‘Extortion, encroachment becoming ominous sign for government’: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has warned that a series of recent incidents involving alleged encroachment, extortion and violence linked to ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) figures are an “ominous sign” for the government.

In a statement issued Sunday, TIB cited three recent incidents: the midnight demolition, looting and alleged encroachment of the RADDA MCH-FP Center; a clash between rival BNP factions over control of a water body in Kishoreganj that left more than 50 people injured; and the vandalism of a content creator’s studio.

“These are not isolated incidents,” TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, calling for exemplary accountability and a nationwide “self-purification” drive within the ruling party.

TIB said reliable media reports alleged that the RADDA MCH-FP Center was demolished, looted and occupied at midnight in the presence of police and with the support of a reserved-seat MP.

Iftekharuzzaman described the incident as an “embarrassing example” for both the government and the ruling party.

“This nonprofit organization has been providing healthcare to underprivileged and vulnerable mothers and children for fifty years. It has now been demolished before hundreds of people, under the patronage of a reserved-seat Member of Parliament and in the presence of police,” he said.

“For its citizens, what kind of example is the ruling party providing?”

He said the BNP had received a historic electoral mandate following the July uprising that overthrew what TIB described as an “authoritarian kleptocracy.”

“What message do its leaders and activists convey to the citizens through such actions?” Iftekharuzzaman asked.

“The reckless conduct of the previous authoritarian government is still fresh in public memory. In this context, have the BNP’s policymakers ever thought of the consequences of the continuing encroachment and extortion of a large section of the party’s leaders and activists?”

TIB said allegations of extortion, encroachment and attempts to establish local dominance against sections of the BNP had become widespread since the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.

Iftekharuzzaman said some BNP leaders and activists had effectively “claimed the mantle of victory” after the political change and subsequently began acting recklessly at different levels, including the grassroots.

The issue has repeatedly drawn concern from the media, political circles and independent observers, he said.

“Immediately after the fall of the Awami League government, extortion and encroachment changed hands, and a section of BNP leaders and activists turned the situation into a free-for-all,” he said.

TIB cited allegations involving major bus terminals at Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Gabtoli in Dhaka, as well as terminals in Chattogram, Sylhet and Khulna.

Similar allegations have emerged involving footpaths, markets, water bodies, sand mills, local bazaars, cable and internet connections and waste-collection businesses, as well as activities at upazila and union levels, according to the statement.

TIB said competition over such interests had frequently fuelled internal feuds and “unhealthy rivalry” that sometimes turned openly violent.

“Daily, monthly, and one-off extortion has continued,” Iftekharuzzaman said.

He also criticised repeated remarks by a government minister that “extortion is not corruption, but a negotiated transaction,” saying the government had taken no action over that position.

“As a result, these incidents are occurring more frequently, normalizing extortion and encroachment. This is an ominous sign for the government,” he said.

TIB pointed to the recent clash between two local BNP factions over control of a water body in Kishoreganj, which left more than 50 people injured, as well as the vandalism of a content creator’s creative studio.

“These are not isolated incidents. They are simply a continuation of events that have taken place since August 2024,” Iftekharuzzaman said.

He warned that such incidents were capable of overshadowing the government’s other initiatives and shaping a negative public perception.

“The ruling party must honor its anti-corruption electoral commitments and take effective self-purification measures right now,” he said.

“If it does not, it will lose the chance and ability to control such encroachment and extortion in the future, even if it wants to. At least, that is what examples from the recent past tell us.”

Iftekharuzzaman warned that the situation could deteriorate further if competing vested-interest groups were unable to maintain control, leaving authorities to intervene only after it was too late.

TIB acknowledged that some incidents had embarrassed the BNP’s senior leadership and prompted organizational action, including expulsions.

But the anti-corruption watchdog said stronger preventive measures remained absent.

It said the direct or indirect affiliation of people accused of abuses of power with the ruling party had also left law enforcement agencies unable to act effectively in some cases.

“In reality, a culture of arbitrariness, corruption, irregularities, and impunity is re-establishing itself, and the government will have to bear responsibility for it on many fronts,” TIB said.

The organisation called for immediate and proper investigations into each of the incidents and demanded exemplary punishment for those found responsible.

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