Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has raised deep concern over the growing trend of power abuse by a segment of political leaders and activists under the guise of the mindset: “Now it’s our turn.”
In a press release issued on Sunday, August 24, 2025, TIB stated that since the fall of the previous government, the country has seen a disturbing rise in partisanship, extortion, land grabbing, looting of state resources, and the commercialization of legal and law enforcement processes—including arrests, bail, and case tagging.
These, coupled with political violence, pose a serious threat to the envisioned restructuring of a democratic “New Bangladesh.”
TIB warned that while political reforms are being spoken of, in practice, a culture of domination, occupation, and extortion continues to undermine public aspirations for a truly democratic future.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, remarked that over the past year, the behavior of some members of the country’s most influential political parties reflects the same abusive and self-serving practices that characterized the previous authoritarian regime.
“A segment of leaders and activists from powerful and power-seeking parties have normalized criminal political activities, in some cases through mutual collusion,” he said. “Regrettably, even elements from the fallen regime are complicit in these practices.”
TIB further highlighted how some religion-based political groups and disproportionately empowered factions have fostered a culture of ‘mobocracy’—leading to serious rights violations.
These include attacks on minorities, gender-based violence, assaults on indigenous and marginalized communities, suppression of women’s rights, and aggression against cultural traditions.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized the irresponsibility and self-serving conduct of political actors, noting a worrying lack of internal accountability. Although higher-level party leadership has issued warnings and taken some organizational steps, enforcement agencies and administrative bodies have largely failed to respond effectively.
In many cases, these institutions have played a protective or enabling role rather than acting as regulators.
The TIB report states that following the collapse of the past regime, local leaders—across districts, upazilas, and unions—have become increasingly involved in land grabbing, extortion, and influence-building.
This “now it’s our turn” mentality has not only exposed the failure of political parties to instill discipline but also highlighted the complicity and inaction of law enforcement and administrative bodies.
The re-emergence of extortion rackets involving transport hubs, mineral resources, markets, bridges, and water bodies mirrors the corruption and misrule of the authoritarian past.
Significantly, TIB pointed out that even the National Citizen Party (NCP)—a political entity born out of the anti-discrimination movement—has failed to uphold its core promises of good governance and transparency.
Despite its public commitments, some of the party’s leaders and activists have become entangled in extortion and irregularities. Instead of setting a new standard, they have adopted the same corrupt, self-serving political behavior, charting what TIB called a “self-destructive path.”
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman cautioned that the long-awaited “new political arrangement” is at serious risk of being hijacked by the old, unhealthy political culture. He questioned whether the political forces are now signaling to the people that while they successfully overthrew an authoritarian regime through a bloody movement, they are unwilling to abandon authoritarian methods—and instead, intend to sustain them.
He called for urgent self-reflection within all political parties. To realize the true ideals of the anti-authoritarian and anti-discrimination movements, he stressed the need for building internal democratic practices, ensuring accountability, promoting integrity, and fostering a people-centered political culture.
In conclusion, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman warned that failure to ensure internal reform, ethical leadership, and democratic governance will deepen public frustration—especially among those who sacrificed in the historic July Movement.
If political parties do not embark on a path of meaningful self-correction and open dialogue to dismantle the culture of political criminalization, he warned, “it will become impossible to distinguish the politics of New Bangladesh from that of the fallen authoritarian regime.”
