Mobilise the youth against corruption

The country's youths have to be mobilised against corruption to eliminate the menace from the society, said speakers during a virtual discussion yesterday.

They said educating children about morality should start from family and school to fight corruption effectively.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised the discussion on "Youth in Anti-Corruption Social Movement: Cartoon and Art", marking International Anti-Corruption Day.

Yesterday, TIB also announced the names of six youths as winners of the Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition Awards-2020.

There is no alternative but to rely on the youths for the country's progress, said TIB Trustee Board Chairperson Prof Perween Hasan.

Sadly, youths are often subject to newspaper headlines now because of involvement in unethical practices which is a contrast to the past when best students would get involved in student politics, she said.

She stressed that the Anti-Corruption Commission has to be functional effectively.

If the ACC was functional effectively then there might be no need for a graft watchdog like TIB, she added.

Eminent author and TIB Ombudsperson Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam said different graft allegations regarding health sector support and services started to surface amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, such incidents reduced and when youths took the responsibility to unearth those, he said.

Children's morality teaching is supposed to start from family and school, said Abul Momen, a writer and TIB trustee board member.

CARTOON COMPETITION WINNERS

The six youths won this year's Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition Awards in two age groups.

The group-A (13-18 years) winners are Ismail Mahmud (first), Asif Mohammad Yousuf (second), and Tasneem Sameeha Islam (third).

Group-B (19-25 years) winners are Mahatab Rashid (first), Duronto Shadat Mahbub (second), and Rahul Raj Debnath (third).

In each group, first prize-winner will receive Tk 75,000, second Tk 50,000, and third Tk 40,000 alongside crest and certificate.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman announced the winners' names.

He said peoples' perception that combating graft will not be possible without countrymen's awareness reflected prominently in the competition since its inception more than a decade ago.

Yesterday, TIB also announced 42 cartoonists as "special mention" each of who will receive a certificate.

Some 80 cartoons are on display through a virtual exhibition which was launched during the programme.

The theme of the 15th Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition was "Graft in Containing Coronavirus".

Some 130 cartoonists in the two categories participated. TIB received about 287 entries -- 119 in group-A, and 168 in group-B.

Judges of the competition were cartoonists Shishir Bhattacharjee, Ahsan Habib, and Shahrier Khan.