Iftekharuzzaman
{{Short description|Bangladeshi economist and activist}}
Iftekharuzzaman is the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh.{{Cite news |date=2015-03-04 |title=Iftekharuzzaman |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/author/iftekharuzzaman |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Early life
Iftekharuzzaman completed high school in 1968 under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jessore.{{Cite web |title=Iftekharuzzaman (Iftekhar Zaman) |url=https://www.ti-bangladesh.org/beta3/images/2019/ed/IZ-Bio.pdf |access-date=16 January 2022 |website=Transparency International Bangladesh |archive-date=16 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116081623/https://www.ti-bangladesh.org/beta3/images/2019/ed/IZ-Bio.pdf |url-status=dead }} did his undergraduate studies in economics from the University of Dhaka. He completed his graduate studies in economics from the Wrocław University of Economics. He earned his PhD from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. His did his post doc research from the University of Tokyo in international relations from 1988 to 1989.{{Cite web |last=sarwar |title=Dr Iftekharuzzaman |url=https://bdplatform4sdgs.net/profile/dr-iftekharuzzaman/ |access-date=2022-01-16 |website=Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh |language=en-US}}
Career
Iftekharuzzaman was a researcher and later research director at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies from 1982 to 1995. From 1995 to 1999, Iftekharuzzaman was the executive director of the Regional Centre For Strategic Studies in Sri Lanka.
From 1991 to 2004, Iftekharuzzaman was the executive director of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation. After leaving Bangladesh Freedom Foundation, he joined as the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh in September 2004.
In October 2007, Iftekharuzzaman defended Transparence International Bangladesh report on corruption in non governmental organizations after it was attacked by Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh.{{Cite news |date=2007-10-07 |title=TIB says its study not applicable to all NGOs |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-6955 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Iftekharuzzaman was elected to the international board of directors of Transparency International in 2008, 2012, and 2015. In January 2008, he was a panelist in a conference, BBC Bangladesh Sanglap, organized by BBC World Service Trust and BBC Bangla Service.{{Cite news |date=2008-01-13 |title=AL, BNP against army role in governing process |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-19035 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Iftekharuzzaman called the cancellation of World Bank loan for Padma Bridge an "acid test" for the government due to the Padma Bridge graft scandal in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Padma Bridge Acid-test for the Government; World Bank cancellation... |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/press/padma-bridge-acid-test-for-the-government-world-bank-cancellation-questiona |access-date=2022-01-16 |website=Transparency.org |date=30 June 2012 |language=en}} In 2014, he warned Bangladesh was on the way to becoming a kleptocracy.{{Cite news |last=Iftekharuzzaman |date=2014-01-01 |title=Corruption – Towards kleptocratic state capture |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/corruption-towards-kleptocratic-state-capture-4959 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
In May 2015, Iftekharuzzaman was awarded the Global Partnership Forum for Social Accountability Award by the World Bank.{{Cite news |date=2015-05-14 |title=Iftekharuzzaman of TIB gets WB award |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/iftekharuzzaman-tib-gets-wb-award-82194 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} In 2019, he called for policy reforms due to the abuse of power by VIPs.{{Cite news |title=VIP culture necessitates policy reform: Iftekharuzzaman |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/81159/vip-culture-necessitates-policy-reform-iftekharuzzaman |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=New Age |language=en}} He called the murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi in 2019 an "acid test" for the government.{{Cite news |date=2019-04-23 |title=Nusrat's murder an 'acid test' for govt: Dr Iftekharuzzaman |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/nusrats-murder-acid-test-govt-dr-iftekharuzzaman-1733398 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Iftekharuzzaman is a trustee of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation and Bishwo Shahitto Kendro. He is a member of the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission.{{Cite web |title=International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission: Indigenous Peoples in Chittagong Hill Tracts experiencing Human Rights Violations - IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs |url=https://www.iwgia.org/en/news-alerts/news-covid-19/3792-chtc-statement.html |access-date=2022-01-16 |website=www.iwgia.org |archive-date=2022-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116081623/https://www.iwgia.org/en/news-alerts/news-covid-19/3792-chtc-statement.html |url-status=dead }} He is a member of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh. He wrote Nuclear Non-Proliferation in India and Pakistan: South Asian, Perspectives and South Asian Security, Primacy of Internal Dimension.{{Cite web |title=Iftekharuzzaman {{!}} The University Press Limited |url=http://www.uplbooks.com/author/iftekharuzzaman |access-date=2022-01-16 |website=www.uplbooks.com}} He has criticized the government for failure to prevent large scale money laundering.{{Cite news |date=2021-06-08 |title='Money laundering goes on because of a lack of political will' |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/money-laundering-goes-because-lack-political-will-257761 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}} In 2020, he criticized a provision of the budget that allowed black money (untaxed) to be legalized.{{Cite news |last=Reza |first=Shameem |title=Allowing black money whitening discriminatory, unconstitutional, graft-supportive: TIB |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/government/allowing-black-money-whitening-discriminatory-unconstitutional-graft-supportive-tib |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=Prothom Alo |language=en}}
According to Transparency International Bangladesh and Iftekharuzzaman, the Anti Corruption Commission was acting under the influence of the Awami League and not as an independent body.{{Cite news |title=ACC under ruling party influence, says TIB |url=https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/acc-under-ruling-party-influence-says-tib/45278 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=UNB |language=en}} He called for greater transparency in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.{{Cite news |title=TIB seeks transparency in vaccine collection, distribution |url=https://www.theindependentbd.com/post/258191 |access-date=2022-01-16 |work=The Independent |location=Dhaka}}