- Fire breaks out at jacket factory in Chattogram |
- Dhaka, Delhi agree to bring down border killings to zero |
- Natore’s Baraigram OC closed over negligence in bus robbery case |
- Imported fruit prices surge by up to Tk 100 per kg |
- 35% of air pollution in BD originates from external sources: Experts |
This is how they hold us back
Corrupt people will always find a way to capitalize on these opportunities
It is nothing short of disappointing to know that the culture of corruption within our administrative ranks is alive and well, and that it is actively holding back our nation from making any meaningful progress.
A recent report by The Daily Star on the coal-fired Matarbari Power Plant alleges corruption on the part of the state-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited, with the company listing the value of two pipe-cutters it had managed to procure from a German company to be Tk93 lakh.
According to the Daily Star story, abnormalities in the prices of all the tools acquired from the German company becomes evident when compared to their listed prices on the company’s website.
If the allegations of artificial inflation of prices for these tools are to be found even adjacent to the truth, the entire procurement pipeline of the CPGCBL needs to be thoroughly investigated while the administration of the Matarbari Power Plant also needs to be made answerable for the ridiculous discrepancies in pricing.
Larger scale projects being used to mask unchecked corruption is, sadly, nothing new in Bangladesh. Indeed, whenever such projects are announced, they are almost always met with widespread scepticism for any potential misappropriation of funds or as opportunities to fleece the general public.
The government has long pledged its support for a zero tolerance policy when it comes to corruption, and yet corruption lingers on. Power is an incredibly crucial sector for Bangladesh in its current development trajectory, which is exactly why it is especially attractive to unscrupulous individuals.
Until and unless the government starts introducing stricter monitoring mechanisms into our infrastructure development schemes, corrupt people will always find a way to capitalize on these opportunities and hold back Bangladesh from truly becoming the great nation it can be.