangladesh, which was in the 12th position in the same index in 2022, ranked 149th in 2023, down from 147th position in the previous year, while its points dropped to 24 points out of 100 in 2023 from 25 points in 2022.

Bangladesh is the 4th most corrupt country among 31 Asia-Pacific countries and second in South Asia, ahead of only Afghanistan, it said.​

 

[Saif]

Anatomy of Rolls Royce import

The news that eight Rolls Royce cars have arrived in the country for the first time following formal commercial import procedures over the past six months may cause some unease as an immediate reaction. But the unsettling feeling may get somewhat quieted when it is known that a certain type of the

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Anatomy of Rolls Royce import
Neil Ray
Published :
Dec 09, 2024 00:45
Updated :
Dec 09, 2024 00:45

The news that eight Rolls Royce cars have arrived in the country for the first time following formal commercial import procedures over the past six months may cause some unease as an immediate reaction. But the unsettling feeling may get somewhat quieted when it is known that a certain type of the world's most luxurious car has been imported. Although these eight cars are still the most expensive cars ever imported over the past two decades, they are electric models the company has been producing of late.

The advantage of these cars is primarily their environmental non-pollution but what really prompted the importers and customers to procure those is the duty waiver on electricity-driven cars. Two of the cars were ordered by separate customers and the rest were imported by industrial groups for their own use. When the orders were placed with car traders and the manufacturer of the cars is not known. Most likely, a few of those were ordered before the August 5 political changeover.

Each of the luxury cars costs, according to a report carried in a contemporary, more than Tk46 million but import duty has been a modest 89.32 per cent. So the import duty stood at Tk41 million for each car and the total cost amounted to nearly Tk90 million. Had the cars not been electric ones, the import duty would be a whopping 826.60 per cent and the duty alone would be in the range of Tk 380 to 400 million. Surely not many could afford this extra buck on duty but some possibly could.

Possession of this ultimate brand of four wheeler is something special the aristocrats the world over savour. In Bangladesh aristocrats are hardly the top moneyed class. It is the ultra-rich or, as some would like to call, filthy rich who have the money at their disposal to own such cars. But they did not possibly go for the brand because it would have drawn closer attention from agencies like the National Board of Revenue and Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) or social backlash. What happened during the previous army-backed government may be an indication. At that time quite a few of the expensive cars were abandoned on the street just in panic. In case the owners who illegally imported those in collusion with the custom, excise and vat department got identified, they either hid those or abandoned on the unlikely points of street at wee hours!

Yet the ultra-rich section of society cannot avoid some vanity for societal pressures and pulls. For example, in some posh areas of Dhaka City, the residents' vanity is well fed if they keep their expensive cars right in front of their gates. Whether they drive those expensive cars or not, is immaterial; they want to show their prized possessions off. But after a movement of the August 5 order, the owners became cautious. The cars they deliberately placed for public view have suddenly disappeared. So the import of the more expensive and luxurious cars at this time could not happen unless those were ordered earlier.

The fact is money talks and does so in weird ways. Cars are a symptom, not the malaise. When the ill-gotten money accumulated at the expense of the rest of society starts talking, no one knows how the process will end up. For example, the Rolls Royce Beximco imported was burnt down. The system that gives rise to mindless inequality in society with no scientific and technological invention accompanied with--- more often than not--- devious development of entrepreneurships and businesses, presents opportunities for its correction. So, the nations that can learn lessons from the reversals of fortunes and mend their ways of wealth creation and its distribution in order to ensure socio-economic justice, have the right to live in peace and harmony. Bangladesh has one such opportunity right now, much will depend on how the country grabs it to rectify its system.​

 

[Saif]

Two cops withdrawn over bribery

The officer-in-charge and a sub-inspector of Adabor Police Station were withdrawn over the incident of taking bribe from an accused in a case filed after August 5.

www.thedailystar.net

Two cops withdrawn over bribery

The officer-in-charge and a sub-inspector of Adabor Police Station were withdrawn over the incident of taking bribe from an accused in a case filed after August 5.

SI Shaheen Parvez was closed and attached to the office of Deputy Commissioner of Tejgaon Division Police on Sunday night as he allegedly took money from an accused.

The SI was tasked with the investigation of a murder case filed with the police station after August 5, police officials said.

Meanwhile, Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP, said OC Imtiaz Parvez has been withdrawn and attached to the DMP headquarters.

Yesterday, the DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said he has taken action against a police member for taking money from an accused.

The city police chief said the complainants of the cases filed after August 5 made several hundred accused and are now taking extortion from the accused, promising to drop the names.

"Not all of my force members are good. I got reports that my force members were taking money from the accused," he said, adding that the complainants who are taking money from the accused will be sued with extortion charges.

Talking to The Daily Star, OC Imtiaz said the authorities transferred him as his SI was closed earlier for the offence.

Shaheen could not be contacted as his phone was found switched off.​

 

[Saif]

Mohammad Abdul Momen new chairman of ACC

The government on Tuesday appointed senior secretary of the Public Security division of home ministry Mohammad Abdul Momen as new chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission...

www.newagebd.net

Mohammad Abdul Momen new chairman of ACC
Staff Correspondent 10 December, 2024, 17:47

Mohammad Abdul Momen | UNB photo

The government on Tuesday appointed senior secretary of the Public Security division of home ministry Mohammad Abdul Momen as new chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The government also appointed retired District and Sessions Judge Mia Mohammad Ali Akbar Azizi and Brigadier General (retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid as new commissioners of the ACC, according to a gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division.

It said that Momen, as ACC chairman, will enjoy salary, allowances, and status given to an Appellate Division judge, while the two commissioners, as commissioners, will enjoy salary, allowances, and status given to a High Court Division judge.

Momen was working on a contract basis in the public security division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, but he resigned on December 8 from that post to join as ACC chairman, said ministry officials.

The Public Administration ministry also on Tuesday issued a separate official order cancelling Momen’s contractual appointment.

Momen was sent on compulsory retirement in 2013 by the then Awami League government while he was a joint secretary.

After the AL government fell on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, he was appointed as secretary of the Public Security Division of the home ministry on contractual basis. Later, he was promoted to senior secretary.

On October 29, former ACC chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah and two commissioners, Md Zahurul Haque (Investigation) and Mosammat Asia Khatoon (Inquiry), resigned from their positions.​

 

[Saif]

550 individuals’ Tk 15,000cr frozen for investigation

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has frozen bank accounts of nearly 550 individuals and entities, holding around Tk 15,000 crore, over allegations of accumulating substantial assets through unethical means.

www.newagebd.net

550 individuals’ Tk 15,000cr frozen for investigation
Mostafizur Rahman 15 December, 2024, 00:34

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has frozen bank accounts of nearly 550 individuals and entities, holding around Tk 15,000 crore, over allegations of accumulating substantial assets through unethical means.

BFIU officials said that the anti-money laundering agency started to freeze their accounts after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.

The frozen accounts belong to individuals including political leaders, businesspeople, and influential public figures tied to the Awami League-led government, they said.

The investigations focus on financial irregularities, including money laundering, loan fraud, and asset misappropriation.

Key figures include Sheikh Hasina’s family members such as her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby.

Accounts linked to her cousins Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, and Sheikh Helal Uddin, along with their respective family members have also been frozen.

The list extends to organisations like the Awami League’s research cell, the Centre for Research and Information, and its CRI-Young Bangla project.

Several former ministers, MPs, and advisers close to Sheikh Hasina are under investigation.

These include former Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Security Adviser Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and NTMC’s former director general Major General (dismissed) Ziaul Ahsan. Accounts linked to former Bangladesh parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and her family are also affected.

Bankers said that given the scale and complexity of these allegations, the path toward effective accountability and recovery of misap propriated funds remained challenging.

Prominent ministers in the previous government, such as Obaidul Quader, AHM Mustafa Kamal, Mohammad Hasan Mahmud, Tipu Munshi, Asaduzzaman Khan, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, as well as their family members and related companies, are included in the investigation.

The crackdown extends to major business conglomerates like S Alam, Beximco, Summit, Bashundhara, Orion and others.

The S Alam Group, led by Saiful Alam Masud and his associates, is a central focus.

Salman F Rahman of Beximco, along with his son and daughter-in-law, is also under investigation.

The list also included Summit Group’s Mohammad Aziz Khan, Muhammad Faruk Khan, and 11 members of their family; Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and 8 of his family members; Orion Group’s Obaidul Karim and 6 members of his family; Diamond World’s Dilip Kumar Agarwala and his wife; Nabil Group managing director Aminul Islam and 6 of his family members; Nasa Group’s Nazrul Islam Mazumder and his wife; the late Zainul Haque Sikder’s family, comprising 14 members; and Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat, his wife Anjuman Ara Sahid and their son Rahib Safwan Sarafat Chowdhury.

Figures from the banking and financial sector are also on the list, including Premier Bank chairman HBM Iqbal, NRBC Bank chairman SM Parvez Tamal, and former SBAC Bank chairman Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin.

Former Union Bank MD Mokammel Haque Chowdhury and former BSEC chairman Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, along with eight of his family members, are being investigated.

The BFIU has sought assistance from foreign authorities by sending letters requesting information on money laundering activities involving six major business groups.

So far, the BFIU is investigating allegations of money laundering, loan fraud, and embezzlement of government funds against 20 business groups.

Reports on entities like the S Alam Group and Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed’s family have already been submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department and Anti-Corruption Commission for legal action.

Investigations are also going on regarding 18 other business groups, including Beximco, Summit, Bashundhara, Orion, Sikder, Nasa, and Nabil.

In addition, 110 incidents involving 343 individuals and 200 organizations are under investigation.​