TIB condemns removal of Dhaka Wasa chairman

Transparency International Bangladesh has condemned the removal of former Dhaka Wasa chairman Golam Mostafa, who had filed a written complaint against the organisation's Managing Director Taqsem A Khan last week.

Professor Sujit Kumar Bala has been appointed as the new chairman of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) Board.

"By removing the board chairman who had alleged irregularities, corruption, and arbitrariness on the part of the managing director, Dhaka Wasa has set a worrying example of shielding the accused," TIB said in a press release.

"This is in complete conflict with the government's declaration of zero tolerance for corruption from the top echelons of the government, as well as the legal obligation to protect those who report abuse of power and corruption," it said.

TIB has called for ensuring accountability of the accused – subjecting to a fair and transparent investigation – considering the allegations of the former chairman.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said: "The newly removed chairman of Wasa has remained in his post even after his tenure ended in October last year. A new chairman has not been appointed even after so long. However, the new chairman was appointed just five days after the chairman of the board submitted a written complaint to the ministry against the Wasa managing director."

Although the LGED secretary has said the appointment of a new chairman is nothing but a coincidence, the anti-graft watchdog has said the decision has set a worrying example of "shooting the messenger" practice.

The TIB executive director further said: "The allegation made by the chairman of the board to turn Dhaka Wasa into a sanctuary of arbitrariness, irregularities, and corruption is a reflection of the results of the research report titled, 'Dhaka Wasa: Challenges of Good Governance and Ways to Overcome', published by TIB in 2019.

"The whole thing is a clear example of lack of institutional accountability," he said. Despite court directives to conduct an investigation into allegations of corruption in Wasa, there has been no visible progress," he said.

The organisation has urged the government to ensure effective accountability by conducting an investigation into the allegations made against Wasa's managing director at different times.