UNB, Dhaka :
Responding to questions raised by some ruling party leaders about its funding sources, the Transparency
International Bangladesh (TIB) on Sunday said the anti-graft body does not raise or spend a single penny without due approval of the relevant government authorities.
In a statement, TIB said it has become customary for a section of political leaders to raise questions about the funding source of TIB, bring allegations of links with political opposition and accuse it of defaming the relevant institutions or sectors on which TIB releases its research reports.
“It’s nothing new nor does it have any logical basis. We had said this earlier, and we’re saying it again,” the statement said, adding that TIB is fully compliant with relevant rules and accordingly submits its financial reports to the government and publishes the same through its website regularly.
It said the allegations of TIB’s partisan political linkage and/or with any militant organisation are baseless. “Nevertheless, TIB will leave no stone unturned to cooperate with any initiative by the government or any other legitimate authorities to investigate any such allegation.”
TIB came up with its response to reactions of political leaders to its Parliament Watch report released on October 25 through a media conference and to a couple of comments made by TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman during the question-answer session.
About the comment of ‘Stage for Puppet Show’, the statement said: “… that there’s no genuine opposition party in the 10th Parliament is not only a comment, but well-known factual information as stated even during proceedings in the House itself by a Member of Parliament.”
The self-contradictory position and crisis of identity of the “main opposition party” led to a lack of clarity in the articulation and discharge of their role. “Such deficits in the highest institution of public representation also resulted in a kind of lack of confidence, hesitation and double-mindedness that has been viewed by TIB as one akin to that of a puppet that has no control in the role it plays.”
About ‘debatable election’, the statement said that the last January 5 election in the wake of which the 10th Parliament was formed was debatable is well-known and beyond any dispute.
