Politicians distrustful, Parliament ineffective: WEF

Politicians in Bangladesh have lost the people's trust while Parliament has become ineffective, the Centre for Policy Dialogue says quoting World Economic Forum.

The Geneva-based WEF made the observation in its Global Competitiveness Report 2014-15 published on Wednesday.

The CPD on Thursday organised a dialogue at Dhaka's BRAC Centre Inn on several issues in the report.

Citing the report, the research NGO said, "People have no faith in politicians because they have very little ethics and very little ability to run the government."

It said the WEF report also found Bangladesh's Parliament ineffective as the legislature.

But chief guest of the CPD programme, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu disagreed.

"I don't agree with what this report says about politicians. There won't be anything if politics is gone."

"Politics and politicians can be criticised, but there has to be a limit. It needs to seen whether it is rational to make blanket criticism this way."

On the issue, BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury at the function said, "Good governance cannot be expected from the present government. Good governance is bound to fall as there is an illegal government in power."

Billions from the people have been looted through the banking sector, he said. "The government's expenditure is increasing, but there is no real infrastructural development."

CPD analysing the Global Competitiveness Report said corruption took over at all government institutions while providing services to businessmen and the government itself had no collaborative relation with them.

The report also questioned the transparency in the government spending and identified insufficiency in infrastructure as the main deterrent to business in Bangladesh.

That is followed by corruption, bureaucratic tangles, instability of governments, limited access to finance, imbalanced policies, crimes and theft, inflation and high duty.

Former FBCCI president AK Azad at Thursday's programme said infrastructure did not develop in keeping with the demand of businesses.

"There is a lack of good governance, corruption has risen. This is frightening. Investors have lost their faith. Foreign investors are also confused about investing in Bangladesh," he said.

Apex Footwear Managing Director Syed Nasim Manzur added businessmen were negative about political stability returning in the country.

He claimed that the government was negligent about building the necessary infrastructure.

Bangladesh, however, has moved one step up in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) - 109th among 144 countries this year from 110th last year among 148 nations.

CPD every year conducts the study in Bangladesh on behalf of WEF.

CPD Research Director Khandker Golam Moazzem said Bangladesh was falling far behind the competitive countries.

Bangladesh was not keeping up with the pace of the countries such as China, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in improving competitiveness, he said.