Published: 30 September 2014
Since 1996, TIB has achieved significant successes in terms of influencing the Government to undertake various anti-corruption reforms in the country. Below we highlight some examples of successful evidence-based research and advocacy initiatives.
1. TIB has played the lead catalyst role in the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act , 2004 and setting up of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Since 2009, it has been relentlessly campaigning for effective implementation of the Act and ensuring the independence of the ACC. Along with ACC, TIB has implemented a country wide anti-corruption campaign ‘Jago Manush – Wake up people’ in 2007-08.
2. TIB’s study on the Election Commission in 2006 had proposed 29 recommendations of which 19 have been implemented.
3. TIB has successfully advocated for the inclusion of anti-corruption texts in the curriculum of secondary and higher secondary students in 2007.
4. Reforms were spearheaded in the Bangladesh Passport and Immigration Office, Public Service Commission and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) following publication of TIB’s research findings on these institutions in 2006, 2007 and 2009 respectively.
5. Following recommendations of the 2007 Parliament Watch studies, all the Parliamentary Standing Committees were formed during the first session of the 9th Parliament. Digital time keeping was also introduced and a private Member’s Bill was sent to the Standing Committee on the Code of Conduct for parliament members.
6. Along with other civil society organisation (CSO) partners, TIB played a pivotal role in the enactment of the Right to Information Act, 2009.
7. TIB has played an instrumental role in the enactment of the Whistleblower’s Protection Act 2011.
8. TIB’s policy advocacy efforts in 2010 resulted in the setting up of a 5-member Judicial Committee to probe into allegations of corruption in the justice sector; for the first time examples of good practice were set when some senior judges submitted their wealth statement of senior judges and a complaint box was placed at the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court.
9. Since 2010, TIB has been generating evidence on governance lapses in climate change adaptation finance. Through project tracking, TIB unearthed real stories of mal-adaptations such as construction of BCCTF funded cyclone resilient housing (detail in www.transparency.org/news/story/no_shelter) without surrounding walls and sanitation facilities. It has also revealed that ecological damages were ignored in the construction of embankments with BCCTF funds. Amidst strong criticism, BCCTF has allocated additional funds to its housing scheme to redress construction anomalies and made it mandatory to do EIA prior to submission of WRM related projects.
10. TIB’s collaboration with the Ministry of Public Administration in 2011 led to the development and successful implementation of a participatory second generation Citizens’ Charter in selected public service delivery institutions.
11. TIB’s was included as a CSO member in an official Public-Private Stakeholders’ Committee on procurement by the Planning Ministry in 2011.
12. TIB’s sustained advocacy campaigns led to the accession to the United Nation’s Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) by Bangladesh’s in 2007. TIB also collaborated with the Bangladesh Government in the implementation and review of UNCAC.
13. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 2011 extended collaborative support to TIB in producing an independent civil society review report on the status of UNCAC implementation in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s accession to the UNCAC as a state party was an outcome of continued advocacy of TIB since 2004.
14. TIB released a research study in 2012 on the office of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). Following recommendations of the study, the long vacant permanent position of CGA was filled by the Government.
15. Following publication of a diagnostic study in 2013, TIB has been assigned the responsibility to provide technical assistance to LGED, funded by ADB to: a) identify governance and fiduciary risks, and b) develop a road map to ensure good governance of LGED.
16. The Government has implemented many of TIB’s recommendations on improving governance in the readymade garments industry flagged in two successive reports in 2013.
17. Following recommendations of a diagnostic study on ‘Automation of Export-Import in Chittagong Port and Custom House: Governances Challenges and Way Forward’ in July 2014 and a sharing meeting with officials of National Board of Revenue (NBR), the NBR has taken initiatives to free the Custom House from the middlemen known as ‘Faltu’ or ‘Badi Alam’ and ensure its efficiency.
18. TIB was included as one of the CSO observers during the opening of the bidding on Padma Bridge.
19. Pursuant to a Government request, TIB along with other leading NGOs and networks assisted in drafting a law to improve NGO governance. TIB has also been coordinating with a number of leading NGOs and networks to draft a CSO implementation plan of the national integrity strategy.
20. TIB has collaborated with the Government initiatives on the National Integrity Strategy, e-procurement, Union Information Centre and Second Generation Citizens’ Charter.
21. TIB’s collaboration with the Post and Telecommunication Ministry resulted in the issuance of South Asia’s first anti-corruption commemorative stamp in 2010 and public SMS campaign on International Anti-Corruption Day reaching millions of subscribers in 2013.
22. In addition, TIB also successfully sensitized government, experts, and CSOs as well as several relevant international agencies for effective governance in climate finance mechanism. Through partnership with think tanks and CSOs, it also raised significant demand for good governance in climate change adaptation financing. TIB also formed a Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN) for carrying out evidence-based advocacy.
