TIB: Failure to curb extortion, encroachment raises concerns for ruling party

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern and strong resentment over three recent incidents, calling them “not isolated incidents but an ominous sign for the government and the ruling party.”

The anti-graft organisation called for exemplary accountability for those involved and urged the ruling party to launch a nationwide self-purification drive.

The incidents involved the looting, vandalism and encroachment of the RADDA MCH-FP Centre in Dhaka, an internal BNP dispute over control of a water body in Kishoreganj, and the vandalism of a content creator’s office.

In a statement issued on Sunday, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman described the incident at the RADDA MCH-FP Centre as an embarrassing example for both the government and the ruling party.

“This nonprofit organisation has been providing healthcare to underprivileged and vulnerable mothers and children for 50 years. It has now been demolished in front of hundreds of people, allegedly under the patronage of a reserved-seat member of parliament and in the presence of police. What kind of example is the ruling party setting for its citizens?” he said.

Iftekharuzzaman said that since August 2024, following the fall of what he described as an “authoritarian kleptocracy,” a section of BNP leaders and activists had claimed credit for the political change. Since then, he said, the party has faced widespread allegations of encroachment, extortion and attempts to establish dominance across the country.

He said many party leaders and activists at various levels, including the grassroots, began acting recklessly following the political transition, prompting concern among the media, political observers and political circles.

“Immediately after the fall of the Awami League government, extortion and encroachment changed hands, and a section of BNP leaders and activists turned the situation into a free-for-all,” he said.

Referring to the latest incidents, the TIB executive director said they were “sufficient to overshadow all of the government’s good deeds and initiatives and to create a negative impression among the public.”

TIB said those involved in the alleged abuses of power were directly or indirectly affiliated with the ruling party, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to take effective action.

The organisation said a culture of arbitrariness, corruption, irregularities and impunity was being re-established, for which the government would have to bear responsibility on multiple fronts.

TIB therefore called on the authorities to promptly conduct proper investigations into each of the incidents and ensure exemplary punishment for those responsible.