MNA Editorial Desk: The new director general (DG) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Bashar Khurshid Alam has said the government alone is not responsible for corruption in the health sector. He made the remarks after paying homage to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi Road 32 on Saturday. “There is no way to prevent corruption if we ourselves are not honest,” he said. “If we talk about corruption, I would say that we are all responsible for it. If we only point our fingers at the government, that would ...
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Continue drives against corruption, drugs, terrorism: PM Hasina
MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that the ongoing drives against corruption, drugs and terrorism will continue to protect the society from these menaces. “We’ve already announced zero tolerance policy against drugs, terrorism, militancy and corruption. So, the drive against corruption or the drive against drugs and terrorism will continue,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while delivering her speech at the graduation ceremony of Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) 2020 at Sheikh Hasina Complex of Mirpur Cantonment on Sunday. She urged the members of the Armed Forces to pay special attention to these ...
Read More »BASIC Bank in deeper trouble
MNA Business Desk: The scam-hit state-run BASIC Bank is finding it hard to procure funds from depositors, officials have said. Its battered image is thought to be the number one problem. BASIC Bank managing director Md Rafiqul Alam wrote to finance ministry last Wednesday seeking funds as well as support to boost bank’s public image. He has sought government intervention to help remove roadblocks to the bank making a comeback. According to the officials, the bank does desperately need to find ways to improve its deposit base as it has long been facing problem in this connection. The bank has ...
Read More »Kenya’s finance minister arrested on corruption charges
MNA International Desk: Kenya’s finance minister has surrendered himself to the police after the chief prosecutor ordered his arrest over allegations of corruption. Henry Rotich is accused of flouting procurement procedures in awarding a contract worth over $450 million (£405m) for the construction of two dams to the Italian company CMC de Ravenna. In March Mr Rotich denied any wrongdoing in a large newspaper advert. The company has also denied the accusations, reports BBC. Director of public prosecutions Noordin Haji is also investigating how the tender was awarded for $170 million more than was in the original contract. “It was ...
Read More »Fire incidents: Result of unfathomable corruption and sheer ignorance
MNA Editorial Desk: 2019 can be marked as the year of fire incidents in Bangladesh or to be more precise its capital Dhaka city as at least five major fire incidents were reported those caused minimum hundred deaths and many injury. The number of fire incidents has increased more than threefold across Bangladesh since 1997; with the year 2018 seeing a daily average of 53 with high possibility of crossing that in 2019. Despite having incidents after incidents, we are yet to take any significant measure to improve the situation both in proactive and reactive measures. But every citizen of ...
Read More »Officials must take responsibility for probe delays: ACC chief
MNA National Desk: Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Iqbal Mahmood has admitted that investigations into allegations of corruption are not being completed within the appointed time and said that the officials responsible will have to take responsibility for the delays. He made the remarks at the launch of a training programme on land management issues at the ACC offices on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com. Mahmood said the Anti-Corruption Act called for the case investigations to be completed within the set time. “Why are the investigations not being completed within the set time? Why are officials failing to obtain the necessary information within the ...
Read More »ICC urges Sri Lanka to come clean on corruption
MNA Sports Desk: The International Cricket Council has urged Sri Lanka’s scandal-ridden sporting community to come forward with information about corruption before an amnesty expires or risk expulsion from the game. Sri Lankan cricket has been mired in corruption allegations in recent years, including claims of match fixing ahead of an international Test against England last year, and the sport’s world governing body is in the middle of a major inquiry into the island nation. The ICC said it had received a “positive response” after granting a 15-day amnesty this month for players, coaches or anyone else linked to the ...
Read More »PM urges to free country from corruption, drug abuse, militancy
MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the home ministry to work with greater attention to root out drug abuse, terrorism, militancy, and corruption from the country as that is the necessity of time. “If we want to develop the country, we’ve to free it from drug abuse, terrorism, militancy, and corruption… I ask the officials working in this ministry (Home) to give a special attention to these matters,” she said. The Prime Minister said this in her introductory speech while holding a views-exchange meeting during her visit to the Home Ministry on Sunday. She said corruption has ...
Read More »PM Hasina advises tough stance against corruption
MNA Editorial Desk: Reaffirming her government’s tough stance against corruption, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday directed the Public Administration Ministry to issue a strong warning against graft by field-level administrations. “Your specific directives must reach the administrations at the grassroots level that tough action will be taken if anyone resorts to corruption,” she said while visiting the Public Administration Ministry in the morning. The Prime Minister wondered why there should be corrupt practices when the government enhanced the salaries, allowances and other privileges of the public servants significantly. “They must change their mindset.” She emphasised ensuring good governance and ...
Read More »PM assures fight to eliminate corruption will continue
MNA Editorial Desk: Reiterating her government’s farm stance against corruption, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government will continue its fight against corruption to keep up the country’s development spree and uphold its achievements. “Though it’s not possible for any country to root out 100 per cent corruption, it’s a responsibility of our government to check it so that it cannot impede the uplift of the country and ruin our all successes,” she said while exchanging views with senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the first working day of her office at the PMO after ...
Read More »War on corruption: Tracing a starting point and eliminating inequality
MNA Editorial Desk: We have just started a terrific new year with a new government in Bangladesh after a much awaited national election. The people have given their verdict in favour of the ruling party of 2008 onwards–Bangladesh Awami League or to be more specific in favour of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership as they are going to form government for the consecutive third term. PM Hasina prior to the national election expressed her commitment on zero tolerance to corruption among many other commitments. It was even given highest priority in her party’s manifesto. After getting elected also, she again ...
Read More »Corruption: Main obstacle to progress
MNA Editorial Desk: Bangladesh, being a small country on the globe with huge population, has drawn the attention of the whole world with its prompt improvement in different development indices. Specifically during the last few years, this improvement got strong pace due to the current government’s praiseworthy focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) along with commitment towards accomplishing Vision 2021 and 2041 as well. To attain those targets, several large development projects have been launched along with emphasizing on human indices. We have moved forward in all aspects which is very much visible in all evaluations but question remains ...
Read More »IMF unveils new corruption policy
MNA Business Desk: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will systematically address corruption and its impact on economic growth with all its member countries under new guidelines launched on Sunday. The new policy also tackles how rich countries contribute to corruption in the developing world by failing to prevent bribery and money laundering or by allowing anonymous corporate ownership. “We know that corruption hurts the poor, hinders economic opportunity and social mobility, undermines trust in institutions and causes social cohesion to unravel,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement. Poor governance sap economic growth and exacerbate inequality, according to ...
Read More »Combined effort needed to eradicate corruption
MNA Editorial Desk: Corruption has turned into such a phenomenon in Bangladesh that it became identical to our name. Without any debate it is the biggest problem of Bangladesh. Corruption has long term effects on national economy, ethics, moral, honour, growth, development etc. It has been a continuing problem of Bangladesh as we are in a habit to find ourselves in the list of the most corrupt countries of the world. During 2001-05, we held onto our position as the most corrupt country of the world while as per Transparency International’s (TI’s) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Bangladesh was the 15th ...
Read More »Saudi Arabia tries to comfort the investors
MNA Business Desk: Saudi is freeing its billionaire detainees. Now it has to woo investors. Saudi Arabia tries to comfort the investors. Saudi Arabia is winding down a spectacular crackdown into alleged corruption after agreeing to release one of its highest profile suspects and recovering billions of dollars in cash and much more in real estate. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire global investor with stakes in Citigroup (C), Twitter (TWTR) and Apple (AAPL), was released on Saturday. The conditions of his freedom are unclear, and the country’s ministry of information said it would not comment on his situation. In ...
Read More »Endemic corruption and irregularities in health sector
MNA Editorial Desk: Governance challenges in this sector exist that hinder further achievements. According to TIB’s National Household Survey (2012), 40.2% of the recipients of health services from public institutions became victims of irregularities and corruption while receiving services. Many doctors at district and upazila hospitals remain off-duty during office hours, while patients are suggested to go to private diagnostic centers or chambers. Patients at the public hospitals also have to pay bribes for beds, tests, ambulance and other services. Besides, political influence and lobbying are used for transfer or remaining in a privileged facility for longer period. For promotion ...
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