Nuke project graft accused was a BNP man, says PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the man involved in alleged irregularities in purchasing pillows and other household appliances for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant's housing project once belonged to BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), reports UNB.

"We've some information about him. He had been involved with Chhatra Dal at BUET," she said while responding to some cut-motions in the supplementary budget for 2018-19 fiscal year in parliament on behalf of housing and public works minister SM Rezaul Karim.

Sheikh Hasina said the accused official was the vice-president of BUET unit of JCD.

She said the accused man was removed once the matter came to government's notice. "We're taking actions whenever we get information. We're taking punitive actions irrespective of one's party affiliation."

Masudur Rahman, project director of the Green City Housing project of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and executive engineer of Pabna office of Public Works Department (PWD), was withdrawn following the allegations of irregularities.

The prime minister said BNP was formed through illegal means and some people are still there in the party who are corrupt. "Corruption is there in their origin."

Responding to a question from a reserved seat MP about allotting plot for each MP in every Parliament, she said she did not take any plot from the government although she is MP for seven times now. "My party gave me a bulletproof car and for that I could manage to survive the August 21 grenade attack. This is not right to take plot every time," she said.

Hasina said the government does not come to power to indulge in corruption. "There were several attempts to portray me as a corrupt element.The BNP-Jamaat alliance lodged a dozen of cases against me but failed to prove a single one. The World Bank also raised corruption allegations against me but failed to prove those,"she added.

She put emphasis on taking steps against corrupt government officials."It's hard to dismiss any government official after entering the job. However, the Anti-Corruption Commission is now working independently,"she said.

The prime minister said the country is advancing socioeconomically as there is good governance.