Transparency International, Bangladesh is working to protect interest of foreigners, says Kholiquzzaman

Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad has described anti-graft agency Transparency International, Bangladesh as a ‘protector of foreigners’ interest’.

“An organisation like the TIB… I should not name it… is working to protect interests of several vested quarters and countries,” he said while speaking at a workshop on climate change in Dhaka on Thursday.

Dr Ahmad made the remark at a time when the Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based agency has drawn flak from several ministers for its reports on corruption.

The chief of the government agency said: “Several individuals and organisations of Bangladesh are running propaganda campaign to protect interest of different foreign quarters. There is no point in talking with them.”

He expressed resentment over the TIB’s refusal to withdraw its report on ‘irregularities in’ climate change resilience fund, ‘even though it was proved wrong’.

Several other participants at the workshop took a dig at TIB for the report.

Environment and Forest Joint Secretary Nurul Quadir, PKSF Managing Director Md Abdul Karim, Deputy Managing Director Fazluk Quader and Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Secretary Rashadul Islam spoke at the workshop, among others.

They said TIB had neither apologised nor withdrawn its report, though the organisations which distributed the money from climate change resilience fund including PKSF had proved it ‘baseless’.

They apprehended the ‘TIB role’ might smear the nation’s image and create complexity in getting further fund disbursement.

The speakers criticised developed countries, which, they said, were mainly responsible for climate change, for not releasing the funds they had pledged.