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Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said there is no scope to deny the allegations brought against Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Managing Director Taqsem A Khan by its chairman.
It said the WASA board chairman himself made the allegations of arbitrariness bypassing the existing law and the board against him as there is no scope to deny the allegations.
The anti-graft watchdog in a media statement on Friday also demanded ensuring accountability through a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations of widespread irregularities and corruption published in various media and researches against Dhaka WASA.
Quoting the media report, TIB said the Dhaka WASA Board Chairman has lodged written complaint to the Local Government Ministry and given a speech in the media against the WASA MD for turning the organisation into a hub of irregularities and corruption through his arbitrariness and making the board ineffective.
Terming the issue a clear example of institutional irresponsibility and unaccountability, TIB’s Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “The allegations of institutionalisation of corruption and irregularities in Dhaka WASA through the abuse of arbitrary power have been raised continuously at various times, but there is no visible progress.”
“Influenced by an invisible power, the arbitrariness has been established as a ‘role model’ of unaccountability in Dhaka WASA,” he added.
Amid the complaints coming from various quarters for a long time, now Dhaka WASA Board Chairman has raised the matter and has filed a written complaint. So, the allegations of corruption and irregularities, arbitrariness surrounding Dhaka WASA cannot be ignored, said Dr Zaman.
He further said, “The WASA board chairman is now alleging that MD made the WASA board ineffective and turned it into a sanctuary of irregularities and corruption but it is a reflection of the results of the research report titled ‘Dhaka Wasa: Challenges of Good Governance and Way Forward,’ published by TIB in 2019.”
Dr Zaman said the people are being deprived of their expected services as well as paying a high toll of arbitrariness due to institutionalisation of corruption in WASA. TIB has also drawn the attention of the authorities concerned in various ways about the matter as per its research findings.
However, the situation did not improve. WASA customers do not receive water on demand while the additional cost of boiling low-quality water supplied at higher prices continues to go up, adding woes to customers, he said.
Dr Zaman said one of the most practical ways to remedy this is the effective control of WASA’s rampant corruption and irregularities immediately.
“There are court directives to investigate the allegations of embezzlement of Tk 132 crore against nine people, including the managing director of Dhaka Wasa. But there is no visible progress in this regard so far, which is disappointing.”
TIB has also called for taking legal action subject to a proper investigation into all the complaints brought against the WASA managing director and all others concerned at various times, by many including the WASA board chairman, and creating awareness and ensuring accountability of the institution aiming to give meaning to the announcement of government high officials over zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
