The corrupt will face music

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said corrupt people will have to shoulder the responsibilities of their deeds.

The Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent body and it will investigate into allegations of corruptions following its own process, she said.

Speaking to her cabinet colleagues during an unscheduled discussion after a cabinet meeting yesterday, Hasina said action would be taken against the corrupt people regardless of their identities, a cabinet member told The Daily Star quoting the PM.

The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office in the capital's Tejgaon.

Hasina directed the cabinet members to bring forward the wrongdoings of the previous BNP-led alliance government.

She said that people have forgotten those wrongdoings, including the 10-truck arms haul, the huge hauls of ammo and explosives in Bogura's Kahalu and Dupchanchia upazilas, and the recovery of arms in Cox's Bazar's Pekua.

The premier said it is time now to bring those incidents before the people.

Hasina said people should be reminded about Bangladesh opting out of the Trans-Asian Highway.

Talking about the BNP's "anti-India stance", she said it is their double standard.

When the BJP came to power in India, BNP leaders visited the Indian High Commission in Dhaka with sweets and flowers, but they are now talking against India, the PM said.

She said that former premier Khaleda Zia had forgotten to speak about the Teesta water-sharing treaty during her visit to India.

Hasina said the BNP came to power in 2001 promising that it would enter a gas deal with India although there was a shortage of gas in the country. "Why are they talking against India now?"

The PM said she will never do anything against the interest of the country.

She also questioned the source of income of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman who "leads a lavish life" in London.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said the government will show no sympathy to the corrupt people.

"Are all the officials in an office corrupt? There are only a few of them. But all the staffers feel embarrassed because of those few people," the cabinet secretary told reporters during a briefing after the cabinet meeting yesterday.

Mahbub said the administration is neither creating any obstacles to taking actions against the corrupt people nor questioning those actions.

"All the mechanisms of the government are always cooperating [with the authorities concerned] to take action against the corrupt people," he added.

The cabinet secretary said the cabinet approved a proposal for the formation of Padma Bridge Operation and Maintenance Company (PLC), reports UNB.

The 100 percent government owned company will look after the operation and maintenance of the Padma Bridge, he said.

It will have a 14-member board of directors with representatives from different agencies, including Bridges Division and Finance Division.

Currently, Korea Expressway and China's Major Bridge Engineering Company are responsible for toll collection and maintenance of the bridge.  The two companies were appointed for five years.