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Editorial

Corruption engulfs PDBF

Take stern action against the corrupt officials


Bangladeshpost
Published : 04 Nov 2021 10:21 PM

The Palli Daridro Bimochon Foundation (PDBF) or Foundation for the Elimination of Rural Poverty is a statutory, non-profit organisation which was established in 1999 in order to promote the economic and social advancement of the country’s poor people. Its main goal is to eradicate poverty from our country by taking different projects and programmes. But some officials led by former managing director Madan Mohan Saha of the  organisation misappropriated Taka four crore and amassed a great deal of money and assets in unauthorised ways, an inquiry committee of Rural Development and Cooperatives Division says in its report. Later Madan Mohan was terminated on charges of corruption, irregularities and misuse of power about two years back.

By making fake vouchers and bills, organised corrupt officials continued looting the poor people’s money in a bid to fill their pockets instead of escalating the activities of poverty alleviation.

Although, Madan Mohan got punished but other officials identified as corrupts are still going unpunished and indulging in corruption and irregularities there, says a report. In this regard, LGRD state minister Swapan Bhattacharjee says when Md Kamal Uddin Talukder was as secretary of the ministry since 2018, he constituted a board with his own men, turning the PDBF a breeding ground of corruptions, irregularities and mismanagement.

The corrupt 

officials and employees of 

PDBF must be 

punished severely

When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times expressed her firm determination to build a graft-free administration in the country, asking the government officials and employees to undertake their own plan on ‘shuddhachar’ (integrity) and implement it effectively, many dishonest and greedy officials and employees are still indulging in corruptions, irregularities and other immoral activities.

Therefore, we are deeply saddened to witness the continuation of such corruption that has engulfed organisation in many ways.  

The ministry concerned must break the graft chain and take legal action against the officials identified earlier as corrupts immediately. We think if the government wants to establish a graft-free administrative system in the country, at first its officials and employees must be honest, accountable and transparent. Otherwise, the government's all efforts to build Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country, free of hunger and poverty will go in vain. Over the last decade the government reduced poverty rate significantly and it wants to reduce more. It had also pledged to declare the country free from poverty by this current year, but due to coronavirus it could not be done, but its efforts are on and will be continued.

We think it is a moral responsibility and obligation of the government officials and employees to stay by the people instead of misappropriation of public money. Therefore, the corrupt officials and employees of PDBF must be severely punished.