TIB views on NGOs corruption
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Muhammad Quamrul Islam
Concerned activists wish a comprehensive assessment of reports published in national dailies so as to convey our experiences for information and action. On November 2,2007. Dr. Huguette Labelle chair board of directors of Transparency International [TI] said the voter list for the next general election of Bangladesh and financing of the candidates have to be fair and transparent. Parliament is the highest place to run a country. So if the parliament members are not honest then corruption cannot be eliminated. She met the Chief Adviser of Caretaker Government (CG). Chairman of Anti-Corruption Commission discussed relevant issues.
She urged the government to make the voter list properly and ensure transparency of financing the candidates. We agree that corresponds to a post-editorial article by me in The Bangladesh Observer on November 4, 2007 titled ' How to ensure that honest candidates contest in 2008 elections,' which may be referred to TI. In a nutshell, preparation of voter list, issue of ID cards by Election Commission (EC) supported by the army is on the right track. But, whether political parties are at all inclined to place honest candidates is the burning question, be it local and national elections.
That is because reformists in the mainstream parties are now in an awkward position under pressure from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance and Awami League (AL)-led alliance. Frankly speaking, anti-reformists surround former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as well as AL president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for personal interest to run the politics of 'one person show'. It can't be the characteristics of a political party according to political science or constitution law. But who cares! Even university teachers have said good bye to the definition of political party and prefer it to toe the line of any one of the two big parties as Blue or White panels and have thus marred the traditional academic atmosphere as well as national politics.
Retired Vice-Chancellors of public universities prefer to join private university and write columns, covertly or overtly, in national dailies toeing respective party line. They are beneficiaries of partisan politics under University ordinance 1973. Why do they not join parties after resigning university jobs, contest elections and thus make the local and national governments and parliament transparent and effective? Reports to date do not show any party that that gone for purging and induct honest persons to contest ensuing elections against the backdrop of post-one-eleven changeover. Let us wait and see the report of the Judicial Commission on the recent incident of unrest on Dhaka University campus.
We thank the CG for not yielding to demands placed in various forms by the partisan University teachers.
EC's letter for dialogue to acting secretary general of BNP, Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed
The morning of November 6, 2007 showed a ray of hope dispelling doubts and tensions that gripped people countrywide.
The EC secretary said Commission took the decision after examining two letters, one on the appointment of Khandaker Delwar Hussain as acting secretary general, and the other on the expulsion of Abdul Mannan Bhuiya from BNP. BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia expelled Mannan Bhuiya from the party as secretary general and Ashraf Hossain as joint secretary general on September3.
This happened on the day, she was arrested in a graft case. On October29, seven members of BNP standing committee held a meeting where Delwar was relieved of his responsibilities and BNP vice-president Hafizuddin Ahmed was appointed to the post. In that meeting, M Saifur Rahman was appointed acting chairman of BNP in the absence of party chairperson. BNP would take preparations for contesting upcoming polls, Saifur said, adding, when AL is working together he was hurt to see that there was division in BNP. However, Khaleda Zia is their leader, he asserted.
As such, it is logical and legal for EC to invite Hafizuddin. There is no basis for Delwar-Hannan to oppose the decision of EC and hurl abuses that expose their undemocratic attitudes so far. Chief Election Commissioner said, they followed the doctrine of necessity to arrive at the decision.
He said EC had to end the issue and so had given a rule saying, if someone felt aggrieved in this regard aggrieved, they might go to the Court or sit in party forum. We hope the issue would not be dragged further to serve mean personal interests. And party reforms should be set in motion as early as possible whether AL does it or not, though they are also committed to party reforms.
Local elections and AL reformists
Razzaq-Tofael-Suranjit trio in AL proposed reforms within party. They are yet to take a determined step. Would they step back and compromise with anti-reformists? Would AL go for elections-local and national-without bringing reforms in party? If they go for local elections without party reforms, where is the guarantee that holders of whitened black money, the so-called clean businessmen, would not make an inroad? The fact is even if one is not convicted of corruption, or not indicted in a case(s) do not prove one's innocence from the moral pint of view. It is for party to judge a person.
Current reports in language dailies show AL is taking preparations to participate in City and Municipal elections. Even names of candidates to Dhaka City Corporation are flashed. The ground reality is the city committee is inoperative as both the President and General secretary are on the run facing corruption charges. What criteria for the selection should AL inform the voters of?
EC has declared elections for the City Corporations of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna by March-April. It has been made known that Municipal and Union Parishads elections would be held consecutively. It is noted that though local elections are non-partisan, political party leaders take part in them, a fact that has been brought to the notice of EC.
Foreign-funded NGOs who are working in this area may say who are competent candidates for such election. Holding seminars for the purpose is not the only solution. NGOs might note the level of honesty of outgoing chairmen or members. Unless honest candidates contest, it would have impact on national elections.
Of the 8 candidates nominated in parliamentary seats in Dhaka during the last election, one is in jail and 5 other are absconding. The names flashed so far for Dhaka city do not inspire confidence, said a leader.
The Commission, which is now formulating recommendations for strengthening local government should look into these, so that good and honest candidates may contest. Towards that goal first action would be to depoliticize teachers and students. MPs should have no business in local development activities and education institutions as ex-officio chairman. In that case, good candidates not under the grip of MPs would come up. And those who want to be MPs for making money from constituency and wield power will lose interest in contesting. This would help restoring healthy atmosphere in politics.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on curbing corruption in NGOs
Let us look at national dailies of October 5, 2007 that carried a TIB Report on NGOs. Coincidently another news item made Anti-Corruption Commission's disclosure of a list of 35 people with suspected ties to corruption including Kazi Faruk Ahmed, NGO Proshika Chairman. TIB.
The report finds NGO sector has become by and large corrupt due to institutional irregularities and lack of proper monitoring. The report was prepared on the basis of surveying 20 NGOs-one international, 8 national and 11 local. It found 85 per cent of the national and local NGOs do not have financial transparency.
The executives of 70 per cent NGOs enjoy illegal financial and other facilities. Employees' of 35 per cent NGOs do not get salaries regularly. 65 per cent NGOs resort to bribing for getting projects from the government departments. Big NGOs keep retired bureaucrats in its payroll to influence government officials. Even the donors reacted to it!
TIB reports show ineffectiveness of NGO governing bodies, plundering of staffers salaries, bribing NGO Affairs Bureau for releasing donations, tax dodging by NGO the executives and officials, and corruption in appointing manpower. These should stop right now in anticipation of an Independent Commission to be formed in due course by government agencies concerned. NGO Affairs Bureau has been activated and placed under Finance and Planning Ministry.
These steps will facilitate proper monitoring, stop procurement of donations from different donors for same project.
Prof Muzaffar Ahmed said that voluntarism, which was the main concept of NGO activities, is now lost. Actually, NGOs sprouted as a post-Bangladesh phenomenon when donors came to render relief in the wake of liberation war 1971.
Afterwards they started socio-economic projects for the underprivileged and for alleviation of poverty, family planning and so on. We think as long as such NGOs that maintain high political and administrative connections exists, there would be no good governance in the country.
That is because, ruling and opposition party leaders are also NGO lords.
There is no rotation of voluntary leadership. Elections are so managed so as to keep one in the same post-chairman, general secretary and treasurer-for decades. In mid 1980s a USAID Team undertook comprehensive assessment of family planning services, based on BAVS, then the biggest national level NGO.
The team suggested rotation of voluntary leadership in NGOs, but to no effect. It was not heeded even by BAVS that later on fell apart due to party squabbling and irregularities.
Donors were ready to provide funds, satisfied with staffers services, but the Committee was unwilling to accept, since one was busy to be minister, while another to become an influential party MP. TIB may be requested to make a survey on the chiefs of NGOs as chairman or executive director and so on.
Rejection TIB report by Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh (FNB) known to toe BNP, and the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh [ADAB] known to toe AL, as reported in national dailies on October 6 and 7 last demonstrate similar attitudes. Do FNB and ADAB leaders have the knowledge to question the methodology adopted by TIB, an elderly statistician quipped, and adding that the report was right. The seemingly divided apex bodies have now found a common ground for unity. However, no one could refute TIB findings and what they said in a round about manner signify nothing.
We would like to invite the attention of donors that voluntary tradition of Bengalis continued during the erstwhile East Pakistan. But unfortunately the tradition was lost in sovereign Bangladesh. Let the donors be not misled by NGOs soliciting funds. Thanks are due to media that exposed EARTH- Foundation and its misdeeds. How the retired bureaucrats, intelligentsia and so on flocked there! Bangladesh NGOs should mend their manners. We are thankful for the international community support extended to the popular government.
The writer is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Concerned activists wish a comprehensive assessment of reports published in national dailies so as to convey our experiences for information and action. On November 2,2007. Dr. Huguette Labelle chair board of directors of Transparency International [TI] said the voter list for the next general election of Bangladesh and financing of the candidates have to be fair and transparent. Parliament is the highest place to run a country. So if the parliament members are not honest then corruption cannot be eliminated. She met the Chief Adviser of Caretaker Government (CG). Chairman of Anti-Corruption Commission discussed relevant issues.
She urged the government to make the voter list properly and ensure transparency of financing the candidates. We agree that corresponds to a post-editorial article by me in The Bangladesh Observer on November 4, 2007 titled ' How to ensure that honest candidates contest in 2008 elections,' which may be referred to TI. In a nutshell, preparation of voter list, issue of ID cards by Election Commission (EC) supported by the army is on the right track. But, whether political parties are at all inclined to place honest candidates is the burning question, be it local and national elections.
That is because reformists in the mainstream parties are now in an awkward position under pressure from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance and Awami League (AL)-led alliance. Frankly speaking, anti-reformists surround former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as well as AL president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for personal interest to run the politics of 'one person show'. It can't be the characteristics of a political party according to political science or constitution law. But who cares! Even university teachers have said good bye to the definition of political party and prefer it to toe the line of any one of the two big parties as Blue or White panels and have thus marred the traditional academic atmosphere as well as national politics.
Retired Vice-Chancellors of public universities prefer to join private university and write columns, covertly or overtly, in national dailies toeing respective party line. They are beneficiaries of partisan politics under University ordinance 1973. Why do they not join parties after resigning university jobs, contest elections and thus make the local and national governments and parliament transparent and effective? Reports to date do not show any party that that gone for purging and induct honest persons to contest ensuing elections against the backdrop of post-one-eleven changeover. Let us wait and see the report of the Judicial Commission on the recent incident of unrest on Dhaka University campus.
We thank the CG for not yielding to demands placed in various forms by the partisan University teachers.
EC's letter for dialogue to acting secretary general of BNP, Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed
The morning of November 6, 2007 showed a ray of hope dispelling doubts and tensions that gripped people countrywide.
The EC secretary said Commission took the decision after examining two letters, one on the appointment of Khandaker Delwar Hussain as acting secretary general, and the other on the expulsion of Abdul Mannan Bhuiya from BNP. BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia expelled Mannan Bhuiya from the party as secretary general and Ashraf Hossain as joint secretary general on September3.
This happened on the day, she was arrested in a graft case. On October29, seven members of BNP standing committee held a meeting where Delwar was relieved of his responsibilities and BNP vice-president Hafizuddin Ahmed was appointed to the post. In that meeting, M Saifur Rahman was appointed acting chairman of BNP in the absence of party chairperson. BNP would take preparations for contesting upcoming polls, Saifur said, adding, when AL is working together he was hurt to see that there was division in BNP. However, Khaleda Zia is their leader, he asserted.
As such, it is logical and legal for EC to invite Hafizuddin. There is no basis for Delwar-Hannan to oppose the decision of EC and hurl abuses that expose their undemocratic attitudes so far. Chief Election Commissioner said, they followed the doctrine of necessity to arrive at the decision.
He said EC had to end the issue and so had given a rule saying, if someone felt aggrieved in this regard aggrieved, they might go to the Court or sit in party forum. We hope the issue would not be dragged further to serve mean personal interests. And party reforms should be set in motion as early as possible whether AL does it or not, though they are also committed to party reforms.
Local elections and AL reformists
Razzaq-Tofael-Suranjit trio in AL proposed reforms within party. They are yet to take a determined step. Would they step back and compromise with anti-reformists? Would AL go for elections-local and national-without bringing reforms in party? If they go for local elections without party reforms, where is the guarantee that holders of whitened black money, the so-called clean businessmen, would not make an inroad? The fact is even if one is not convicted of corruption, or not indicted in a case(s) do not prove one's innocence from the moral pint of view. It is for party to judge a person.
Current reports in language dailies show AL is taking preparations to participate in City and Municipal elections. Even names of candidates to Dhaka City Corporation are flashed. The ground reality is the city committee is inoperative as both the President and General secretary are on the run facing corruption charges. What criteria for the selection should AL inform the voters of?
EC has declared elections for the City Corporations of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna by March-April. It has been made known that Municipal and Union Parishads elections would be held consecutively. It is noted that though local elections are non-partisan, political party leaders take part in them, a fact that has been brought to the notice of EC.
Foreign-funded NGOs who are working in this area may say who are competent candidates for such election. Holding seminars for the purpose is not the only solution. NGOs might note the level of honesty of outgoing chairmen or members. Unless honest candidates contest, it would have impact on national elections.
Of the 8 candidates nominated in parliamentary seats in Dhaka during the last election, one is in jail and 5 other are absconding. The names flashed so far for Dhaka city do not inspire confidence, said a leader.
The Commission, which is now formulating recommendations for strengthening local government should look into these, so that good and honest candidates may contest. Towards that goal first action would be to depoliticize teachers and students. MPs should have no business in local development activities and education institutions as ex-officio chairman. In that case, good candidates not under the grip of MPs would come up. And those who want to be MPs for making money from constituency and wield power will lose interest in contesting. This would help restoring healthy atmosphere in politics.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on curbing corruption in NGOs
Let us look at national dailies of October 5, 2007 that carried a TIB Report on NGOs. Coincidently another news item made Anti-Corruption Commission's disclosure of a list of 35 people with suspected ties to corruption including Kazi Faruk Ahmed, NGO Proshika Chairman. TIB.
The report finds NGO sector has become by and large corrupt due to institutional irregularities and lack of proper monitoring. The report was prepared on the basis of surveying 20 NGOs-one international, 8 national and 11 local. It found 85 per cent of the national and local NGOs do not have financial transparency.
The executives of 70 per cent NGOs enjoy illegal financial and other facilities. Employees' of 35 per cent NGOs do not get salaries regularly. 65 per cent NGOs resort to bribing for getting projects from the government departments. Big NGOs keep retired bureaucrats in its payroll to influence government officials. Even the donors reacted to it!
TIB reports show ineffectiveness of NGO governing bodies, plundering of staffers salaries, bribing NGO Affairs Bureau for releasing donations, tax dodging by NGO the executives and officials, and corruption in appointing manpower. These should stop right now in anticipation of an Independent Commission to be formed in due course by government agencies concerned. NGO Affairs Bureau has been activated and placed under Finance and Planning Ministry.
These steps will facilitate proper monitoring, stop procurement of donations from different donors for same project.
Prof Muzaffar Ahmed said that voluntarism, which was the main concept of NGO activities, is now lost. Actually, NGOs sprouted as a post-Bangladesh phenomenon when donors came to render relief in the wake of liberation war 1971.
Afterwards they started socio-economic projects for the underprivileged and for alleviation of poverty, family planning and so on. We think as long as such NGOs that maintain high political and administrative connections exists, there would be no good governance in the country.
That is because, ruling and opposition party leaders are also NGO lords.
There is no rotation of voluntary leadership. Elections are so managed so as to keep one in the same post-chairman, general secretary and treasurer-for decades. In mid 1980s a USAID Team undertook comprehensive assessment of family planning services, based on BAVS, then the biggest national level NGO.
The team suggested rotation of voluntary leadership in NGOs, but to no effect. It was not heeded even by BAVS that later on fell apart due to party squabbling and irregularities.
Donors were ready to provide funds, satisfied with staffers services, but the Committee was unwilling to accept, since one was busy to be minister, while another to become an influential party MP. TIB may be requested to make a survey on the chiefs of NGOs as chairman or executive director and so on.
Rejection TIB report by Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh (FNB) known to toe BNP, and the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh [ADAB] known to toe AL, as reported in national dailies on October 6 and 7 last demonstrate similar attitudes. Do FNB and ADAB leaders have the knowledge to question the methodology adopted by TIB, an elderly statistician quipped, and adding that the report was right. The seemingly divided apex bodies have now found a common ground for unity. However, no one could refute TIB findings and what they said in a round about manner signify nothing.
We would like to invite the attention of donors that voluntary tradition of Bengalis continued during the erstwhile East Pakistan. But unfortunately the tradition was lost in sovereign Bangladesh. Let the donors be not misled by NGOs soliciting funds. Thanks are due to media that exposed EARTH- Foundation and its misdeeds. How the retired bureaucrats, intelligentsia and so on flocked there! Bangladesh NGOs should mend their manners. We are thankful for the international community support extended to the popular government.
The writer is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh