Bribe rate increased five folds, says Mirza Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said one had to pay a bribe of Tk 100,000 earlier but the rate has now become Tk 500,000.
He claimed that a prominent businessman had shared this information with him just the day before.
He made these remarks today, Saturday, at launching ceremony of book titled "Arthoniti, Shashon o Khomota: Japito Jiboner Alekhya" (Economy, Governance, and Power: A Portrait of Lived Realities) authored by former caretaker government adviser and economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka. Presided over by Hossain Zillur Rahman, the chief guest at the event was finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
Mirza Fakhrul said that there is no good governance or control anywhere.
"There has been no change in the police force. But overnight reform is not possible — it will take time. That doesn’t mean we can sit idly, abandoning democratic practice. Imposing anything forcibly is not right. We must urgently return to the democratic process without delay. Representatives must be sent to Parliament through democratic means to implement reforms.”
He further said that the tariff policies of Donald Trump could pose major risks in the future.
“It must be remembered that political parties should always play a positive role in national development and public interest,” he added.
At the same event, finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed stated, “There are hardly any good institutions left. Legal violations are commonplace. Processes have been dismantled and the same people remain. There’s been no change in the people involved. Some say we should scrap everything and start over, but that’s not feasible. That’s why we have to rely on a mix of persuasion and sternness to get things done.”
Salehuddin Ahmed also remarked that good governance is extremely difficult.
He said there should be a check and balance of the power of the Prime Minister and lawmakers. No reform will be effective without reform in this area.
Reforms are also needed within political parties themselves, Salehuddin added.