Poor law enforcement could ruin efforts to achieve SDG: TIB

Transparency International, Bangladesh on Sunday identified poor law enforcement as the main obstacle for Bangladesh in achieving sustainable development goals.
The findings of a five-month research since April, released by TIB at a news conference at its head office in the capital said that though it was ‘very much within the capacity of Bangladesh to smoothly achieve SDGs, they could be elusive due to the state of enforcement of the laws.
TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman told the news conference that but for the state of law enforcement Bangladesh was on the track for achieving the SDGs.
He said that Bangladesh had all the other preparedness to achieve the SDGs.
The lacking in enforcement of the laws, he said, could jeopardize the prospects for Bangladesh to achieve the goals.
According to the findings money laundering from the country rose though Bangladesh has the laws to check it.
Between 2005 and 2014, money laundering from Bangladesh increased by 120 per cent to $75 billion, revealed the research findings.
Bangladesh nationals’ deposits with Swiss banks also rose astronomically during the period, the findings show.
The findings cited the heist of $101 million from the Bangladesh Bank’s reserve as an example of the risks arising out of poor law enforcement.
The failure to punish stealers of bank money might have encouraged perpetrators to commit more crimes like this, said the TIB.
TIB cited denial of victims of extra judicial killings the access to justice as examples of poor law enforcement that might lead to social disturbances besides hampering the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Rights campaigner Sultana Kamal and TIB adviser Sumaiya Khair were present besides the team of nine researchers who conducted the research.
Research team member and TIB senior programme manager Shahzada M Akram read out the findings

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net