Abul asks all to help TIB probe

Transparency International Bangladesh has no authority to investigate allegations of corruption in the communications ministry or any other government body, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Ghulam Rahman said yesterday. His comments came a day after Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain invited Bangladesh chapter of the international graft watchdog to probe if there is any corruption in his ministry. The minister's unusual move came amid allegations of corruption in the bidding process of the $2.9-billion Padma Bridge project. The World Bank, the largest donor and coordinator of the project, has recently asked Canadian police to investigate a Montreal-based company for allegedly resorting to corruption to be selected as a consultant of the project. WB Vice-president Isabel Guerrero dashed to Dhaka this week to convey the bank's corruption concern to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Finance Minister AMA Muhith. The allegations are delaying the start of the construction of the 6.1 km long bridge. Muhith told the WB official that the government would rather drop the companies accused of corruption from the bridge project than further delaying its construction. In asking TIB to investigate his ministry's activities during the last two and half years Abul Hossain claimed that he is an honest man and has nothing to hide. He directed officials of his ministry to cooperate with TIB, he said. “Transparency International Bangladesh is an international non-government organisation. An NGO like this does not have any authority to investigate corruption of a government institution and certify its transparency,” said Ghulam Rahman, the top boss of the country's anti-graft watchdog. Echoing the ACC chief, former caretaker government adviser Akbar Ali Khan said TIB is unable to act on the ministry's request legally and professionally. “TIB is an organisation run by social scientists. It does not have specialisation in the act of investigation,” he said. The communications ministry copied to the ACC the letter it sent to TIB. The ACC said it is yet to receive the copy. However, Ghulam Rahman said the commission is not “an institution to issue transparency certificate.” He said they would welcome if the minister provides specific information to investigate corruption. TIB is giving a second thought to the invitation. “We cannot do it if the matter involves criminal investigation,” said TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman. TIB can carry out investigative research, he added. Iftekharuzzaman, however, said TIB will get involved only after reaching a mutual understanding with the ministry on the terms and reference of its work.