TIB questions government's U-turn on bureaucrats' car allowance, asks 'who holds the strings?'

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) questioned the government's decision to restore the 50,000 taka monthly maintenance allowance for cars purchased through interest-free loans by a select group of government officials, alleging that powerful bureaucratic interests had forced a retreat from an austerity measure endorsed by the prime minister.

In a statement, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the government's reversal raised serious questions about who was influencing policymaking and why a directive aimed at curbing wasteful public spending had been abandoned.

"The prime minister's decision to halve the maintenance allowance to 25,000 taka and abolish the interest-free car loan facility was a commendable step to reduce discrimination and ensure prudent use of public funds," he said.

"But despite goodwill at the highest level of government, the state appears to have retreated under pressure from the very beneficiaries of the system. Under whose influence is the government being forced to reverse this austerity policy? We believe those responsible should be identified."

TIB argued that the existing policy unfairly benefits only around 2,400 officials while excluding other civil servants of comparable rank, creating inequality within the public administration.

The organisation said the preferential treatment had undermined morale among government employees, encouraged unhealthy competition for privileged posts and disrupted the internal balance of the civil service.

"It is discriminatory and humiliating for officials outside this small privileged group," Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, urging the government to reconsider whether it was justifiable to continue paying the allowance from the public treasury.

The anti-corruption watchdog also questioned whether senior bureaucrats had drawn any lessons from the prime minister's own decision to use his personal vehicle and bear its fuel costs as part of the government's austerity efforts.

TIB further noted that the government had already decided to raise public sector salaries to address rising living costs but had rejected its earlier recommendation requiring officials to disclose their assets.

"People are entitled to ask how much greater integrity and better public service they can expect after the new pay scale comes into effect," Dr Iftekharuzzaman said.

He added that reversing a decision taken at the highest level of government in response to pressure from a privileged section of the bureaucracy was inconsistent with the country's ongoing fiscal challenges and reflected what he described as "an alarming capitulation to bureaucratic pressures."