Bangladesh to publish White Paper on corruption

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that White Papers should be published on corruption committed during the regimes of the immediate past caretaker government, and the BNP-led alliance government before that.

The government will take steps in this regard, she said replying to Awami League lawmaker Mujibul Huq during the question-answer session.

In response to another question from independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim, the premier strongly criticised BNP-led opposition lawmakers for boycotting parliament since its second day in session, demanding more seats in the front row of the House.

She said BNP lawmakers have more seats in the front row than they deserve according to their representation ratio in the House.

Citing that Awami League (AL) lawmakers were given only six seats in the front row in the last parliament by a BNP-led alliance majority, although AL had 58 seats in the House, the premier added, "How could they demand what they had denied us when we had been the opposition?"

In reply to Mujibul Huq's question, the prime minister said, "I support the proposal for publishing White Papers on corruption. It's necessary to publish the White Papers, and the government will take appropriate steps for that."

"Of course the White Papers should be published," the leader of the House said amid desk thumping of treasury bench lawmakers.

A BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government upon assuming power in 2001 published White Papers on the corruption committed during the last Awami League (AL) regime between 1996 and 2001.

Asked whether the government will disclose the list of individuals who were involved in corruption and laundered money abroad during the regimes of BNP-led four-party alliance and the caretaker government, the premier declined to divulge details, for the sake of investigation.