corruption
‘Massive corruption’ in building houses as PM’s gift: BNP
BNP on Saturday alleged that there has been ‘massive corruption’ in the construction of houses meant for landless people as the Prime Minister’s gift under the Ashrayan Project as many of those have collapsed partially or developed cracks in many places.
“There’ve been limitless corruption, looting, waywardness and politicisation in the construction of the houses for the landless poor, which’s being branded as a gift of the Prime Minister by beating drums,” said party organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the way those houses are seen collapsing before or after the handover proves that ‘massive plundering’ in the name of development is going on in the country. “A grand festival of looting is on as Bangladesh seems to have become a paradise of unlimited graft.”
The BNP leader demanded the government immediately bring under justice those involved in huge corruption, plundering and extortion in the Ashrayan Project.
He also demanded reconstruction of the damaged houses of the poor and landless people.
Prince said the Ashrayan Project under which the houses were built to give to the homeless, landless, and poor people as the Prime Minister's gift of the Mujib Year was “full of irregularities and corruption” from the very beginning.
“The names of the poor were included in the allocation list by taking money from them. “Even, the names of established businessmen have been there in the list in exchange for money. Pro-Awami UP chairman and members, presidents and general secretaries of the Awami League and their affiliated upazila and union committees were given the houses keeping quotas for them,” he said.
The BNP leader also alleged that though the houses were built with the money allocated by the government, the ruling party men indulged in extortion and took money from the poor in the name of purchasing the building materials, transportation cost and wages of construction workers. The poor people had to give the money in the hope of getting houses.”
Besides, he said, the brick, sand, cement, rod and other materials were bought from ruling party men at exorbitant prices. “But they supplied substandard construction materials. Though 40 bags of cement were allocated per house, only 10-12 bags were used, and the remaining were done with sand and soil. That’s why the houses now turned vulnerable.”
Prince said the ministers and the ruling party leaders are now talking about zero tolerance towards those involved in corruption, irregularities and looting in the construction of the houses. “But they have unknowingly forgotten that the huge corruption they are committing by giving shelter to the corrupt and looters…the country has now turned into a sanctuary for the corrupt.”
About the loss of huge lives in a factory fire at Rupganj in Narayanganj, he said the incident happened due to negligence and indifference of the factory owner who is an Awami League leader. “He must be brought to justice.”
The BNP leader demanded the government rehabilitate the victims’ families and give them adequate compensations.
ACC sued Passport official and his wife for corruption
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two seprate cases against Motaleb Hossain, a deputy director of Department of Emigration and Passport (DIP) and his wife Israt Jahan charging them with corruption and concealing their wealth information.
The cases were filed with Dhaka Coordinated Office, ACC-1 on Wednesday after the investigation.
Also read: ACC to sue 4, including Baizid Bostami secretary, for 'misappropriating' Tk2.5 crore
Deputy Director of ACC Public relation office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB that its deputy director Abu Bakr Siddique filed the case.
According to the charges Motaleb earned a total of TK 74 lakh 27 thousand from March 11, 2004 to June 30, 2020 while his wife showed an amount TK 3 crore 10 lakh from October from 10,2009 to June 30,2020.
Also read: Anti-graft body approves charges against AL leader Enu and three others
Motaleb hid around TK 11 lakh and illegally amassed almost TK 42 lakh way while his wife did not mention the information of TK One crore in her submitted assest statement and failed to show any source of more than TK 3. 8 crore.
Corruption hurts me as it does others: Finance Minister
Reiterating that about 15 new laws, including some amendments to the existing laws, will be passed in parliament in the next 6 months to prevent money laundering, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said it causes him great pain when he sees corruption.
“You’ll see a substantial fall in corruption once those laws are passed by Parliament,” he said while briefing reporters about the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
The finance minister said he feels the same pain as other people do when it comes to money laundering.
READ: Finance Minister dismisses the claim of 2.5 crore new poor
Mustafa Kamal said efforts are going on to detect money launderers. “Those who were identified were either sentenced to jail or put on trial. Trials are on,” he said.
He said there are two reasons behind money laundering -- some people do it looking for a better place to invest and some others do it out of their greed.
“If we can create a better investment environment, then those people will invest here instead of investing abroad,” he said.
Speaking in Parliament on June 7, he said there was a time when sand used to be imported in the name of cement and one product used to be brought in the name of another product. “Now under-invoicing and over-invoicing are hardly done. But I don’t say such things have stopped completely. We hardly see these things in the newspaper,” he added.
Kamal said he knows how such irregularities are committed but does not know who are doing these. “Once such things had happened due to inefficient systems and ineffective management. These things will have to be stopped completely.”
READ: Zero tolerance for corruption in financial sector: Finance Minister
He said the government will frame new laws aiming to reform the systems in the financial sector. “We’ll enact new laws so that our banks and financial institutions can run their activities smoothly with responsibility. We’ll create the scope. I’m assuring you.”
Responding to a question, Mustafa Kamal today told journalists that Bangladesh will consider lending from its foreign exchange reserves to neighbouring countries if the returns in this regard are good.
Govt takes tough stance against corruption : Quader
The government will take tough action against all those including ministers, MPs, businessmen and bureaucrats who are involved in corruption, said Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday.
He said this during a regular briefing at his official residence in the morning.
Read: Quader warns tough action against errant party members
Claiming that the Anti-Corruption Comisison (ACC) is working as an independent investigation agency, the Awami League leader said that many ruling party MPs have also been convicted, no one is being freed and many of the AL men are in jail on corruption charges too.
Obaidul Quader made it clear that any candidate involved in corruption and misdeeds will not get nomination from the Awami League in the next elections.
He said according to ACC many cases are not seeing progress due to lack of evidences and so BNP should provide clear information without making false allegations and throwing stones in the dark, said Quader.
He also said that it is a matter of mockery when BNP which made the country five-time world champion in corruption and the founded ‘Hawa Bhaban’ talks against graft.
Read: Govt. is strengthening democratic institutions, says Quader
He said action would be taken through proper investigation against those who siphoned off money or amassed wealth through corruption.
Referring to Sheikh Hasina's government as a media-friendly one, the Awami League general secretary said she is involved in the joys and sorrows of the journalist community.
He said the massive expansion of the media in recent years demonstrates the government's liberal mindset.
The Awami League general secretary said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stood by media workers as a friend and relative during the Corona period and stressed on the importance of implementing the 9th Wage Board for protecting their professional dignity and financial security.
Read: Quader slams BNP for anti-people conspiracy
The Minister said that steps have been taken to provide legal assistance for the safety and security of media personnel.
Obaidul Quader also assured that the Digital Security Act will not be misused against journalists in any way.
Zero tolerance for corruption in financial sector: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Monday told Parliament that 15 laws will be enacted within the next one year as the government is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against irregularities in the financial sector.
“I would like to assure you that you (MPs) will see 15 laws in this Parliament within the next 6-12 months to stop these irregularities,” Mustafa Kamal said.
The minister said while replying to a cut-motion placed by opposition MPs over allowing additional grant demand for the Finance Institution Division in the Supplementary Budget of 2020-21 Fiscal Year.
The finance minister said, “The syphoning off people’s hard-earned money hurts me like others. I’m always against any irregularity, disorder and corruption in any place under any circumstances. We all and our government want these to be stopped.”
He said there was a time when sand used to be imported in the name of cement and one product used to be brought in the name of another product. “Now under-invoicing and over-invoicing are hardly done. But I don’t say such things have stopped completely. We hardly see these things in the newspaper,” he added.
Read:ARTICLE 19 lauds tax exemption move for 3rd gender citizens in proposed budget
Kamal said he knows how such irregularities are committed but does not know who are doing these. “Once such things had happened due to inefficient systems and ineffective management. These things will have to be stopped completely.”
He said the government will frame new laws aiming to reform the systems in the financial sector. “We’ll enact new laws so that our banks and financial institutions can run their activities smoothly with responsibility. We’ll create the scope. I’m assuring you.”
The finance minister said there is a zero-tolerance policy against corruption as asked by the Prime Minister.
Pointing at the opposition MPs, he said, “If you know who siphon off money, please give us their names. Since you (MPs) are in Parliament, you also have the responsibility like us. If you do so, it’ll be easier for us to take action against them.”
Kamal said many of those who committed such irregularities are still in jail and face trial unlike in the past.
Replying to criticisms from the opposition lawmakers, the finance minister said the loan interest rate in scheduled banks came down to 7.3 percent from 12.3 percent in the last 12 years. There were 6,425 banks and their branches in Bangladesh in the 2005-06 fiscal year. Now the number has doubled.
Read: JS passes Tk 13,987.27 cr supplementary budget
He said banks have set up their branches in villages amid the growing demand of people and they are now getting services.
About default loans, Mustafa Kamal said the rate of default loans was 13.2 percent in 2006, which has come down to 8 percent now.
Two senior AL lawmakers blast corruption and tax proposals on private universities
Prof. Md. Ali Ashraf, a frontline Awami League MP from Cumilla-7, on Sunday said that corruption and money laundering continue despite the government’s vow to stop the vices.
Also on Sunday, another senior ruling party MP Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir from Chandpur-1 castigated the budget proposals to impose taxes on the income of private universities and medical colleges.
Read: New budget proposals inadequate in tackling poverty, say rights groups
Both the legislators were speaking on the Supplementary Budget in the parliament.
Ali Ashraf said, “Our heads go down with shame and hate due to some big thieves.” This is not for what the nation had fought the Liberation War, he said.
“We took part in the country’s Liberation War not for love for our own lives… not with the hope of getting and enjoying something,” he said.
“We had fought in response to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to free the people and to see smile on their faces,” he said.
Read: New budget underestimated impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, says SANEM
He said that although the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government unequivocally have vowed zero tolerance against corruption and those involved in money laundering, “I think adequate and proper steps should be taken in this regard.”
The AL MP also suggested that the government should overhaul the tax administration to increase its efficiency, transparency, honesty and sincerity. “Otherwise, we will not be able to reach our desired destination.”
Lawmaker Muhiuddin Khan criticized the government for imposing tax on the income of private universities and medical colleges in the budget for fiscal 2021-22.
He said, such measures are not education friendly.
Read:Budget fails to reflect people’s aspirations: BNP
He mentioned that spreading of education through private entrepreneurship will be hindered due to imposing of such tax.
Mohiuddin Khan also proposed that the government forms a bank commission and a tax commission for bringing reforms in these two sectors.
ACC investigating Hefazat leaders Babunagri, Mamunul for graft, fund embezzlement
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation against over 50 Hefazat-e-Islam leaders including Junaid Babungari and Mamunul Haque on charges of embezzling funds and corruption.
They have allegedly embezzled a huge sum of money from the organisation's funds, various madrassas, orphanages, Islamic institutions and foreign aid for religious purposes.
The decision to investigate was taken by the commission after the detectives of Bangladesh Bank and the ACC found truth in the allegation.
ACC sources said that a team of eight members has been formed, led by Akhtar Hossain Azad.
Employment generation program for poor tainted with irregularities in Magura
Allegation of irregularities, and beneficiaries being deprived has been raised in a 40-day project of the government's ‘Employment Generation Program for the poorest’ in Magura.
On a recent visit to the project sites, UNB reporter could spot maximum of 8 to 10 labourers working on each site.
The project was being conducted in a lax manner defying the government rule of appointing 35 to 40 workers to each site.
A local Awami League leader reluctant to disclose his name said the irregularities persisted in the project to benefit some corrupt public representatives of the district's Kuchiapara union.
The appointed poor workers suffer to maintain their family with the insufficient wage of Tk 200 per head, he said.
A headman from the project said the later the bills get paid the more it benefits the local chairman and MPs.
As they have to share the profits with officers, cashing bills twice in 40 days benefits them more while the poor workers suffer, added the headman.
When asked about the matter, Project Implementation Committee (PIC) members Kanak Bala, Imroj and Babul Hossain Molla claimed there is a scarcity of labourers as paddy harvesting season is going on.
Most of the project headmen echoed the same reason for inadequate labourers being appointed at the sites.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abu Sufiyan and education officer Bajnedra Nath said they have asked for increasing the number of labourers but the heads of the project didn’t pay heed.
When informed, the Project Implementation Officer of the project said bills will be paid only for the appointed number of workers.
The chairman of the union Jahangir Hossain didn’t receive the call when contacted over the phone on this matter.
Now Bangladesh ‘cannot be called a democratic country’: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Thursday said Bangladesh now cannot be called a democratic country due to “dictatorship and lack of good governance”.
Money laundering: ACC seeks info on RMG owners from NRB, banks
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sought information on a number of garment factory owners to investigate them for money laundering.