Corruption hurting daily lives of millions across Bangladesh: Tarique Rahman

Corruption continues to cripple the daily lives of millions in Bangladesh -- from jobseekers and farmers to families seeking healthcare and entrepreneurs struggling to survive -- BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman said today.

He made the observations in a post on his verified Facebook page this morning, marking International Anti-Corruption Day and outlining BNP's plan to fight graft.

Tarique said the day serves as a reminder of Bangladesh's long struggle against corruption and the periods when the country made "real progress," especially under BNP governments.

He highlighted that early governance reforms under former president Ziaur Rahman focused on administrative discipline, clean public service, and economic reforms that reduced gatekeeping and discretionary power.

The BNP leader said the administrations of former prime minister Khaleda Zia modernised state institutions through procurement rules, financial administration laws, strengthened audits, and clearer oversight mechanisms.

A key milestone, he noted, was the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2004 as an independent statutory body, replacing the Bureau of Anti-Corruption.

The move -- recognised by the World Bank and ADB -- aligned Bangladesh with global standards by granting the ACC independent investigative and prosecutorial authority.

Despite reservations about the methodology used at the time, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) reported improvements during the BNP era, with Bangladesh's CPI score rising from 1.2 in 2002 to 1.7 in 2005, he said.

Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer [2003] also found that 66 percent of citizens felt corruption had decreased, he added.