TIB-bashing goes on

The ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday alleged that the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and Shushashoner Janney Nagorik (Shujan) were trying to make the country unstable.
Casting doubts on motives of the two organisations, the combine has observed that the organisations echo what Khaleda Zia and the BNP say.
Meanwhile, the TIB yesterday claimed that it never received any funds or spent those without the government approval.
Mohammad Nasim, coordinator of the alliance and health minister of the incumbent government, explained the combine's position while talking with reporters after emerging from a meeting with the allies at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office in the capital.
By making statements on different issues, Nasim said, TIB and Shujan had been showing the sign of their “existence”, and trying to create an unstable situation in the country.
"TIB and Shujan want to bring unconstitutional forces to state power; therefore, they are demanding mid-term election," he added.  
Nasim demanded that the government trace the sources of income and power of these organisations.
In parliament on Wednesday, some senior lawmakers blasted the TIB for its recent study that said there was no opposition in "real sense" in the 10th Jatiya Sangsad.
Taking part in an unscheduled discussion in the House, they also questioned whether the TIB had any right to talk about parliament and the constitution.
Mohammad Nasim, also presidium member of the AL, called upon the TIB and Shujan to identify the mistakes of the government if any.
"But do not complicate the situation through provocations," he warned.
Alliance leaders Dilip Barua, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Sharif Nurul Ambia, Anisur Rahman Mallik, Wajedul Islam Khan, Asit Baron Roy, among others, were present in the meeting, chaired by Nasim.
GOVT CLEARED FUNDS: TIB
The TIB has never received any funds or spent those without the government approval, its Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said yesterday.
Under the law, it is mandatory for the organisation to take approval from the government before working on any project and publish reports on the expenditures, he said.
He made the comments in reaction to some lawmakers' raising questions about TIB's fund and its right to talk about parliament.
On Wednesday, some senior lawmakers of the AL and Jatiya Party blasted the TIB in parliament after the anti-corruption body released a report that said there was no opposition in "real sense" in the current House.
On lawmakers' questioning TIB's right to comment on parliament, Iftekharuzzaman said it was incomprehensible that somebody from the government raises such question.
“The Sangsad Watch project is approved by the government. We also enter parliament with permission of the government. So we have the jurisdiction to work on parliament. In fact, they [MPs] do not have the right to raise the question,” he told reporters at a programme in a city hotel.  
Political corruption is seen as one of the biggest corruptions. So the TIB works on the issue, he added.
The TIB is a non-political organisation and it has never published any report with political intentions. Whenever it publishes a report, some in the ruling party always get angry while the opposition party becomes happy, he said.