ACC welcomed to probe TIB operation
A day after a commissioner of the country's anti-graft watchdog questioned the transparency of Transparency International Bangladesh, a TIB top official today welcomed any move to probe the Bangladesh chapter of the international corruption monitor.
"If the ACC wants to unmask any of our activities, they can start probing today. Even they can file cases," said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB.
"But I would like to tell them to think twice if they do it with an intention to harass us," he added.
He was addressing a seminar at a hotel in the capital this afternoon.
Iftekharuzzaman came up with the statement after Md Shahabuddin, commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), questioned the transparency of the TIB activities in spending foreign funds.
Yesterday, Md Shahabuddin said, "They [TIB] work with foreign fund. How much of it they spend on research?" He said this while speaking at a function organised at Shilpakala Academy in the capital to award the best metropolitan, district and upazila-level corruption prevention committees.
Criticising the ACC commissioner for his comments on the TIB, Iftekharuzzaman said, "I became speechless and felt embarrassed after hearing such politically-motivated comment from an official of a national body," he added.
"If they [ACC] are so apathetic about TIB using foreign fund, then why don't they stop using it and also asked the government to stop the foreign-funded projects?" Iftekharuzzaman questioned.
He also mentioned that TIB does not spend money without the government's consent. “The accountings are clearly mentioned on its website,” he said.
The global corruption watchdog played a major role behind the birth of the ACC and wants to work with it in partnership, he added.
"For the sake of its [ACC] own credibility, it should not make such comments," Iftekharuzzaman said.
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