Bureaucracy now more influential than advisory council:  Iftekharuzzaman

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman has said that bureaucracy now holds more power than the advisory council of the interim government.

He made the remarks at a press conference on Monday (January 12) at TIB’s Dhanmondi office while presenting a study titled “Reform Resistance in Ordinance-Making under the Interim Government.”

He said powerful sections of the bureaucracy actually decide what will be included or excluded in ordinances, even though the advisory council formally approves them. According to him, both group interests and political interests influence these decisions.

The study found that most ordinances issued during the interim government period were shaped under pressure from vested bureaucratic groups, undermining reform goals. Although a few drafts were briefly published online, this was often done merely to meet formalities.

He also said that in key areas—such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, Police Commission, National Human Rights Commission, cyber security, personal data protection, and national information systems—the government kept provisions that preserve bureaucratic and political control rather than prioritising national interest.

Overall, he concluded that the government failed to set an example of transparency and proactive disclosure in lawmaking and public-interest decisions.