BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said that BNP will once again fight against corruption if the people give responsibility to the party.
“How does corruption cripple Bangladesh? Ask a graduate searching for a job based on merit. Ask a farmer waiting months for a routine service. Listen to a young family struggling to access healthcare or entrepreneurs forced to pay extra just to keep their businesses alive. From food prices to school quality to road safety, corruption cripples daily life for millions,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, he said, “For decades, the fight against corruption has been central to Bangladesh’s governance debates. International Anti-Corruption Day reminds us of that long struggle and of moments when Bangladesh made real progress, especially during BNP's tenure.”
Early governance efforts under President Ziaur Rahman prioritised administrative discipline, clean public service, and economic reforms that reduced gatekeeping and discretionary power. Later, the administrations of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia modernised institutions through procurement rules, financial administration laws, strengthened audits, and clearer oversight mechanisms.
A major milestone came in 2004 with the formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as an independent statutory body. This replaced the Bureau of Anti-Corruption and aligned Bangladesh with global standards by granting independent investigative and prosecutorial authority. Development partners such as the World Bank and ADB recognised this as a significant step toward accountability.
Despite reservations about Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) methodology at the time, even they reported improved CPI performance: Bangladesh’s score rose from 1.2 in 2002 to 1.7 in 2005. Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer (2003) found that 66% of citizens felt corruption had decreased. These gains reflected reforms that strengthened clarity, reduced discretion, and expanded oversight.
BNP takes pride in key developments from these eras, including:
- Stronger financial governance: improved treasury systems, tighter budgets, better audits, and early anti-money-laundering and banking regulations.
- Early procurement reforms: standardised procedures and competitive bidding that laid groundwork for the Public Procurement Act.
- Market liberalisation: expanding telecom, media, aviation, and trade competition, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and increasing public scrutiny.
- Decentralisation and civil service improvements: shifting authority closer to communities and making administration more predictable and less discretionary.
So, the point is clear—when it comes to reducing corruption, only the BNP has a consistent track record.
We aim to continue that fight through:
- Institutional independence — ensuring the judiciary, ACC, election bodies, public service, and law enforcement operate without interference.
- Transparency and accountability — open procurement, asset declarations, real-time audits, and stronger Right-to-Information systems.
- Judicial and law-enforcement reform — professionalised policing, case-tracking, efficient prosecution, and digital evidence systems.
- Deregulation and e-governance — digitising licences, land records, and payments to cut in-person services, which international studies show can reduce corruption by 30–60%.
- Whistleblower protection — safeguarding informants so wrongdoing can be reported safely.
- Ethics and civic education — embedding integrity in schools and universities to build long-term cultural change.
- Stronger financial oversight — independent audits, digitised spending trails, and empowered parliamentary budget scrutiny.
Fighting corruption will be an uphill battle after years of systemic abuse. But Bangladesh’s own history proves progress is possible. With commitment, discipline, and public support, meaningful reform can return. If entrusted by the people, BNP is prepared to lead that charge, once again.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
