Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta took a U-turn yesterday and outright rejected quitting over the haul of Tk 70 lakh from his assistant personal secretary's car Monday night and his handling of the matter.
On Thursday, he said he would step down if it was required of him.
Meanwhile, voicing grave concern over the naked transaction of illegal money by railway ministry officials, Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), has called upon Suranjit to step down immediately.
During an interview to the BBC yesterday, Suranjit said, “You mentioned that a railway officer was involved in the incident along with the APS and his car and if it is so, then where is my involvement? Why is there the question of resignation?”
He said in his life-long fight for a state that was democratic and secular, there had been friends and foes, and the foes were calling for resignation taking advantage of the situation, reports our staff correspondent.
“On the question of investigation… investigation is on…militia investigation is going on... the Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating… a parliamentary sub-committee has been formed.”
When the BBC asked if he could guarantee the independence and impartiality of the two probe bodies he formed whilst he is in charge of the ministry, the minister said, “In England, parliamentary committees function independently… it is a matter of executive power… And the allegation is not against me.”
He said, “The Border Guard Bangladesh headquarters is a restricted area after 10:00pm. How did the car enter that area? Who let them in? Why did they stay there the whole night? The answers to these questions are needed. Who gave the money, where was it given, where did it come from?
“There is so much talk regarding the driver but is it not a mystery that he cannot be traced?”
Meanwhile, a TIB statement issued yesterday read, “We call upon the railway minister to resign immediately by taking the responsibility--at least on moral grounds--and create a space for an absolutely independent investigation free from any influence so that punitive measures can be taken without fear or favour to anyone.”
The anti-graft body also demanded harshest-possible punishments of those who are guilty, reports UNB.
It said the event is an ominous indicator of impending capture of the state by corruption, and comes as a challenge for the government to demonstrate that it has the capacity to prevent such capture.
“The midnight episode that involved sharing of tens of thousands of taka collected through illegal transactions, including extortion, for appointment to public offices under the ministry clearly indicates patronage of corruption by high political and public office,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said in the statement.
“More disturbing is the sheer lack of appropriate action amounting to connivance--whether under influence or not--by the Border Guard
Bangladesh, as well as inaction of the police authority,” he said.
Iftekharuzzaman went on: “We're also disturbed by the lack of information of whereabouts of the driver of the vehicle, the key witness to the event, and demand that the government and its relevant agencies take all possible measures immediately to find the witness and ensure his security.”
Describing the event as a tip of the iceberg, he said the government that came to power with a strong commitment to control corruption, including specific commitment against unearned income, extortion and bribery, has a challenge now to demonstrate that it has the political will and capacity to restore the trust of people by preventing capture of the state by the ominously powerful corrupt elements within the institutions of politics, administration and law
enforcement.
“With less than two years before the next national election, we also urge upon the prime minister to take a hard look at the government's delivery against their electoral pledges to fight corruption and demonstrate that the government is sensitive to the expectations of the people who voted them to power,” TIB said.