Not much improvement on graft
Bangladesh's performance in the Global Graft Index has improved but only a measly two points on a year to year basis. In 2015, our position was 13th from the bottom (out of 176 countries surveyed) and last year it was 15th. We bettered only Afghanistan in South Asia, in terms of corruption and that has been a war-torn country for decades. These findings were shared by Transparency International Bangladesh on January 25. Our dismal performance continues primarily due to institutional and legal inadequacies and the policy structures in place to combat graft remain woefully inadequate and underpowered. Statutory bodies that are meant to watch over accountability have been made ineffective which has not helped in discouraging graftand unless something is done to reverse this trend, Bangladesh will continue to perform poorly.
We have over the last few years borne witness to corruption in the financial sector. Committees have been formed and findings furnished in reports, many of which have not been made public. Recommendations have been ignored and the endless cycle of graft allowed over the years. We have recently been hit by cyber crime that rocked the central bank and again been kept in the dark about probe committee findings.
As pointed out in the report, unless changes are made that allow for stronger legal provisions and empower anti-corruption watchdog bodies to fight graft, little progress can be expected, and the media reports on corruption should be given due credence and acted upon promptly.There will have to be political will for any meaningful change to materialise in the fight against corruption.
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