TIB chief sees signs of instability,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

TIB Chairperson Advocate Sultana Kamal on Friday said she finds indications of widespread instability in the country.

“The situation we have in Bangladesh today …say it good governance, human rights or democracy…from all perspectives we see elements of huge instability,” she said at the inauguration of a conference at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

“Undemocratic force…that sort of trend is increasing. All these are related to corruption,” said Sultana Kamal, also executive director of human rights group – Ain O Salish Kendra.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised the two-day national conference of the Sachetan Nagorik Committee (conscious citizens committee, Sanac) and Youth Engagement Support (YES).

Sultana Kamal said through corruption people's rights is being snatched and that the citizens of a democratic, prosperous society are getting vanished.

“Today people have no power. Impunity and insecurity have entered deep [into the society]. People have lost their confidence that there would be something good in this country. This is a huge social injury,” the leading human rights activist said.

The parliament and cabinet appear to be non-distinctive, and the institutions are getting destroyed, which is not the way how democracy can run, Kamal said.

To overcome these impediments, citizens have a major role to play, but sometimes they too do not know their rights and power. “Therefore, we need to educate ourselves as citizens and work hand in hand to realise our rights,” she said.

TIB Trustee Board Member M Hafizuddin Khan said corruption is increasing in the country with the Anti-Corruption Commission getting handicapped and the parliament getting non-functional.

“Of the five major promises of the present government, one was checking corruption. However, things are quite different now,” he told about 700 members of Sanac. The session for the YES members will be held on Saturday.

Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, also called for waging a citizens’ movement to fight the menace.

TIB Trustee Bard Member and former chief election commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said there is something like a syndicate of those, who are in the power – from top to bottom, and that is the reason for corruption.

The biggest target of them is the public property, he said, adding: “The government knows it very well, but it has no resistance.”

He called on the youths to get united and wage social resistance against corruption and abuse of power.

“Resistance should be both from individual and group levels. This surely has an impact,” Huda said, urging all to make sure that they do what they talk about.

Prof Rawshan Jahan, wife of late Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, administered an oath to the Sanac members who pledged not to get involved in corruption and work against it.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman paid tribute to late Prof Muzaffer Ahmad and industrialist Samson H Chowdhury who acted as chairpersons of TIB and were the champions in anti-corruption movement.