TIB demands White Paper on promises of 'Three Zeros'

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday demanded that the interim government publish a White Paper at the end of its tenure detailing how far it has fulfilled the internationally promoted "Three Zeros" agenda of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, warning that the administration has failed to translate global rhetoric into national responsibility.

The call came from TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman while addressing a human chain on Manik Mia Avenue in front of the National Parliament Building, organized on the occasion of United Nations declared International Clean Energy Day 2026.

"I think the countrymen will want to know, in addition to the international campaign centered on these three zeros, how much responsibility has been fulfilled nationally centered on these three issues," Iftekharuzzaman said.

He expressed embarrassment over what he described as the government's failure to even observe Clean Energy Day, despite Bangladesh being a UN member state. "The main purpose of observing the day is to make people aware. Especially those in state power should be active in preventing carbon emissions. 

The government has failed to observe the day. For this, I am very embarrassed. I am even more embarrassed because the government of Muhammad Yunus, who is the bearer of the three zeros, has failed."

Professor Yunus has globally advocated the principles of zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero carbon emissions. However, Iftekharuzzaman said those ideals now stand contradicted by the actions of his own interim administration.

"There was an opportunity to lay the foundation for zero carbon emissions, but the interim government failed to do that," he said, questioning whether any initiative had been taken that a future elected government could carry forward. "The interim government will have to answer why the people of this country lost that opportunity."

He sharply criticized the draft Energy and Power Master Plan 2025, saying it remains dependent on fossil fuels and provides no roadmap for Bangladesh's transition to clean energy. "There is no direction in this plan through which Bangladesh can move toward clean energy," he said, adding that the draft reflects imposed decision making rather than national consensus.

"How much do those in government care about national security and national existence?" he asked, asserting that the master plan demonstrates unilateral policymaking. He further alleged that a defining feature of the interim government has been the absence of participatory processes. He urged future elected governments to revisit the plan through inclusive consultations with stakeholders.

At the program, TIB Clean Energy Project Co Coordinator Ashna Islam presented a concept paper on renewable energy and good governance for sustainable development, stating that International Clean Energy Day "serves as an important moment to unite the world in the campaign for sustainable and renewable energy transformation."