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Public awareness a must for curbing corruption

Bangladesh Post seminar observes


Published : 21 Oct 2019 09:36 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 02:36 AM

Criminalization and corruption had started in the country after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Corruption in almost every sector was rising alarmingly in the country and in such scenario Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started the much-acclaimed cleansing drive to bring the country from the edge of the abyss.

The people of the country will have to cooperate with the government irrespective of party affiliation and opinion in order to continue the ongoing development and to establish a society free from corruption and all kinds of criminal activities. Speakers made these remarks while speaking at a seminar on “Government’s steps towards curbing corruption and the role of citizens” organised by ‘Bangladesh Post’, a national English daily, at National Press Club in the capital on Monday.

Editor-in-Chief of Bangladesh Post, Sharif Shahab Uddin said, “Actually, our War of Liberation started on 7 March in 1971 with the speech of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But the war has not ended. In the first round of the war, we won and achieved our independence in 1971. But in the second round, we lost our independence while assassins killed Bangabandhu on 15 August 1975. Again, in the third round of the war, we won in 2008, when the government was formed led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. So, I believe that the war is still going on. Anti-liberation forces are always trying to create unrest in the country.”

“The country is speedily moving forward which has never happened in the past. This has become possible only due to the Prime Minister’s working very hard. She starts her work early in the morning every day. If the country is run under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for another 10 years, the country will get the actual benefit of the independence. Only then the war will end,” the senior journalist said.

Great people can create a great nation. We will get this great nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Post Editor-in-Chief added.

Media Advisor of the Prime Minister Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, also Editor of the daily Bangladesh Observer, said, “This discussion is a very timely initiative. The society, administration and politics of the country has been corrupted since long. The criminalization of the country started by the brutal killing of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The assassins also wanted to kill our Prime Minister several times.”

He said, “By the directives of the Prime Minister, cleansing drive is going on across the country to salvage people from the curse of corruption. She started this drive from her own party. Her move against corruption is undoubtedly praiseworthy. She faced many challenges for running this operation but nothing could stop her. Prime Minister said that the drive against corruption will go on until the country is free from corruption.”

“The drive against corruption is not a work of our Prime Minister only. We will get the benefit if the country becomes free from narcotics, corruption, and violent extremism,” he added. Security Analyst Major General (Rtd) Abdur Rashid said, “Bangabandhu had said, ‘Poor people of my country do not engage in corruption, rich and educated people do corruption.’ It is very unfortunate that we achieved independence but we could not be free from corruption.”

He also said, “The daughter of Bangabandhu has started the operation against corruption from her own party. Many people has been engaged in conspiracy to stop this drive. Rashed Khan Mennon, MP, in his recent speech about the election, has tried to malign the ongoing cleansing drive. If we do not stop this type of conspiracy, this ongoing drive will not be successful.”

Former National Human Rights Commission Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque said, “Bangladesh has now become the role model of development in the world. A recent report of the IMF has mentioned that World’s 85 percent economy will be under 20 countries and Bangladesh is one of them. Before the liberation war, we could not ensure food for only four crore people of the country. Now Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in food.”

He also said, “Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in most of the sectors including education, health and digitalization. We are constructing the Padma Bridge with  our own funding. We have to prevent corruption to keep pace with the ongoing development.” Joint-editor of Bangladesh Post Naimuzzaman Mukta said, “Conspirators are trying to thwart the ongoing development of the country by spreading rumour on social media. Our people have to be more aware about the conspirators.”

Mentioning the recent rumor in Bhola on a fake Facebook post, he said, “We know that the memory of gold fish is very short. The memory of our young generation has also become the same. We have to think first before doing anything.” The whole programme was facilitated by Debate for Democracy Chairman Hassan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron.

Among others, Chief Operating Officer of Sikder Group SQ Islam Mohon, Advisory Editor of Bangladesh Post Shahnoor Wahid, and a good number of University Students were also present.

Related topics: Anti-corruption drive will continue: PM