[🇧🇩] Corruption Watch

[Saif]

Land minister calls for joint effort to end corruption in land service

Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has called for working together to prevent corruption in land service by building a social movement against corruption and taking coordinated initiatives. "We are working by adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption under the leadership of the prime m

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Land minister calls for joint effort to end corruption in land service​

FE ONLINE REPORT

Published :​

Mar 31, 2024 20:45

Updated :​

Mar 31, 2024 20:45

Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has called for working together to prevent corruption in land service by building a social movement against corruption and taking coordinated initiatives.

"We are working by adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption under the leadership of the prime minister. Corruption will be rooted out from society as well as the state by taking coordinated initiatives with the people," said the minister.

The minister said this while addressing as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting with stakeholders aimed at establishing good governance in land service at Gopalganj Zila Parishad auditorium on Sunday.

Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman, chairman of land reform board Md Abdus Sabur Mondal, and Director-General of Land Record and Survey Department Anis Mahmud, among others, were present as special guests.

Speaking at the event, the land minister also said, "We have taken initiatives to include land-related information in the school curriculum so that citizens can get some idea about land management from school. You will directly tell the concerned land officer about any problem related to your land."

The minister informed the audience that 32 Upazila/Circle Land Offices and 64 Union Land Offices of the country along with the Tungipara Upazila Land Office of Gopalganj district and Patgati and Kushali Union Land Office have been brought under the 180-day programme of the Ministry of Land and the first district-level view exchange meeting has started from Gopalganj.

The minister hoped that the land offices of Gopalganj, which were selected for the 180-day programme, would set a unique example in land service.

In the meeting, the land secretary made a visual presentation on the modernisation of the land system and the ministry's 180-day plan.

Officials of the ministry also made visual presentations on the implementation of the integrity strategy, grievance redressal, Right to Information Act, and Citizen Charter.​

 

[Saif]

If this is not corruption, what is?

Take action against those overpricing products in Matarbari project

www.thedailystar.net

If this is not corruption, what is?

Take action against those overpricing products at Matarbari power plant
VISUAL: STAR

It is absurd that the state-run Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL), which is constructing the Matarbari power plant in Cox's Bazar, has imported two pipe cutters for Tk 93 lakh. While inspecting its shipment, custom officials have also found the price of two German-made hammers being shown as Tk 1.82 lakh. However, on the German company's website, the same items were discovered to be priced at Tk 1,668 (for each hammer) and Tk 7,232 (for each pipe cutter) respectively. This means that the CPGCBL has shown an inflated price of 55 times more for the hammers and 642 times more for the pipe cutters.

Customs officials have said that these were not the only two items whose prices were inflated. In fact, all 19 items in the same shipment had been imported at absurdly high prices. Documents from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) show that the import cost of these products has been shown as five to 18,545 times higher than the value recorded in NBR's export-import database. According to the physical examination report by the customs authorities, the price of the pipe wrench that came in the shipment is 1,053 times more than the database value, the monkey pliers 912 times more, the screwdriver 833 times more, and so on.

Despite this gross anomaly, the Matarbari Power Plant project director claimed that the prices were "normal" as they were tailor-made upon special orders. However, import documents show that the tools would not be directly used in the power plant, and are freely importable as they are used in all types of construction and routine maintenance work. Moreover, customs officials confirmed that the CPGCBL did not provide them with any special order. Additionally, NBR records show that CPGCBL had gotten away with importing various goods at inflated prices for the project before.

The claim of procuring hand tools like pipe cutters, hammers and screwdrivers by special orders is ridiculous. As experts have said, this is most likely a case of large-scale corruption that the authorities must urgently investigate. Customs sources say that multiple consignments of other agencies containing such products were also cleared in Chattogram and Mongla from October 16 to January 15. At a time when the country's economy is going through a severe crisis, it is totally unacceptable that such corruption is being allowed to pile on the sufferings of citizens who have to bear these additional expenses. We urge the authorities to take stern action to stop the culture of price inflation in public procurement.​

 

[Saif]

He is one of the most corrupt businessmen who has been accused of taking massive amount of money from Islami Bank illegally.

Summit Chairman Aziz Khan only Bangladeshi in Forbes billionaire list

Forbes has released its 2024 World's Billionaires List, featuring 2,781 billionaires from 78 countries, showcasing the global spread and diversity of immense wealth. Among the entries is Muhammed Aziz Khan, Chairman of Summit Group, marking him as Bangladesh's first billionaire to be included in...

www.thedailystar.net

Summit Chairman Aziz Khan only Bangladeshi in Forbes billionaire list

Forbes has released its 2024 World's Billionaires List, featuring 2,781 billionaires from 78 countries, showcasing the global spread and diversity of immense wealth. Among the entries is Muhammed Aziz Khan, Chairman of Summit Group, marking him as Bangladesh's first billionaire to be included in this compilation.

The list, which ranges from fortunes of $1 billion to Bernard Arnault's $233 billion empire, highlights the luxury conglomerate LVMH's record year. The United States leads with 813 billionaires, including Elon Musk with an estimated worth of $195 billion. Following closely are China, including Hong Kong, with 473 billionaires, and India, with 200. The Asia-Pacific region boasts the highest number of billionaires, totalling 1,000. The Americas and Europe follow.

Muhammed Aziz Khan, now a Singapore permanent resident, was earlier ranked as the 41st richest man in Singapore, according to Forbes.

In 2018, when Khan was first listed in Forbes Singapore's list of billionaires, his net worth was $910 million. Currently, his real-time net worth, according to Forbes, stands at $1.1 billion, which is numbered 2579th highest in the world at the time of writing.

In 2019, Khan sold a 22% stake in Summit Power International to Japan's JERA for $330 million, which valued the company at $1.5 billion, states the listing by Forbes.

Summit Group is a top private sector conglomerate of Bangladesh and has interests in power, ports, fibre optics, real estate and liquefied natural gas.​

 

[Saif]

Fighting corruption or feeding it?

Once a little boy wanted to have his own cricket bat. But he did not have any money to buy it.

www.thedailystar.net

Fighting corruption or feeding it?

Once a little boy wanted to have his own cricket bat. But he did not have any money to buy it. He prayed to God for weeks and nothing happened. So, he decided to write a letter to God asking for Tk 500.

The postman was so amused that he decided to send it to the President's office. Finding it cute, the President sent him Tk 300. Thrilled, the boy wrote a thank you note to God where he complained, "God, the only problem was it came through the President's office where the corrupt donkeys ate Tk 200!"

In our country, we agree or disagree on global statistics as long as it suits our purpose. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023, Bangladesh ranks 149th among 180 countries.

Over the last few decades, the CPI score of Bangladesh varied from a low of 4 out of 100 in 2001 to a high of 28 in 2017, with 100 indicating a very clean public sector. In the face of such dire statistics, some justify their dubious acts by claiming corruption and development go hand in hand.

The fight against corruption hinges on understanding the gap between perception and reality. While public perception of corruption can be a powerful indicator, it does not always reflect its true extent. Barriers in uncovering hidden practices and biases can skew perceptions.

However, a widespread belief in corruption can itself be damaging, hindering investment and trust in institutions. Addressing the actual problem and the public perception is crucial in creating a truly transparent society. From my experience of dealing with international investors, Bangladesh is not the most preferred destination of investment despite its potentials for growth and economic success.

Corruption has always been a critical obstacle in exploiting our country's vast potentials. Our Prime Minister has repeatedly warned her officials against it but little has been achieved. In recent times, ludicrous stories of corruption of politicians and bureaucrats are circulating in the media. While some perceive them as baseless or a fabrication to avenge past enmity, others see them as just the tip of the iceberg.

Nevertheless, the general public soaks them up like a little boy reading a thriller. What is thought-provoking is whether the offenders care at all about the media reports, or is corruption a social taboo anymore?

Corruption seems to have spread its tentacles far and wide in our society, sparing none, be it politicians, bureaucrats, businesspeople and ordinary wage-earners. Even our legal system is not immune. It is frustrating to live in a society which tolerates corruption.

At times, it seems, the bigger the corruption, the less likelihood of it having any consequences. People are even starting to joke that it is pointless to steal small amounts. Corruption stifles progress – a country cannot thrive when politics is more lucrative than business.

Although corporate and national politics operate on different scales, they both involve power struggles and alliances. National politics concerns broader issues and public accountability, while corporate politics focuses on company profits and internal dynamics. While both require communication and strategy, the processes differ vastly. National politics involve elections and public debate, while corporate maneuverings occur through committees and informal power structures.

A multi-faceted approach is needed to root out corruption in Bangladesh. Strengthening institutions like an independent judiciary and well-equipped independent anti-corruption agencies can deter offenders. Public awareness and protecting whistleblowers can effectively empower citizens to raise their voice against corruption.

Technology such as e-governance and open data can increase transparency. Addressing root causes like bureaucratic complexities and lack of economic opportunities can reduce incentives for corruption. The crux of it lies in the intent of the people in power.

The fight against corruption demands action, not just words. Let us all, citizens and leaders alike, rise to the challenge and build a nation worthy of its potential.
The author is founder and managing director of BuildCon Consultancies Ltd.​

 

[Saif]

BTRC to open fresh audits into GP, Robi

The decision to carry out the audits comes although the claims of the first audits into the operators haven’t been settled yet.

www.thedailystar.net

BTRC to open fresh audits into GP, Robi

The telecom regulator has decided to carry out information system audits into Grameenphone and Robi Axiata in the years since 2015 and form committees to start the process of appointing auditors.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), at a meeting last month, approved the setting up of two committees in order to hire the audit firms.

Two tender evaluation committees for the audit process will also be formed, according to the meeting documents.

The information system audit aims to ensure that the equipment and processes within GP and Robi adhere to the guidelines of the commission. It makes sure compliance with rules and regulations, including the verification of revenue collected by the companies, so that the government receives its due share.

The decision to carry out the audits comes although the claims of the first audits into the operators haven't been settled yet.

The telecom regulator ran separate audits into the two operators from their inception to December 2014 and claimed Tk 12,579 crore from GP and Tk 867 crore from Robi.

The claims include the amounts for unpaid annual spectrum fees, value-added tax, and revenue sharing. However, both operators disputed the sum and claimed that they did not evade any taxes.

The dispute triggered a legal battle between the operators and the BTRC, with the companies filing cases in 2019.

Based on the audit of GP from 1997 to 2014, the BTRC sent a demand notice in April 2019, asking it to clear the payments.

Later, GP filed the case before the district court against the claim. The Supreme Court in November of that year ordered the operator to give Tk 2,000 crore in three months to the commission.

Afterward, the appellate division directed the largest mobile phone operator of the country to deposit Tk 1,000 crore by February 2020 and another Tk 1,000 crore by May 2020. GP complied.

Of the Tk 12,579 crore, the operator hasn't yet cleared more than Tk 6,100 crore slapped as a late fee.

Additionally, it paid over Tk 2,392 crore out of Tk 4,085 crore owed to the National Board of Revenue.

GP did not respond to The Daily Star's request for comments yesterday regarding the BTRC's new audit process.

"We want an amicable solution on the rest of the dues claimed in the audit," Yasir Azman, chief executive officer of GP, told The Daily Star recently.

Out of Tk 867 crore, Robi, the second-largest operator of Bangladesh, paid Tk 138 crore in five instalments by May 2020 to comply with the order of the High Court Division.

According to Robi's annual report for 2022, a substantial part of the BTRC's claim includes the VAT on spectrum fees and VAT rebate/credit cancellation, which are either part of other ongoing litigations or in respect of which the BTRC has no jurisdiction to claim relevant amounts.

"We filed a general petition with the court five years ago, challenging the outcomes of the previous audit. The telecom regulator is yet to respond to the petition. Therefore, we haven't seen any progress on the sub judice matter," Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi Axiata, told The Daily Star.

"We hope the regulator will take necessary steps to resolve pending issues of the previous audit."

The regulator also conducted audits into Banglalink from 1996 to 2019 and asked the operator to pay more than Tk 820 crore last year.

Of the figure, Tk 390 crore has been sought as VAT, tax and fees, and outstanding dues related to revenue-sharing, handset royalty, access frequency and microwave frequency payments, and the licence fees as principal amount. The rest, or Tk 430 crore, was claimed as late fees.

The operator has deposited Tk 335 crore of the principal amount as of now and will pay the rest of the principal amount of Tk 390 crore in instalments, according to an official of the operator.

Banglalink is trying to mutually resolve the BTRC's audit outcome, so it hasn't filed any case.

An official of the BTRC told The Daily Star that the commission has sent a letter to the government on waiving the late fees.

The BTRC also took the initiative to audit other state-owned and private companies in the telecommunication ecosystem.

It has recently demanded payments from state-run Teletalk Bangladesh and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited, asking them to clear dues amounting to a staggering Tk 3,000 crore collectively.​