CG will transfer power to an elected govt: Moeen
Friday, 19 October 2007
NEW YORK, Oct 18 (BSS): Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed said the main goal of the present government is to make the country free of corruption as early as possible.
"Corruption must be checked for establishing democracy in the country", he said while speaking as the chief guest at a gathering of the Bangladeshi expatriates at the Seaside Restaurant at the World Fair Marina here on Wednesday night.
The Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States, M Humayun Kabir delivered the address of welcome at the function. President of the Prabashi Nagorik Committee (Expatriate Citizens Committee) Mohadeb Sarker greeted the army chief with a bouquet.
General Moeen said corruption should end forever as it had destroyed democracy as well as the country.
bdnews24.com adds: General Moeen U Ahmed stated the caretaker government would transfer power to an elected government.
"Corruption is an obstacle to democracy. We are trying to root it out," the Army Chief told Bangladeshi expatriates at a programme at World's Fair Marina in New York.
Moeen took questions from the expatriates after he delivering his speech at 8:30pm New York time.
Giving his comment on a query as to what would happen if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or the Awami League returns to power through the elections and reverses the changes the caretaker government made, he said: "We don't want to go back to the days before the Jan 11 changeover."
The army chief is in the US to deliver a speech at Harvard University which he had earlier said was a prestige for the Bangladesh Army.
BSS further reports: Mentioning the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and the role of the present caretaker government as well as the Armed Forces, he said that the global community was surprised to see what had happened in Bangladesh on October 28, 2006.
"We were belittled among the world community who had watched that how brutally a human being could be killed on the streets. Though a caretaker government was established, but it had intensified the problems. Nobody was caring about law, and the situation became volatile," Moeen said.
He said, at that point of time, the country had three options: the first was to go for elections that were scheduled on January 22, 2006, the second was to proclaim martial law and the third option was to protect national existence through establishing an acceptable caretaker government by quickly promulgating a state of emergency.
In this regard, he further said everybody in the world including Bangladesh at that time was apprehending that martial law was imminent. "But we decided not to follow the footsteps of our predecessors and the third option was adopted" he said.
The Army Chief said the law and order was restored as soon as the caretaker government took its office. He pointed out that the country witnessed 34 political killings each month on an average in 2006, which came down to zero at present.
"In 2006, there was a plan to destroy the country's garment industries but we have foiled it successfully. Chittagong Port became inoperative which was made fully operational when we intervened. To meet these ends, we did not have to do much but to apprehend a few trouble-makers. The present efficiency of the port has increased by 40 per cent while the cost has been reduced by 30 per cent," he added.
General Moeen said establishment of an effective Election Commission and an independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are the major successes of the caretaker government.
The Election Commission has been preparing the voter list with photographs speedily with the help of the army, he said.
The task of registration of voters will be started in full swing from November and that work will end within July next year, the General said.
The previous Bureau of Anti-Corruption was itself a centre of corruption, Moeen said adding while the present independent ACC has been doing excellent job in checking corruption.
The ACC has filed hundreds of corruption cases and until now 24 corrupt persons were convicted, he said.
Terming the re-establishment of the independent Public Service Commission (PSC) as another success of the present government, General Moeen said, in the past, this organisation used to take bribe for selection, the bad practice no more exists there. The present government believes in work and not making only commitments, he added.
General Moeen said the process of bringing back expeditiously the smuggled money form abroad is now at work. During the last nine months, a total of US $ 129 million have already been brought back from abroad and deposited with the Bangladesh Bank while an amount of another $72 million is are in the pipeline for reimbursement.
Besides, the work to recover yet another $240 million is going on, he informed the expatriates.
The Army Chief said, a total of 39 districts of the country have been affected by this year's devastating flood. The members of the armed forces were engaged in conducting relief and rehabilitation works, and mitigating the sufferings of the affected people, he said.
"During the flood, no one died of starvation and, for the first time, no incident of corruption in relief distribution was reported," Moeen said.
At present the price of essentials remain slightly high, he said adding, but the government is trying to keep the price at a tolerable level.
Replying to questions, the Army Chief said, "Inshallah, Bangladesh would not go back to the situation that was prevailing before January 11, 2007."
If required, national security council will be formed and the decision for establishing an independent human rights commission has already been taken, he added.
General Moeen also informed the expatriates that the illegally grabbed lands had been recovered and were handed over to the real owners.
"Corruption must be checked for establishing democracy in the country", he said while speaking as the chief guest at a gathering of the Bangladeshi expatriates at the Seaside Restaurant at the World Fair Marina here on Wednesday night.
The Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States, M Humayun Kabir delivered the address of welcome at the function. President of the Prabashi Nagorik Committee (Expatriate Citizens Committee) Mohadeb Sarker greeted the army chief with a bouquet.
General Moeen said corruption should end forever as it had destroyed democracy as well as the country.
bdnews24.com adds: General Moeen U Ahmed stated the caretaker government would transfer power to an elected government.
"Corruption is an obstacle to democracy. We are trying to root it out," the Army Chief told Bangladeshi expatriates at a programme at World's Fair Marina in New York.
Moeen took questions from the expatriates after he delivering his speech at 8:30pm New York time.
Giving his comment on a query as to what would happen if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or the Awami League returns to power through the elections and reverses the changes the caretaker government made, he said: "We don't want to go back to the days before the Jan 11 changeover."
The army chief is in the US to deliver a speech at Harvard University which he had earlier said was a prestige for the Bangladesh Army.
BSS further reports: Mentioning the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and the role of the present caretaker government as well as the Armed Forces, he said that the global community was surprised to see what had happened in Bangladesh on October 28, 2006.
"We were belittled among the world community who had watched that how brutally a human being could be killed on the streets. Though a caretaker government was established, but it had intensified the problems. Nobody was caring about law, and the situation became volatile," Moeen said.
He said, at that point of time, the country had three options: the first was to go for elections that were scheduled on January 22, 2006, the second was to proclaim martial law and the third option was to protect national existence through establishing an acceptable caretaker government by quickly promulgating a state of emergency.
In this regard, he further said everybody in the world including Bangladesh at that time was apprehending that martial law was imminent. "But we decided not to follow the footsteps of our predecessors and the third option was adopted" he said.
The Army Chief said the law and order was restored as soon as the caretaker government took its office. He pointed out that the country witnessed 34 political killings each month on an average in 2006, which came down to zero at present.
"In 2006, there was a plan to destroy the country's garment industries but we have foiled it successfully. Chittagong Port became inoperative which was made fully operational when we intervened. To meet these ends, we did not have to do much but to apprehend a few trouble-makers. The present efficiency of the port has increased by 40 per cent while the cost has been reduced by 30 per cent," he added.
General Moeen said establishment of an effective Election Commission and an independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are the major successes of the caretaker government.
The Election Commission has been preparing the voter list with photographs speedily with the help of the army, he said.
The task of registration of voters will be started in full swing from November and that work will end within July next year, the General said.
The previous Bureau of Anti-Corruption was itself a centre of corruption, Moeen said adding while the present independent ACC has been doing excellent job in checking corruption.
The ACC has filed hundreds of corruption cases and until now 24 corrupt persons were convicted, he said.
Terming the re-establishment of the independent Public Service Commission (PSC) as another success of the present government, General Moeen said, in the past, this organisation used to take bribe for selection, the bad practice no more exists there. The present government believes in work and not making only commitments, he added.
General Moeen said the process of bringing back expeditiously the smuggled money form abroad is now at work. During the last nine months, a total of US $ 129 million have already been brought back from abroad and deposited with the Bangladesh Bank while an amount of another $72 million is are in the pipeline for reimbursement.
Besides, the work to recover yet another $240 million is going on, he informed the expatriates.
The Army Chief said, a total of 39 districts of the country have been affected by this year's devastating flood. The members of the armed forces were engaged in conducting relief and rehabilitation works, and mitigating the sufferings of the affected people, he said.
"During the flood, no one died of starvation and, for the first time, no incident of corruption in relief distribution was reported," Moeen said.
At present the price of essentials remain slightly high, he said adding, but the government is trying to keep the price at a tolerable level.
Replying to questions, the Army Chief said, "Inshallah, Bangladesh would not go back to the situation that was prevailing before January 11, 2007."
If required, national security council will be formed and the decision for establishing an independent human rights commission has already been taken, he added.
General Moeen also informed the expatriates that the illegally grabbed lands had been recovered and were handed over to the real owners.