Section of bureaucrats are becoming corrupt, Abdul Momen tells parliament

Member of parliament of the ruling Awami League, AK Abdul Momen, said that a section of bureaucrats is becoming corrupt, increasing the sufferings of the people. The entire bureaucracy is earning an ill reputation due to the corruption of a few.

Speaking during the general discussion on the proposed budget of the 2024-25 financial year in parliament, AK Abdul Momen said that it should be made compulsory for civil servants to provide an annual account of their movable and immovable assets. The reputation of the country was getting tarnished due to the corruption of a few officials. He said that this called for transparency, accountability and stern punishment.

During an event in November 2020 when he had been foreign minister, Abdul Momen had said that most of the money siphoned overseas was by government service holders.

Speaking at an event about Bangladeshi nationals owning homes in Toronto, Canada, Abdul Momen had said, “Many of our bureaucrats have huge amounts of property there and their children live there.” Abdul Momen had also said on that day, there were mostly government officers and employees involved in the 28 incidents regarding money laundering (to Canada) that had been discovered.

The Awami League government till date has not revealed the names of those 28.    

Abdul Momen in parliament on Wednesday also said that the general people had questions about the spiraling price of commodities, employment, increased taxes, rampant corruption and harassment by the corruption. He said that the banking sector was already in disorder. Had the budget offered a solution, trust would have been restored in the public mind. Instead, honest taxpayers have become disheartened that the budget provides for black money to be whitened with a payment of 15 per cent taxes. He said that the provision to whiten black money needed to be revised.

Abdul Momen said, the government’s image is being tarnished because of corruption. Projects are not completed in due time because of corruption, leading to increased costs and the sufferings of the people.

Former foreign minister Abdul Momen went on to say as there was a lack of employment in the country, every year hundreds of thousands of people were going abroad by legal and illegal means. It is the private sector that generally creates employment and entrepreneurs. That is why they need to have access to adequate bank loans. This time the government is taking Tk 1370 billion (Tk 1 lakh 37 thousand crore) in loans from the banking sector to meet the budget deficit. That means that the private sector investors may be deprived of loans.

Taking part in the budget discussion, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there had been a time when people would be scared when they saw police. Now people have trust and confidence in the police. When people call 999, the police turns up, ambulances turn up, and the fire service turns up.

The home minister said, the police now are at the service of the people. The people go to the police. Similarly, the elite force RAB has won the confidence of the people through their efficiency and capabilities. It has been possible to get rid of militancy because of RAB along with the police.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, those being arrested are being arrested on specific charges for specific offences. No one is being arrested on political grounds. Those involved in violence, those committing terror acts at political instigation, are being caught.