TIB alarmed at reports on ‘unconditional amnesty’ for black money holders

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Thursday expressed strong resentment at media reports suggesting that the government is actively considering the inclusion of a provision to legalize black money in the forthcoming budget.

The potential provision on an “unconditional amnesty” that would prevent any questioning by authorities is unconstitutional and discriminatory, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said in a press release.

The organization has stated that extending such a corruption-facilitating opportunity under the pretexts of revitalizing the stagnant housing sector, boosting industrial investment, and accelerating economic growth is also self-defeating for the government. However, TIB believes it amounts to nothing less than normalizing corruption and irregularity under state backing and calls for permanently abolishing the provision. At the same time, TIB has called upon the government to follow clearly defined criteria in the event that it proceeds with its reported plan to repatriate laundered assets through the announcement of a “general amnesty.”

Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “Since independence, nearly every government, through one mechanism or another, has perpetuated this provision for legalizing ‘undisclosed income’ in direct breach of Article 20(2) of the Constitution. This practice assumed a new dimension during the previous authoritarian regime, when it was institutionalized in an overtly corruption-inducing manner, at times ‘without question’ and at other times at concessional rates below the standard tax rate. The usual excuse of short-term financial gains was given for keeping this discriminatory provision, yet in reality, the net effect has been the progressive entrenchment of a culture of tax evasion and the systematic discouragement of honest, law-abiding taxpayers.”

He further stated, “Although the interim government formed in the aftermath of the July uprising had abolished the provision for legalizing black money in successive stages, the present government’s attempt to reinstate it represents taking two steps backward for every one step forward. Extending the facility to legalize black money is equivalent to granting state-sponsored institutional legitimacy to corruption, which is placing the current government in a deeply controversial position. It raises a question—what message does a government, chosen by a significant public mandate on the promise of a steadfast approach to corruption, genuinely intend to communicate by supporting this unethical and damaging behavior? The government must genuinely set the long-term welfare and aspirations of the people above the interests of opportunistic groups.”

Referring to Clause 67 of the National July Charter 2025, under which BNP and all other political parties and alliances have unanimously pledged full implementation of the constitutional obligation to eliminate opportunities for individuals to enjoy unearned income, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “BNP has pledged in its electoral manifesto that it will ‘make no compromise with corruption’ including through the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Reformation. Yet media reports indicate that, under the influence of the housing sector lobby, the forthcoming budget is set to include a provision for legalizing black money through ‘complete immunity’ and entirely avoiding any inquiry by the ACC, the National Board of Revenue, or any other state authority. Recommendation 3 of the ACC Reform Commission report explicitly calls for the permanent abolition of the facility to legalize black money, a position to which BNP and all other political parties have equally agreed upon. It has been shown in the past that repeatedly giving people more chances to legalize black money did not lead to a big increase in tax revenue. On the contrary, the public has been led to believe that the government is supporting, allowing, and not punishing wrongdoing and corruption.”

Mentioning to the government’s reported plan to repatriate laundered money through a general amnesty, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “If the government is pursuing this plan as part of a genuine effort to bring back assets belonging to Bangladeshi citizens from abroad, that may be considered. However, it must be ensured that those involved in laundering illegally obtained funds are not permitted to avail themselves of this facility. Moreover, those against whom legal proceedings on charges of money laundering are already underway must be held to account without exception, and the government must ensure that no ‘general amnesty’ is applicable to them under any consideration.”

“Most importantly, it should be remembered that when the same approach was used under the previous authoritarian regime, it didn't produce any significant results, so the facility was never extended again. It demonstrates that this type of provision is nothing more than a failed effort. The government has already succeeded in setting a number of positive and encouraging precedents across its broader activities; in that very spirit, it is expected that the government will this time demonstrate the validity of its own stated position against corruption by refraining from introducing such an unconstitutional, discriminatory, and corruption-facilitating provision for legalizing black money,” said Dr Zaman.