Survey on Corruption
TIB high-ups sued in Ctg
Comilla court receives case in the morning, dismisses in the evening
Three defamation cases were filed yesterday against Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Chairman M Hafizuddin Khan, Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman and Senior Fellow Wahid Alam for “demeaning the judiciary.”
However, the case filed in Comilla was dismissed on technical grounds in the evening hours after the court issued arrest warrants against the three.
Meanwhile, two Chittagong courts summoned the three after two cases were filed there in connection with the recent TIB survey report which said the judiciary was the most corrupt service sector in Bangladesh.
In Jhenidah, activists of Jubo League warned local TIB officials not to publish reports that irk them.
In an instant reaction, the TIB said it would comply with the court orders and go for a legal battle.
The TIB in its latest survey, conducted on 6,000 households, found that of the people who approached the judiciary for services between June 2009 and May this year, a staggering 88 percent faced corruption and harassment. About 11 percent of the surveyed households that received services from the judiciary paid on average Tk 7,918 bribe each.
CASE IN COMILLA
Lawyer Tauhidur Rahman, a member of Comilla unit of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ organisation, filed the case with the First Cognisance Court, Comilla around 11:00am, reports our Brahmanbaria correspondent.
In the case statement, the plaintiff claimed that a quarter with ill motives has been plotting against the judiciary since its separation from the executive on November 1, 2007 and the TIB survey report was part of that conspiracy.
The case was filed under sections 502, 502 and 109 of the Penal Code.
He said the report tarnished his personal image since he is part of the judicial system.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Saidur Rahman Gazi took the case into cognisance and issued arrest warrants against the three.
However, in the evening the same court dismissed the case because the plaintiff did not put down the full addresses of the accused in the arrest-warrant forms.
Public Prosecutor Md Mujibur Rahman said the judge rejected the case saying the accuser did not give full addresses of the accused even after the warrants of arrest were issued.
“I did not withdraw the case. The case was rejected as I did not fill up the form for arrest warrant,” said the complainant.
Sources said the complainant did not fill up the form following mounting pressure from district unit of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum.
CASES IN CTG
Two back-to-back defamation cases were filed with two courts in Chittagong against the three TIB officials, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Mohammad Mohiuddin, a member of Chittagong District Bar Association, filed a case with Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court around 11:00am.
He claimed that the TIB report has made the judiciary “controversial” and tarnished the dignity of the profession of lawyers since they are also part of the judiciary.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubur Rahman summoned the accused before it on January 13.
Half an hour later, Mujibul Hoque, a lawyer, filed another case with the Chittagong Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
Terming the TIB survey report released on December 23 “incorrect”, the complainant said the report has tarnished the image of the judiciary and of himself.
He said the report intended to “present Bangladesh as a failed state” and is backed by a vested quarter.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Keshab Roy Chowdhury took the case into cognisance and summoned the three officials before the court on January 30.
TIB REACTION
The TIB survey report was not designed to demean any individual, said its Chairman Hafizuddin Khan, adding that the survey was conducted using established procedures of social science research, which is followed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
“Statistics is a science. And the survey represents what the people have told us. It is in no way connected with the concept of disgrace,” he said yesterday when The Daily Star called him over the telephone for his reaction on the filing of cases.
“It is a social movement against corruption. This is to make people and all stakeholders aware about corruption. Many other countries across the globe are doing this survey and Transparency International is also working worldwide to fight corruption.”
He regretted the misinterpretation of the scientific process.
Meanwhile, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said they would surrender before the court complying with the court orders.
The incident of filing case against TIB executives does not reflect the usual practice of taking action against corrupt people. If such prompt steps were taken against the corrupt persons, the picture presented by the survey report could have been different, he noted.
“If people involved in the judiciary wish, they can take immediate steps against an offender. They took us for offenders and ordered warrants of arrest against us without any delay. This is the picture we want to see everywhere,” he said.
If the trial courts find us guilty, the TIB will move to the higher court, said Iftekharuzzaman.
JHENIDAH THREAT
A number of Jubo League activists yesterday afternoon warned TIB officials in the district against “such activities in the name of survey”, reports our Jhenidah correspondent.
Protesting the TIB survey report, they also asked the members of Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), a TIB-sponsored body of locals, not to get involved in such surveys.
Munjur Elahi Sumon, TIB in-charge at Jhenidah, told The Daily Star that a number of Jubo League activists went to his office around 2:30pm and asked for the TIB survey report on Jhenidah. They took the report copy.
