The people of Bangladesh put their faith in the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, to usher in a new era of prosperity and fairness. His government were heralded as reformers and brought in a raft of sweeping measures which they claimed would realise hopes for change. However, nearly six months since the election of the first government since the uprising, the facade put up by Yunus is beginning to crack and it is becoming apparent that these so-called reforms look more like a series of self-serving measures.

The Yunus Government promised to root out corruption from the country, making international headlines through its eye-catching tactics. They framed the issue as endemic and in need of a severe and immediate response for which they were uniquely qualified to administer. Without a clear or democratically determined public mandate, they made widely controversial reforms, such as a complete overhaul to the banking system, and then laid blame for having to do so at the feet of a number of the country’s leading business groups like Beximco, Orion Group, S Alam Group, and Nabil Group. These reforms and the actions of the man spearheading them, then-Governor of the central bank Ahsan Mansur, raised alarm from many in the financial industry at the time, and the motivations behind them are finally being exposed.

Recently, Transparency International Bangladesh published their report into corruption under the Yunus Government, where they found that, despite being lauded as reformers, corruption actually worsened during the time Yunus was in power. Their detailed reporting found that 81% of households believed they would have to pay bribes just to access basic government services and 61% of those who had been victims of bribery did not report it; less than 30% of them had even heard of the country’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), the body supposed to tackle bribery and corruption.

Reports had been circulating for some time that the ACC received many complaints about corruption whilst Yunus was in power, with anger building at the lack of action. Now, sources from inside the organisation say they received a record number of allegations against the advisors who were appointed to Yunus’ government, which include allegations of money laundering, financial irregularities and bribery in order to gain positions of power.

Yunus has been no stranger to allegations of corruption and was even indicted on charges of embezzlement following an investigation launched by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. But just one day before coming into power, he was cleared of all wrongdoing. Today, allegations have been made against all levels of the Yunus administration and, given that Yunus allegedly favoured financial institutions he was aligned with whilst going after other banks through his administration, serious questions must be raised about the legitimacy of his “reform” agenda. With the former Governor of the central bank also under investigation for misuse of funds, it would be a mistake for the BNP to uphold these flawed financial reforms that Yunus and his corrupt cronies evangelised.

What’s promising is that there is an appetite for an investigation into corruption. The latest reports from inside the ACC are that they are ready to launch a full investigation into these complaints, but they cannot whilst the top spot at the commission remains vacant; this is despite parliamentary calls from senior ministers in the current government for the ACC to investigate Yunus’ administration.

So, over four months after the top spot at the ACC became available and nearly six months into the tenure of the new government which promised accountability, what can be done? The BNP government pledged to restore public trust and confidence as part of its election manifesto, and filling this role is central to delivering on that promise. There needs to be a clear and accountable mechanism for challenging the corruption and bribery which proliferated under Yunus’s rule, and the government needs to heed the calls of the Home Affairs minister and step up to tackle it now.