Staff Correspondent

Taking interviews of 1,050 beneficiaries of the government’s cash assistance for the poor, Transparency International Bangladesh has found that 69 percent were yet to receive anything.

Of the interviewees, 18.9 percent had to pay bribes to be included in the list, while 36.1 percent had to request local influential figures to refer their names for the financial support. In addition, 103 people said they had to prove their “political identity” to be listed as beneficiaries.

TIB revealed these findings yesterday in a virtual press briefing, titled “Governance Challenges in Tackling Coronavirus [Part II]”. The data was collected between June 16 and October 31 this year and the interviewees were from 35 districts.

Among those who received the money, 26.6 percent said their mobile banking agent deducted a commission from the amount, according to the anti-graft watchdog.

Beginning May 14, the government has distributed a cash support of Tk 2,500 to each of 35 lakh beneficiaries rendered poor due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was a one-time injection, said finance ministry sources.

The government had set aside Tk 1,250 crore for 50 lakh poor families.

The sources told The Daily Star that the project was stopped after funds were handed to 35 lakh beneficiaries, because the authorities were not able to verify details of the rest of the beneficiaries.