Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has criticised the interim government of the country over eight recently issued ordinances, alleging that reform efforts were undermined by the influence of powerful sections of the bureaucracy.

Presenting its observations at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the government had “given in to anti-reform forces” while drafting ordinances related to the Anti-Corruption Commission, Police Commission, National Human Rights Commission, cyber security, personal data protection, national data management, public audit and revenue administration.

Mr Iftekharuzzaman claimed that a section of the bureaucracy wielded more influence than the government’s advisory council, effectively determining which decisions were taken and which provisions were included or excluded. He said, operational decisions are not actually made by the advisory council but by a few powerful individuals within the state machinery.

According to TIB, most ordinances were drafted unilaterally without meaningful consultation with stakeholders, while limited public disclosure was sometimes used as a token gesture. The organisation said this approach weakened transparency, accountability and the spirit of reform.

The watchdog also said there was no clear strategy or action plan to implement reform commission recommendations across major sectors, concluding that resistance from entrenched interests had derailed much of the interim government’s reform agenda.