Noted economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad Sunday ruled out the allegation of irregularities in climate change fund management and awarding of projects to NGOs saying the project allocation process has been going on with full transparency.
Without mentioning any name, he accused some organisations for working against the country, spreading false propaganda in connivance with some vested quarters.
"One organisation said 10 NGOs do not exist, which is a lie. Rather those NGOs are working excellent," said Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation chairman.
"Some organisations are working against the country's interest and we are taking measures against them," he added.
Mr Ahmad was speaking as the chief guest at the National Dialogue on "Climate Change Finance: Managing a Transparent Pro-Poor Fund in Bangladesh" under the banner of The European Union (EU) Climate Change Cooperation with Bangladesh at National Press Club in city.
Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad in association with EU, Oxfam and CSRL organised the event with BUP chairman MA Jalil in the chair.
Earlier, Transparency International, Bangladesh in its report titled "Climate Finance in Bangladesh: Challenge of Good Governance and Way Out" said 10 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) out of 63 which received money from climate fund did not exist. Those NGOs received Tk 20.95 million in total from Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF).
TIB also said nine other NGOs received project allocation from the BCCTF on political consideration, executive members of 13 more NGOs are involved in politics and one NGO got project allocation even after cancellation of its registration by the Micro-credit Regularity Authority (MRA).
These 10 NGOs are: Society for Urban and Rural Human Integrated Development (Surhid), Surja Shikha, Development for Society (DS), Participatory Research and Development Initiative (PRDI), Bashabo Janakalyan Sangstha (BJS), Shelter, Astha Social Development Organisation (ASDO), Welfare Association for Social Development and Poverty Alleviation (WASDPA), Nebula Human Development (NHD) and Somahar.
In his remarks, Mr Ahmad, who is the coordinator of Bangladesh Climate Change Negotiation Team, said the government allocated Tk 27.50 billion for the BCCTF of which the 10 NGOs received only about Tk 210 million. But the critics are talking like as if the whole fund has been misappropriated.
"There are various false blames. We are just after one another, which is not right," said the PKSF chairman, adding, "they have to think first before making any allegation."
He, however, admitted that there is lack of coordination among the concerned ministries and the monitoring of the projects has not been properly executed as it was expected due to lack of skilled people who were supposed to be developed under the project.
"This time we will monitor the government projects by overcoming the shortcomings so that the objective of those projects is achieved," he said.
Mr Ahmad said 40 per cent of the climate change related projects are being implemented by the water board and only 10 per cent of the BCCRF fund is managed by PKSF.
