United News of Bangladesh

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday (November 18) said law-enforcement agencies are fully prepared to act against any attempt to destabilise the country, as the next national election is going to be held in the first half of February. He made the remarks at a meeting with German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rudiger Loltz at the Ministry of Home Affairs, where the overall law-and-order situation dominated the discussions. The Adviser said law and order across the country remains normal, except a few isolated incidents reported following the verdict against Sheikh Hasina. He warned that strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt public security in the coming days. Read more: Fakhrul calls for resistance against ‘vested quarter’ ahead of Hasina verdict Jahangir Alam said that the responsibility for announcing the specific polling date lies with the Election Commission, but emphasised that security agencies are ready to support the electoral process whenever required. The meeting also focused on public reactions to the verdict, preparations surrounding the national election timeline, prisoner extradition, cybercrime, and other areas of cooperation. Germany and Bangladesh are ‘tested friends’, the Adviser said, adding that he hopes bilateral relations will continue to strengthen. Additional Secretary (Political) of the Home Ministry Khandaker Md Mahabubur Rahman and Anja Kersten, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, also attended the meeting. Read more: Working with a clear commitment to create fair election atmosphere: CEC

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Wednesday directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to show zero tolerance against corruption. Country’s development is not possible with corruption, the matter has been brought to the notice of the DCs and Divisional Commissioners, he said while talking to reporters on the 2nd day of Deputy Commissioners’ Conference 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The DCs were asked to inform any corruption allegation to the ACC if there is no scope for taking action against anyone, he said. “We have to prevent corruption at any cost, and whoever it is we are ready to investigate it,” he said. Read more: PM Hasina opens annual DC conference When asked about the corruption in the land offices, the ACC chairman said digitisation will help reduce corruption in the land offices to some extent. Regarding the allegations of corruption against the DCs, he said, “I do not have the authority to give warnings on the issue of corruption. It is in our constitution. In view of that, laws have been made, commissions have been formed.” He said that if there is any corruption case with merit for investigation, no matter who the person is, an investigation will take place.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Wednesday stern action will be taken if any damage and chaos is carried out in the name of a rally by blocking the roads. Law enforcers will defend the bid to damage the people’s life and property in the name of holding rallies, he added. The minister was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the five-day free treatment and operation of cleft lip and palate patients under the initiative of Asmat Ali Khan Foundation in Madaripur. Read more: Arrest, harassment continue to foil anti-government rally in Faridpur, says BNP BNP will hold a rally with millions of people in the capital Dhaka, claiming to form the government there, the minister added. He said the whole country is getting ready for the national elections. “The people of the country will vote for the boat symbol and bring Sheikh Hasina to power again,” he said, adding that there is no substitute for Sheikh Hasina. Read more: AL, not BNP, mastermind of ‘arson terrorism’: Fakhrul  

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Monday told Parliament that 15 laws will be enacted within the next one year as the government is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against irregularities in the financial sector. “I would like to assure you that you (MPs) will see 15 laws in this Parliament within the next 6-12 months to stop these irregularities,” Mustafa Kamal said. The minister said while replying to a cut-motion placed by opposition MPs over allowing additional grant demand for the Finance Institution Division in the Supplementary Budget of 2020-21 Fiscal Year. The finance minister said, “The syphoning off people’s hard-earned money hurts me like others.  I’m always against any irregularity, disorder and corruption in any place under any circumstances. We all and our government want these to be stopped.” He said there was a time when sand used to be imported in the name of cement and one product used to be brought in the name of another product. “Now under-invoicing and over-invoicing are hardly done. But I don’t say such things have stopped completely. We hardly see these things in the newspaper,” he added. Read:ARTICLE 19 lauds tax exemption move for 3rd gender citizens in proposed budget Kamal said he knows how such irregularities are committed but does not know who are doing these. “Once such things had happened due to inefficient systems and ineffective management. These things will have to be stopped completely.” He said the government will frame new laws aiming to reform the systems in the financial sector. “We’ll enact new laws so that our banks and financial institutions can run their activities smoothly with responsibility. We’ll create the scope. I’m assuring you.” The finance minister said there is a zero-tolerance policy against corruption as asked by the Prime Minister. Pointing at the opposition MPs, he said, “If you know who siphon off money, please give us their names. Since you (MPs) are in Parliament, you also have the responsibility like us. If you do so, it’ll be easier for us to take action against them.” Kamal said many of those who committed such irregularities are still in jail and face trial unlike in the past. Replying to criticisms from the opposition lawmakers, the finance minister said the loan interest rate in scheduled banks came down to 7.3 percent from 12.3 percent in the last 12 years. There were 6,425 banks and their branches in Bangladesh in the 2005-06 fiscal year. Now the number has doubled. Read: JS passes Tk 13,987.27 cr supplementary budget He said banks have set up their branches in villages amid the growing demand of people and they are now getting services. About default loans, Mustafa Kamal said the rate of default loans was 13.2 percent in 2006, which has come down to 8 percent now.

The government will strengthen its monitoring over unfit river vessels to put an end to accidents on waterways, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benzir Ahmed on Saturday said the force has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and corruption, in an effort to build a drugs- and corruption-free nation as directed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.