Dhaka: Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has found conflict of interests in some ministers’ discharging important public duties and at the same time remaining engaged in transport business.

‘Government has to understand that business and administrative duty cannot function together and there are some ministers in the country who have transport business and at the same time they are discharging responsibilities in government; this is why offenses recur in the transport sector,’ said TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman on Thursday.

Without naming them, he said there are at least two ministers in this government who are directly involved with transport business and it is high time, they have to choose any from the two, government responsibility or business.

He came up with the observations while speaking at a press conference at TIB office on ‘NGO sector run by foreign financing; Challenges of good governance and way out’.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman alleged that the transportation sector has become a matter of interest of a triangle syndicate - businessmen, politicians and administration - as a result, those who are responsible for the lawlessness in the roads are getting protection by the powerful.

The TIB executive director urged that, ‘Government should understand that those who have business interest cannot play their role rightly for the people.’

Expressing solidarity with the ongoing students’ movement, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said political will is the utmost requirement to break the ‘evil syndicate’ and ensure road safety by bringing discipline in the transport sector.

He said the police, in the first phase of the students’ movement, tried to shut it down forcefully which was also observed in the time of quota reform movement and he termed it as the denial of constitutional rights.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said government should make a democratic environment for the people where they can seek out for their demands and if the government accept and implement the students’ demands, it would be a praiseworthy matter for them too.