The meeting also urged South Asian governments who have not yet enacted the Right to Information Law, to do so without any further delay.

Held in Sri Lankan capital Colombo from May 31 to June 2, the annual meeting was attended by participants from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and officials of the TI Secretariat.

The meeting called upon all South Asian governments who have not yet ratified the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to do so without any further delay.

Recognising the importance of the role and integrity of media in fighting corruption, the TI Chapters also called upon the governments concerned to create conditions in which media can function independently and objectively without fear or favour.

The participants agreed that problems of integrity in both public and private sector transactions related to defence in developed countries should also be addressed.

The Chapters urged the governments concerned to adopt specific result-oriented and time-bound measures of cooperation to make South Asia as a corruption-free zone.

The Bangladesh team at the meeting was headed by Advocate Sultana Kamal, former adviser to the caretaker government and a Trustee of TIB.

Other participants from Bangladesh were Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, and Prof Mustafijur Rahman and Shipra Goshwami of Committee of Concerned Citizens of Jessore and Faridpur respectively.

The participants shared with each other the experiences, good practices and challenges faced by the TI Chapters in 2006, and reviewed their plan of work for 2007-08.

The meeting noted that in spite of many challenges, the Chapters continued their efforts relentlessly, and with considerable success in many cases.