Transparency International Bangladesh has warned against the growing concentration of power in the executive, saying key institutions tasked with holding the government accountable remain vulnerable to political influence and state control.

At a discussion marking International Day of Democracy 2026 on Tuesday, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh risked undermining the democratic possibilities created by the July uprising unless accountability institutions were made genuinely independent.

“Although all political parties represented in Parliament, including the ruling party, committed in their election manifestos to establishing accountable governance, it is deeply concerning that ordinances further empowering the executive have been converted into laws,” he said.

At the same time, he said, ordinances designed to strengthen the independence of accountability institutions had either been repealed or were being converted into laws in ways that effectively kept them under government control.

Iftekharuzzaman called for greater independence for the National Human Rights Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Information Commission. He also urged comprehensive revisions to the law on enforced disappearances, the Cyber Security Act and the SRB Bill, and called for the reinstatement of ordinances on judicial independence introduced by the interim government.

“The law-making process cannot remain hostage to the interests of any individual or group,” he said.

The discussion, titled “Democracy, Human Rights and Accountable Governance,” was held at TIB’s Dhanmondi office.

Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh’s politics, elections and Parliament had become heavily shaped by five forces: money, muscle power, religion, patriarchy and majoritarianism.

He also called for an end to a “winner takes all” approach to governing and said political parties and the bureaucracy needed to examine the lessons of the July uprising.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, the chief guest, defended the government’s record, saying its authority came from the people following the end of prolonged authoritarian rule.

“Genuine democracy is established through free, fair and credible elections,” Amin said, adding that the BNP government was working to protect freedom of expression and human rights and had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against enforced disappearances and state-sponsored killings.

He said the July uprising belonged not to any particular political party or group but to the people, whom he described as the ultimate owners of the state and political power.

“The government is working with a long-term plan to build an accountable state system and an equitable country,” he said, adding that it was prepared to consider reasonable criticism and recommendations.

Barrister Muhammad Nawshad Zamir, MP and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Law Ministry, said appointments to important state positions should be judged primarily on qualifications rather than political identity.

“Alongside constitutional changes, it is also necessary to change our own thinking and mindset in the interests of the country and its people,” he said.

Bangladesh Socialist Party central committee member Dr Manisha Chakraborty raised concerns over the influence of business interests in Parliament, saying nearly 60 percent of lawmakers were businesspeople.

“Democracy has now become monopolised by business interests — ‘of the businessmen, for the businessmen, by the businessmen’ — rather than the people,” she said, also accusing the state of protecting loan defaulters.

Politician and physician Tasnim Jara said elections alone could not guarantee democracy if institutions responsible for oversight remained under political control.

“Elections are not merely a formality held once every five years,” she said. “Justice cannot be established if the oversight institutions responsible for ensuring accountability remain under someone’s control.”

Jara also warned against organised disinformation, political bullying and digital violence conducted through social media and automated accounts.

Other participants called for inclusive policies in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, stronger protections for ethnic and religious minorities, and an end to discrimination in police verification and viva voce assessments for government jobs.

Speakers broadly argued that the institutional changes sought after the July uprising would depend on limiting executive dominance and insulating oversight bodies from partisan and government interference.