International Anti-Corruption Day observed

Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on Friday said the country did not become independent for people to commit corruption, launder money and deposit in Swiss banks but rather to build a happy and prosperous nation.

At least three million people were martyred for the independence of Bangladesh. They did not sacrifice their lives so that people would commit corruption after achieving independence, he said.

The chief justice came up with the remarks while addressing an event arranged by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Dhaka marking the 20th International Anti-Corruption Day.

Stating that people have forgotten to hate the corrupt, the Chief Justice said, “Let us hate the corrupt because corrupt people are against the nation, state and the progress of the country. Let us learn to hate them (corrupt people).”

Independence is the biggest pride of Bangladesh but corruption hurts the place of pride. Corruption undermines the quality of human services while the greed for money turns people into inhuman, he said.

He further said that corruption is a crime committed against the overall development of a country and disrupts the socio-economic development of a nation.

The chief justice said that no person is born corrupt but they become corrupt after birth. The greed for wealth makes people inhuman.

He said, “Bangladesh can be freed from corruption by the youth society, the conscience of the corrupt, and impartial use of the anti-corruption act. The timely preventive legal measures against criminals also help curb corruption.”

Referring to corruption as a terrible social disease, Hasan Foez Siddique said the country should be protected from the disease.

No matter how powerful the corrupt person is, his corruption must be identified and prevented, he added.

ACC Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah presided over the programme while President Abdul Hamid was present as the chief guest. ACC commissioners- Md Mozammel Haque Khan, Md Zahurul Haque, and ACC Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain also spoke among others.

Earlier in the day, ACC Chairman Moinuddin Abdullah urged countrymen to boycott corrupt people to reduce corruption in the country.

However, he said that corruption in the country will not be reduced overnight, it requires a collective effort and the ACC is working on it.

The ACC chief made the call while standing in a human chain formed in front of the ACC headquarters in the capital’s Segunbagicha, marking International Anti-Corruption Day.

Pointing out that the country has been the champion of corruption five times in the past, Moinuddin Abdullah said that Bangladesh is gradually improving in the corruption index.

Corruption is a deadly disease and everyone should work together to prevent corruption, he added.