The Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) minister announced a block allocation of Tk20 crore over five years for the implementation of development projects in each constituency. However, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has raised concerns regarding potential misuse and wastage of public funds, citing previous experiences with similar development projects.
TIB is also urging the establishment of a transparent and accountable governance mechanism to ensure the proper utilization of allocated funds, as stated in a press release issued on Tuesday (20 February).
On 18 February, the LGRD minister informed the parliament that each Member of Parliament (MP) could receive Tk20 crore over five years for implementing development projects in their respective constituencies. The process of finalizing a project in this regard is currently underway.
TIB's concerns stem from its previous study titled "Governance Challenges in the Implementation of the Infrastructure Development Project under Constituency-Based Block Allocation," published on 12 August 2020.
The study uncovered that the schemes under the projects were deemed essential at the local level, but their quality of work did not meet expectations. This discrepancy was attributed to compromised relationships fostering mutual benefit and commission trading between the contractors and their supervisory authorities involved in planning and executing the schemes. Consequently, irregularities and corruption within the schemes led to the squandering of public funds, ultimately benefiting vested quarters.
TIB Executive Director (ED) Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “Despite the gradual increase in constituency-wise block allocations, there has been historical negligence in ensuring proper fund utilization and governance in these projects. Lawmakers, who have the sole authority over monitoring and addressing complaints related to the projects, often endorse irregularities for personal gain, leading to compromised transparency and accountability.”
The TIB Executive Director highlighted that such schemes provide opportunities to many parliamentarians to abuse political power, engage in nepotism, and gain unethical financial benefits, ultimately normalizing corruption at the local level and misusing state resources.
Referring to the 2020 study, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman further said, “Specific recommendations were made, but no noticeable initiatives have been taken to implement those to ensure good governance in the use of constituency-wise block allocations. TIB is now calling for a comprehensive and neutral scrutiny of the previous projects, funded through block allocations, before allocating new funds. The organization also advocates for the implementation of a proper monitoring and evaluation system as well as a mandatory code of conduct addressing the lawmakers' integrity and conflicts of interest in executing development schemes.”
