CHAUGACHHA, Jashore — Calling for an end to the waste of state resources, Jashore-2 lawmaker Dr. Mosleh Uddin Farid said a state collects large sums in taxes from ordinary people, based on their income, to carry out development work, and that the government allocates that money across various sectors for the country’s development. But because that money is not properly used, development is constantly being held back, he said. Often a huge amount is wasted on various government development projects, and that waste must be stopped, he said.
He made the remarks Monday morning, March 9, while inaugurating the repair of the Chaugachha-Purapara road in Jashore.
Farid said state resources, as commonly understood, are assets directly controlled and owned by the government, such as government offices, roads, culverts, bridges, rivers, canals, water bodies, government educational institutions, the defense forces, law enforcement agencies, the courts and similar institutions and their installations. The overall development of every country and nation depends on the fair distribution and proper use of state resources, he said, adding that protecting state resources is the responsibility of every citizen of the country because such resources are a trust in their hands.
He said state resources are wasted in Bangladesh largely because of corruption, which he called a major obstacle to society and the economy. Corruption has seeped into every layer of the society, he said. If it cannot be uprooted, the situation could get worse in the future, he said. “We will not commit corruption and we will not let anyone commit corruption,” he said.
Addressing officials, staff and others, he said embezzling or destroying state resources is a punishable offense. Just as the state takes responsibility for the safety of citizens, citizens too have a responsibility to protect state property, he said. It is not possible for the government alone to protect national resources, so everyone must be conscious in using them, he said.
Upazila Engineer Siddhartha Kumar said repairing the four-kilometer asphalt stretch of the Chaugachha-Purapara road from Tengarpur Mor to Kamalapur will cost about 4 crore taka (about $370,000).
Farid also attended the hospital’s monthly meeting and various government and party events the same day.
Also present were Upazila Executive Officer Tanveer Islam, Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Reshma Khatun, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Ahsan Kabir Rumi, Ad-Deen Sakina Medical College Director Dr. Imdadul Haque, Chaugachha upazila Jamaat ameer Maulana Golam Morshed, Secretary Professor Nuruzzaman, Assistant Secretary Master Kamal Ahmed, Rahidul Islam Khan, Upazila Engineer Siddhartha Kumar and local journalists and dignitaries.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report