Ranking slightly better; TIB terms it insignificant
Bangladesh ranked 16th from the bottom in this year’s graft index, released globally by Transparency International yesterday. It scored 27 points out of 100, one point higher than the last year when it became 13th in the corruption perception index.
Chairperson of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) trustee board, Sultana Kamal termed the slight change in Bangladesh’s position insignificant as the
country’s position still remains quite low.
Quoting the report, TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said grand corruption incidents in the stockmarket, Padma bridge project, Hall Mark, Destiny, railway and
Rana Plaza collapse significantly overshadowed Bangladesh’s profile this year.
They were responding to queries by journalists at a press conference at the TIB office in the capital.
This year Bangladesh has been ranked 136th among 177 countries. Both Denmark and New Zealand scored 91 points each to top the global ranking jointly.
Among the seven South Asian countries, Bangladesh scored second lowest right above Afghanistan, with Bhutan at the top.
Sri Lanka has been placed in the 91st position, India 94th, Nepal 116th and Pakistan 127th.
In global ranking, Afghanistan stood the lowest while Russia scored one point more than Bangladesh.
The TI had rated Bangladesh in the lowest position in its graft perception report for five consecutive years since 2001.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said making the Anti-Corruption Commission toothless, ineffective parliament (boycott by the main opposition), parliamentary committees dominated by
interest groups, whitening of black money, reckless grabbing of public land and water bodies and government’s failure to effectively fight corruption added to the
country’s poor profile.
The government’s move to amend the anti-corruption law to incorporate a new provision (requiring prior approval for suing public servants on graft charges) was
unconstitutional and intended to encourage corruption, he mentioned.
About the ensuing general election, he said the TIB believed that a one-party parliament, which might be formed without participation of the main opposition, would not
be able to ensure good governance and contain corruption.
The countries that scored lower than Bangladesh included Yemen, Haiti, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Venezuela, Eritrea, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Myanmar,
Burundi, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Iran, Cameroon, Uganda, Laos and Kazakhstan.
The TI survey focused on abuse of power, misappropriation of public fund, grand corruption at political and administrative levels and extracting extra money for public
service at executive and judiciary institutions. Data was collected from February 2011 to September 2013.
Bangladesh’s score on corruption rating was based on data survey by seven globally renowned organisations, including Bertelsmann Transformation Index, Economist
Intelligence Unit, Global Insight Country Risk Assessment, Political Risk Services International, World Bank Country Performance, World Economic Forum and World
Justice Project.
-With The Daily Star input
