Suppression of Corruption in the Shilpakala Academy During 15 Years of Awami League Rule

The amount of money allocated for Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has increased 10 times in the last 15 years. The budget for the current financial year for the organization is more than 100 crore taka. Various workshops and events have been held throughout the year at huge expense for several years. Plays and processions have been organized across the country. Under the cover of these, the accounts of 200 million taka, irregularity in appointment and multi-faceted arbitrariness of former director general Liaquat Ali Laki have been repeatedly buried. The amount of corruption in the institution has also increased with the allocation. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is one of the national institutions of cultural practice in Bangladesh, which is now plagued by those crises.

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, some officials of the organization locked the rooms of at least 14 officials on August 6. Some were not allowed to enter the office.

When I went to Shilkala on August 27, some of the officials there said that they were locked in their rooms, who have deposed others with illegal privileges from the center of power. All these officials said that in the last 13 years, they have been deprived in many ways including no promotion, salary increase. Even the former director general did not talk to them properly.

Zia Uddin Ahmed, instructor of Shilpakala Academy’s training department, said that he was promoted in 2023 after 17 years. There are many others who have been harassed for not being loved by the former Director General.