Chair of the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission appointed by the interim government, Dr Iftekharuzzaman on Monday said they are embarrassed and concerned that the diversified communities taking part in the movement against Hasina, have not been reflected in his or even the other reform commissions formed by the interim government.
“Diversity was not reflected in the Anti-corruption Reform Commission and other reform commissions. We’re very embarrassed and concerned over it. It should not have been done. But we’ve tried and will receive opinions from all diversified communities,” he said.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, also the Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), was addressing the Citizen's Conference 2024 titled “People-centric Reform for Good Governance: Aspirations of Disadvantaged Communities” in the city.
Citizen's Platform for SDGs Bangladesh, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bangladesh and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation arranged the two-day conference on December 8 and 9 at BICC.
The Anti-corruption Reform Commission chief said the interim government has yet to form any commission over two important areas – one is minority issue and another is disadvantaged communities or diversity.
“But it will have to form the minority commission and diversity commission. We will continue raising the demand for formation of the commissions on the two areas,” he said.
He said the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs Ministry has not only kept it a way from overseeing the rights of indigenous communities in the plain lands, but also has become a tool of snatching rights of the indigenous people in the CHT areas.
“We don’t need this ministry. We need the diversity and minority ministry to ensure the rights of the diversified communities including indigenous people. we‘ll have to be vocal for it,” he said.
“Nothing happened over (to address the issue of) diversity,” said Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
Corruption spurs authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Dr Iftekharuzzaman
The TIB executive director said corruption was the main reason behind the development of authoritarianism in Bangladesh.
“I can say one thing undoubtedly without any hesitation that corruption was the main reason behind the development of authoritarianism in Bangladesh. It’ll have to commit corruption, misuse of power and enjoy the benefits of the culture of impunity. This is why it will have to grab the state power and its different institutions including ACC to do so,” he said.
“We reject all authoritarianism, but we fail to reject the practices of authoritarianism,” said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, adding that it is still heard that the word ‘adivasi’ (indigenous) can’t be used, though this practice was introduced by the previous authoritarian government.
He said no reform commission has not been formed in the education sector, though the discrimination in education was the main reason behind the student-led movement.
The anti-corruption reform commission chair said a textbook curriculum review committee was formed, but it was cancelled in face of a silly claim that one or two members of the committee were concerned about the rights of sexually deviant communities.
He, however, said the member was a very strong voice in favour of the movement. Sitting beside him in a programme at that time, the person in a louder voice demanded for the release of student coordinators. “But it is very unfortunate that the government cancelled the committee bowing down to the demand,” he said.
Spirit of July-August Movement absent in admin
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said they don’t find any indication that the main spirit of the July-August Movement is among the winners who now think that they have already been in power.
“Rather, they (winners) want to implement even agendas, which conceptualization, indoctrination and process are quite discriminatory and goes against the main spirit of the anti-discrimination movement, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
Even after it, all will have to continue raising our voice in unison,he said, describing August 5 as a milestone for the defeat of authoritarianism.
The TIB executive director said even an elected government has not so strong a mandate unlike this interim government which has come based on the doctrine of necessity.
“So, why won’t this government take the steps to defeat all evil-forces which are against the main spirit of the anti-discrimination movement? "We‘ll have to raise this demand,” he said.
Noting that many think that the interim government is not an elected government and there is no basis for their power, he said an elected government formed based on the verdict of the people delivered through their votes. In the case of the interim government, it is also the people who gave the mandate to the government and brought it to power, he said.
Shouldn’t miss historic scope to bring changes: Prof Mustafizur
Noted economist Prof Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at CPD, said a great scope has been created to implement reform initiatives following the August 05 change-over and the scope should not be missed.
Noting that a pessimistic attitude is seen over reform, he said, “A great change has come on August 5 creating a scope and opening the window of scope (to bring changes in state structures and systems).”
He said there might be some obstacles, glasses and problems on this window: “But we should give up. Such scope doesn’t always come….We will have to utilise this scope. If we don’t use it, we will miss a historical scope.”
Prof Rahman said the authoritarian regime built an overestimated narrative of development and growth, but there was another parallel narrative that discrimination was on rise in every sector – income, consumption, use of resources and others.
He said they developed the parallel narrative that the discrimination is on rise and its reflection was seen in the anti-discrimination movement.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Chair of Electoral System Reform Commission, said controlling the nomination business during the election is a big challenge as the transaction of huge money is done secretly.
“We’ll bring the visible election expenditures under control to some extent. But how can we control the secret transaction of hundred crores of take. So, it is our politicians who will have to take responsibility, if we want to control it. The mindset of politicians and our political culture will have to be changed,” he said.
The electoral reform commission chief said he received two recommendations from the discussion — one is to conduct local body elections before the national election and another is to withdraw the provision of using electoral symbol of political parties from the local body elections.
In the time, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convenor of Citizen’s Platform and Distinguished Fellow at CPD, also placed the two recommendations – to fix some constituencies proportionally for women alongside keeping the existing reserve seats for women in the parliament and the second one is to arrange director votes in the existing reserved seats as well.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman also raised several recommendations regarding the electoral system. He said there should be an obligation for the political parties to nominate at least 30 aspirants from women initially and another 30 percent from the young generation and then there should be a target to raise women representation to 50 percent gradually.
Noting that businessmen alone captured 65 percent seats in the parliament in the past, he said there should be no more than 25 percent representation from any particular profession.
Dr Majumdar, also Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) said they also received a recommendation to increase women representation that is introduction of arrangement of direct votes in the women seats increasing the existing 300 constituencies to 400 and fixing 100 constituencies for them on a rotation in every election.
Political scientist Prof Rounaq Jahan, a distinguished fellow at CPD, presided over the event, while Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, Bangladesh, among others, spoke on the occasion.