If entrusted, BNP ready to fight corruption again: Tarique

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that if entrusted by the people, the party is prepared to lead the fight against corruption.

“Fighting corruption will be an uphill battle after years of systemic abuse. But Bangladesh’s own history proves progress is possible. With commitment, discipline, and public support, meaningful reform can return. If entrusted by the people, BNP is prepared to lead that charge once again,” Tarique Rahman wrote on his Facebook page at 10:32 am on Tuesday.

He added: “How does corruption cripple Bangladesh? Ask a graduate searching for a job based on merit. Ask a farmer waiting months for routine services. Listen to a young family struggling to access healthcare, or entrepreneurs forced to pay extra just to keep their businesses alive. From food prices to school quality to road safety, corruption cripples daily life for millions.” 

Tarique Rahman also noted: “For decades, the fight against corruption has been central to Bangladesh’s governance debates. International Anti-Corruption Day reminds us of that long struggle and of moments when Bangladesh made real progress, especially during BNP's tenure.”

He highlighted a major milestone in 2004 with the formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as an independent statutory body. This replaced the Bureau of Anti-Corruption and aligned Bangladesh with global standards by granting the ACC independent investigative and prosecutorial authority. Development partners, including the World Bank and ADB, recognized this as a significant step toward accountability.

“Despite reservations at the time about Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) methodology, even they reported improved CPI performance: Bangladesh’s score rose from 1.2 in 2002 to 1.7 in 2005. Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer (2003) found that 66% of citizens felt corruption had decreased. These gains reflected reforms that strengthened clarity, reduced discretion, and expanded oversight,” he added.

Tarique Rahman further outlined BNP’s ongoing plan to continue the fight against corruption through institutional independence, transparency and accountability, judicial and law-enforcement reform, deregulation and e-governance, whistleblower protection, ethics and civic education, and stronger financial oversight.