Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) questions what “powerful forces” influenced the government to retain a monthly vehicle-maintenance allowance of Tk 50,000 for a select group of government officials, despite ‘the prime minister’s clear directive to halve the sum’.
In a statement issued Sunday, citing media reports, the anti-corruption watchdog noted with concern that the government decision to maintain the existing allowance reflected its “surrender to the influence of a privileged section of the bureaucracy”.
Executive Director of TIB Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the prime minister’s earlier decision to reduce the monthly maintenance allowance for vehicles purchased with interest-free government loans from Tk 50,000 to Tk 25,000, along with abolishing the interest-free loan facility itself, had been a commendable step aimed at curbing inequality and preventing wasteful use of public funds.
“The prime minister’s position was based on the principles of reducing discrimination and ensuring prudent use of taxpayers’ money. Yet, disregarding these realities, the influence of vested interests appears to have rendered the highest-level policy decision ineffective,” he said.
He has questioned what forces made the government make a somersault over an important austerity measure despite the prime minister’s stated commitment.
“It is important for the government not only to identify those responsible but also to understand the opportunistic mindset behind such resistance,” he added.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman criticised what he described as the arbitrary classification of “entitled” government officials when the scheme was originally introduced. According to him, the benefits were limited to around 2,400 officials, leaving out many officers of the same rank and equivalent services.
“This discriminatory arrangement has undermined equity within the civil service and disrupted the balance among different cadres,” the chief executive of the Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based watchdog said.
He has argued that continuing the privilege for only a small number of officials encouraged unhealthy competition for certain posts while simultaneously demoralising equally qualified officers excluded from the scheme.
“Maintaining such a discriminatory system and continuing to provide monthly maintenance allowances from the state treasury on that basis raises serious questions about fairness and justification.”
The TIB chief also referred to the prime minister’s personal decision to use a private vehicle and bear its fuel expenses personally, asking whether senior bureaucrats and officials of various government agencies who enjoy similar privileges had learned any lessons from that example.
He has noted that the government has already decided to increase the salaries of public servants without imposing any conditions to offset rising living costs. However, he pointed out that TIB’s earlier recommendation to make public officials disclose their asset declarations as part of the salary increase package had not been accepted.
“As a result, there remains a legitimate question over whether the implementation of the new pay scale will lead to public services that are less corrupt and less burdensome for citizens,” he said.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman has further argued that, given both domestic and international economic pressures facing Bangladesh, the government’s apparent reversal under pressure from a section of privileged officials could not be viewed as a normal administrative demand.
“Rather, it reflects the government’s helpless surrender to bureaucratic influence,” he said.
