Staff Reporter :
A Knowledge-sharing workshop on kleptocracy was held on Saturday at Bangla Academy in the city addressing the critical issues of kleptocracy and explores solutions for promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
The workshop was organized by RUPSA, a Khulna based development agency, with the financial assistance from the International Republican Institute (IRI) under the Transnational Responses against Corruption and Kleptocracy (TRACK) III project.
The event brought together political integrity champions, academics, government officials, lawyers, civil society members, bankers, journalists, students, and thought leaders focusing the theme “STOP Kleptocracy,” that provided a platform for stakeholders to share insights and strategies to combat kleptocracy.
While speaking at the program, Advocate Mohammad Shofikur Rahman, President, Human Rights Foundation said, ”It’s time to ask why politicians frequently fail. Is it because they are unable to control the bureaucracy, or are there deeper systemic issues at play?”
Saif Mahmud Jewel, Former General Secretary, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chatrodal, said ”One of the main causes of kleptocracy is nepotism.
In the previous government, we witnessed 34 relatives holding government positions. It is crucial to move away from the politics of favoritism.”
To combat kleptocracy and corruption, it is essential to reform existing policies, expressed Mihir Biswas, Assistant President, Sujan.
Addressing at the work-shop, Md. MazadulHoque, Columnist, DailyIttefaq mentioned that ”to combat corruption and kleptocracy, it is crucial to ensure justice and the independence of the judiciary.”
Ibrahim Khan, Joint Director, Bangladesh Bank said as government officials, we couldn’t speak out against kleptocracy and corruption in the past. However, the situation has changed, and now we must work together to build a democratic country.
The workshop concluded with the signing of an Integrity Pledge, committing to collaborative action against kleptocracy.
The workshop was chaired by Hiranmoy Mondal, Executive Director, Rupsa, and Sheikh Mostafizur Rahman, Director-Programme, Rupsa, gave a presentation on Kleptocracy.
