Members of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) have expressed deep concern over irregularities and corruption in the health sector during the Corona crisis, increasing violence against women and children and increasing institutional and non-institutional pressure on the media.
At the same time, ensuring the effective participation of young people in the decision-making process in tackling global disasters such as COVID-19 and achieving sustainable development goals; development of effective, accountable and transparent organizations; Members participating in the 2019-2020 Annual Meeting strongly urged to implement the commitment to build a well-governed democratic Bangladesh through healthy and secure banking system and effective steps to control corruption to restore public confidence in the banking sector.
They made the remarks at a virtual meeting on Thursday (November 26) with 44 members of various classes and professions involved in the anti-corruption social movement volunteering with TIB.
TIB executive director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman moderated the meeting while it was presided over by Kazi Md. Mortuza Ali, elected representative of the members of the General Board of TIB.
The members expressed their satisfaction over the overall activities undertaken in the meeting, including positive comments on the various activities conducted by TIB in the fiscal year 2019-2020, including research, consultancy and publicity, and the highest quality audit report of the respective financial accounts.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the members expressed deep concern over the rise in violence against women and the spread of heinous crimes like rape in Bangladesh due to lack of justice. In this context, the members strongly urged to ensure appropriate punishment for the perpetrators as an effective step to stop violence and rape against women and children.
At the same time, commenting that the crisis in the corrupt health sector has deepened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, new opportunities for corruption have been created by taking advantage of the Corona situation. Instead of dealing with the coronavirus, the government has given more priority to controlling its activities and has adopted a kind of concretionary policy. As a result, information has been regulated and public access to health care has declined, they said.
The participants also called for expeditious distribution of incentives to all frontline health workers and ensuring participation of non-governmental organizations as well as various government activities to assist marginalized and backward communities across the country. Though there is publicity for the promotion of free journalism, freedom of expression and free media in the country, in reality every effort is being made to control the media in both institutional and informal ways. The arbitrary use of digital security laws has become a matter of great national and international concern. Under the pressure of various other laws, including the Digital Security Act, the media itself is being forced into ‘self-censorship’, which is in conflict with the idea of an independent democratic state and especially the spirit of an independent Bangladesh.
Pressure on the media is an omen for democracy, which is bound to be suicidal and boomerang. Therefore, the members urged the government and all concerned to open the way for free journalism immediately. Noting the importance of effective, accountable and transparent institutions, the members said that in an effective democratic system, fair and impartial electoral system is said to be the first and essential element of accountability. One of the indicators of accountability to the people is the selection process.
The lack of a strong role in establishing the accountability of the government is evident as the ruling party has gained an absolute majority through a questionable national election and is the main opposition to the rule of law. On the other hand, the fact that the Election Commission is a constitutional body has probably been forgotten by those involved in the commission. In Bangladesh, where elections were once considered a festival, the current commission seems to have made arrangements to send them to museums. In such a reality, the members demanded to ensure the impartiality, objectivity, efficiency and professionalism of the administration, law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption commission, judiciary, election commission and human rights commission.