Barapukuria Graft Case

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission in a letter to the Cabinet Division has said there are four present and former bureaucrats among the accused in the Barapukuria graft case filed against former premier Khaleda Zia and 15 others, and asked for necessary actions against them in this regard.

The four former and incumbent bureaucrats accused in the case filed on February 26 are former energy secretary Nazrul Islam, former Petrobangla chairman and incumbent BISIC chairman SR Osmani, former Petrobangla director Moinul Ahsan (retired) and former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Sirajul Islam (retired).

Meanwhile, the commission on Wednesday approved the submission of charge sheets in the cases ag-ainst Awami League leader Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury’s son Dipu Chowdhury and former Awami League MP from Feni Joynal Hazari.

A non-submission case was filed against Dipu Chowdhury for his failure to submit his wealth statement in time while Hazari was sued for acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Former adviser to then prime minister Khaleda Zia and now LDP leader Professor Jahanara Begum and former deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu on Wednesday submitted their wealth statements to the commission.

Call to change patriarchal mindset Staff Correspondent All should change their patriarchal mindset and pay more attention to empowerment of women, said former adviser to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal on Wednesday.

‘Change in social perception was also necessary,’ said Sultana Kamal, also the executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra, while she was addressing a discussion meeting. ActionAid Bangladesh organised the discussion at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka to mark International Women’s Day that falls on March 8.

Speaking on the occasion, Michael Shultz Shrepping of the UNDP Police Reform Project stressed the need for ensuring gender equality in the police force as many victims were reluctant to talk to the male officers after occurring incidents like rape.

Former adviser to the caretaker government and Women Entrepreneurs Association chairperson Rokeya A Rahman said now rural women in Bangladesh were in advanced position.

‘They are now more solvent and involved in family decision-making. Involvement of women in the garment industry has empowered them financially,’ she observed. Speakers at the discussion meeting said gender discrimination and patriarchal attitude were hampering the rights of women in every sector.

‘My son is not allowed admission into any school simply because he is the child of a sex worker,’ said a sex worker Rokeya referring to the discrimination against them. She said her children were also part of the society. ‘Political leaders come to us only for seeking votes but they don’t even talk to us after the election,’ she added.

‘Why can’t my son go to school?’ she questioned while speaking at the discussion meeting. Rokeya represented a group of sex workers and their families at the meeting.

Taleya Rahman of Democracywatch, Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, and Nazneen Ahmed of BIDS also spoke at the programme.

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