Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana on Monday alleged that politicians and bureaucrats are the two groups most prone to corruption in Bangladesh, with politicians topping the list and civil servants ranking second.
She made the remarks while speaking on cut motions to the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025-26 during the seventh sitting of the second session and first budget session of the 13th National Parliament.
Rumeen said she had moved a token reduction of Tk500 against a proposed allocation of Tk20.78 crore.
Criticizing corruption within the ministry, she said she had searched online to identify the professions most commonly associated with corruption in Bangladesh.
“According to the search results, politicians ranked first, followed by bureaucrats,” she told the House.
She said she was often surprised when politicians list "politics" as their profession, arguing that politics has become a source of income for many in Bangladesh.
The lawmaker also referred to Bangladesh's poor record on corruption, saying the country had repeatedly faced global criticism over the issue.
Rumeen noted that the interim government had drafted the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, but has yet to enact it despite converting more than 100 ordinances into law since assuming office.
She questioned the government's commitment to combating corruption, arguing that the delay suggests an unwillingness to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
According to Rumeen, governments are often reluctant to empower the ACC because politicians are directly involved in governance while bureaucrats play an influential role in administration, making a strong anti-corruption body uncomfortable for both groups.
She said successive governments, including the previous Awami League administration, had failed to strengthen the commission, and alleged that the post-uprising government was showing similar reluctance.
Rumeen also criticized the proposed appointment process for ACC members, saying it would remain vulnerable to government influence. Although the draft ordinance proposes that the President appoint the ACC chairman and the Speaker select the other members, she argued that the mechanism would still leave room for political control.
She concluded that the government has failed to demonstrate the political will needed to establish a truly independent and effective Anti-Corruption Commission.
