Politics in Bangladesh needs reform

Integrity and reform are needed in the country's politics which has been intertwined with business, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said yesterday.

About 59 percent of the lawmakers are involved in business, he said.

Iftekharuzzaman said there was no problem if a businessman entered politics but the way they did it was not proper. They use politics to enhance their wealth; as a result, parliament cannot become effective, he told a discussion at the capital's Bangla Academy.

TIB organised the discussion as part of its two-day programmes celebrating International Youth Day with the theme "awaking consciousness, invincible youth, prevent corruption".

A few hundred members of YES (Youth Engagement & Support) group, a youth platform run by TIB, joined the day's programmes including a fair, speech and quiz competitions, an opinion-sharing meeting, and corruption-related video and cartoon shows.

While inaugurating the programme on Dhaka University campus, Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said, "The general people of our country are not involved in corruption. Those who have the power to take decisions often commit corruption. As the largest power of the state, the youth have to march forward with confidence and courage to create a corruption-free nation."

TIB Chairperson Sultana Kamal urged the youth not to leave this country at the hands of corrupt people.