Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed disappointment over interim government’s decision to send a large delegation to 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), accusing it of continuing the embarrassing practices of previous authoritarian regime.

In a statement released on Thursday, TIB questioned the justification of deploying such a sizable team abroad at taxpayers’ expense.

Iftikharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, noted that during the former authoritarian government’s tenure, it became common to send massive delegations to the UN, sometimes exceeding two hundred members. There was hope that the interim government, established through a mass uprising, would end this practice. Unfortunately, the current administration has followed the same path.

He further criticized the government for issuing a directive to curb unnecessary foreign trips, which stands in stark contrast to the decision to send over a hundred representatives to New York.

This inconsistency, he said, reflects a lack of self-confidence within the government itself.

Iftikharuzzaman added that while major powers like the United States, Russia and China often send large delegations to maintain their multilateral diplomatic roles, dispatching such a large team is rare and is often linked to unnecessary travel expenses in countries with poor governance, such as Nigeria.

Referring to last year’s delegation size of 57 representatives, TIB had hoped for a reduction this year, but the opposite occurred.

The organization questioned whether the delegation was formed based on clear roles and responsibilities aligned with national interests or merely as an excuse for overseas travel funded by taxpayers.

TIB described this questionable practice as “embarrassing and disappointing” for a government born out of a mass uprising.