Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon on Monday demanded the formation of a 'special commission' to curb corruption as he alleged that rampant corruption is going on in the country at present.
While speaking on the discussion on the proposed budget for 2024-25 fiscal in Parliament, the Workers Party MP also demanded to confiscate the assets of corrupt persons and 'form a tribunal' to try the loan defaulters and money looters.
'People's mistrust of elections not addressed'- Menon
"To stop this scourge of corruption, form a 'special commission' now, confiscate the money and assets of the corrupt, and punish them with the harshest punishment. Establish 'tribunals' for embezzlers," the member of the ruling coalition said.
Menon said that there is no way to deny that the corruption of the former police chief and army chief is only the tip of the iceberg.
Anti-corruption drive absent: Menon
“If this spread of corruption is not stopped by taking special measures now, the development progress of the country will be crushed by the iceberg. But unfortunately, we have seen here that journalists are being scolded by the Police Association for reporting corruption. Many ministers termed this information as speculative," he said.
He said that a US financial intelligence institution has shown that 7 billion dollars are being smuggled out of Bangladesh every year. This money is invested in Begum Para in Canada, second home in Malaysia, modern shopping malls in Singapore, Dubai, real estate and hundi business. Profit of this money is not coming to the country.
Menon alleged that there is no initiative to bring back the laundered money. But the expatriates are being taxed on the income they send to the country.
Menon comes down hard on recommendation against female UNOs attending guard of honour for FFs
Menon said that one of the means of earning illegal wealth is to take loan from the bank and not to return it, bank looting and corruption.
He said that the late former Finance Minister AMA Muhith had made the effort to establish the 'Bank Commission' to bring back good governance in the banking sector. But the next finance minister didn’t give it go ahead.
Menon opposed the provision of whitening the black money in the proposed budget.
“All the arguments being given in this regard (supporting whitening the black money) are not only baseless, but also contrary to the previous position of the government in this regard,” he said.
He hoped the Finance Minister would withdraw this proposal.
Referring to the murder of ruling Awami League MP Anwarul Azim, Menon said that the way media is publishing about gold and drug smuggling and crime in the south-western part of the country, the image of the parliament is being destroyed.
Menon said that during the Prime Minister's visit, India spoke of cooperation in the management of Teesta water flow and conservation. "But we do not know where the Teesta water distribution agreement went," he added.
He said rising commodity prices, corruption, money laundering, looting and anarchy in the banking sector, and defaulted loans have left the country's economy in a fragile state.
“It was the urgent duty of the present time to restore the economy from this, to bring back relief to public and state life. But no effective measures are seen in the budget for that purpose,” Menon added.
Rashed Khan Menon said that the picture of corruption by misuse of state power is emerging recently. It is creating distrust not only in the image of the country, but also in various government institutions.
AL MP Salah Uddin Miazi from Jhenaidah-3 in his speech demanded to form a special taskforce to combat gold smuggling, women and children trafficking and drug smuggling using the safe smuggling route in his constituency.