Clean-up operation will expand to every sphere of society, Hasina tells parliament

Sheikh Hasina has told MPs that the clean-up operation that started with drives on illegal casinos in sporting clubs will continue at every level.

Amidst a relative lull took in recent times in the crackdown launched in mid-September, the prime minister had to face questions in parliament on Wednesday.

“This operation will continue,” the prime minister announced.

Most of those who have been arrested or faced action during the crackdown belong to the ruling Awami League’s affiliates.

They are accused of misdeeds like illegal gambling, corruption, irregularities, contract-grabbing and extortion.

The Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC has recently started prosecuting them on possession of illegal wealth and graft charges.

The law enforcement has busted the illegal casinos and arrested those who had run the gambling facilities, Hasina told parliament.

“The law enforcers have continued vigilance so that no one can run such illegal operations in future.

“The ongoing government crackdown on corruption, drugs, terrorism, gambling and other social menaces will continue at every district, Upazila, municipality and all sectors,” the prime minister declared.  

On being asked by the Jatiya Party’s Rustum Ali Faraji, she said her government had taken a “zero-tolerance policy” to tackle these crimes.

“The Anti-Corruption Commission is working to bring all the people involved in graft to justice,” she said and added politicians and public servants would not be spared.

The ACC examined 13,238 complaints, started 3,617 cases and submitted charge-sheets in 5,179 cases in past 10 years, according to the prime minister.

She noted that the ACC recently sent letters to the Bangladesh Bank and other agencies seeking information on the people involved with the illegal casinos.

“Information on Bangladeshis who gambled in casinos in Singapore have also been sought from the country’s government,” she said.

Efforts to gather information on illegal car purchase were also under way, she added.

‘ZIA HAD A HAND IN ROHINGYA CRISIS’

Hasina said the BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman played a role in the creation of the Rohingya refugee crisis as over 1 million people of the ethnic minority have taken shelter in Bangladesh fleeing decades of persecution and a recent brutal military operation in Myanmar.

“The Chittagong Hill Tracts issue first emerged in 1976-77 and then the Rohingya crisis in 1978 following the assassination of the Father of the Nation (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman). These are facts,” the daughter of Bangabandhu said.

“There is no doubt that Ziaur Rahman had a hand in the creation of the Rohingya crisis,” she asserted.

Bangladesh believes in peaceful resolution to all crises and the government is firm to make sure that no terrorist uses Bangladesh’s soil to carry out insurgency or militant activities, the prime minister said.

When ruling party MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker asked her about the government efforts to solve the Rohingya crisis, Hasina said the government discussed the issue with the neighbours, including India and China, with expectations that they will play an active role to make Myanmar take back its nationals.

“The Chinese president (Xi Jinping) gave us his word that they will play a proper role to resolve the crisis. They have already sent representatives, who are discussing the issue and putting pressure (on Myanmar authorities). I’ve discussed it with the Indian prime minister (Narendra Modi) as well,” she said.

“All of them responded very positively. Everyone feels that the crisis must be resolved,” she added.

Hasina also said the Rohingya refugees protested when Myanmar agreed to take some of them back as they felt they would not be safe on return to their homeland.

“Now it depends on Myanmar whether it can gain the trust of its nationals who have taken shelter in our country,” she said.

In response to another question, Hasina reiterated that the government had no plan to export natural gas to India’s northeast.

Bangladesh will sell imported liquefied petroleum gas or LPG after bottling it in cylinders, which she said would open a new way to earn foreign currencies.

“Our topmost priority goes to energy security,” she said.

A recent deal with India for the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports to import and export goods will benefit both countries, the prime minister added.

Bangladesh hopes other countries like Nepal and Bhutan will avail themselves of the port facilities as well, according to her.

“We will welcome even the countries southwest to China if they want to use the ports,” she added.