Ruling Awami League lawmaker and former minister Kamrul Islam told Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday that there was sudden propaganda against some corrupt officials as part of a national and international conspiracy.
鈥業t is part of the conspiracy, but they appear to be true. The question is why the accused go abroad because of fear of the law, and fear of the law means they are corrupt,鈥� Kamrul said while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the financial year 2024-25.
Calling for action against corrupt officials, Kamrul said, 鈥極ne of the most honest statesmen in the world is the prime minister of our country, Sheikh Hasina. The country鈥檚 bank robbers, money launderers and all these corrupt people cannot smear us. As was done in the casino case, swift action should be taken against them.鈥�
Kamrul, also an AL presidium member, claimed that party leaders and activists were not exempted from corruption and said that he believed all the incidents that had happened recently were part of a conspiracy.
鈥楢ll of a sudden there is propaganda against some corrupt officials as part of national and international conspiracies. The people of the country suspect that the issue of corruption has come to the fore today through national and international conspiracies,鈥� he said.
鈥榃hy are they afraid and why are they avoiding the law? Why do they go abroad to avoid the law?鈥� he questioned.
He said that former police chief Benazir Ahmed and NBR official Matiur Rahman were afraid, and fear of the law meant they were corrupt.
鈥業t means the allegations against them are true,鈥� he said.
Former planning minister and AL lawmaker MA Mannan said that bureaucrats鈥� involvement in corruption caused a huge loss of the government鈥檚 image.
鈥榃e may recover the financial loss easily, but the image crisis of the government is a huge loss,鈥� he said.
AL lawmaker Aroma Dutta said that the prime minister had been adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
鈥楤ut some opportunistic people are tarnishing the image of the country. It needs to be brought under exemplary punishment,鈥� she said.
Independent lawmaker Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury said that those who were involved in corruption should be brought to justice and punished.
