Corruption didn’t stop for even a day during interim govt: DCCI president

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Taskin Ahmed has called on the government to take strong measures to end extortion and corruption.

He also said that the rate at which bribes had to be paid before the fall of the Awami League government had to be paid at the same rate from 6 August 2024. In many cases, bribes had to be paid at 50 per cent higher rates. Even during the interim government, corruption in government offices did not decrease for a single day.

Taskin Ahmed’s request to the current government is that, alongside stopping extortion, corruption in government offices should be suppressed firmly. Otherwise, he remarked, the government will not be able to achieve its target of creating one million new jobs.

He made these remarks at a press conference on the expectations of the DCCI from the newly formed government to tackle the existing economic situation. The press conference was held today, Monday, at the DCCI auditorium in Motijheel, Dhaka.

At one point in his speech, the DCCI president said that to revive the economy, the private sector must be made functional. For this, four measures need to be taken.

These four measures are: first, the law and order situation must be improved so that extortion stops. Second, government offices must be made corruption-free, which will restore confidence among employers. Third, institutions with bad loans should be given opportunities to return to business, and capital should be provided if necessary. Fourth, bank interest rates should be reduced to a reasonable level.