Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the concerned authorities to take into consideration how much the country's economy will be boosted and how much the locals will benefit if the development project is accepted.

She said, we should first think what will be the result and how much people will benefit after taking up a project by investing huge amount of money. The development of the country should be done in such a way that we increase our capacity and reduce our dependence on others.

The Prime Minister said this while observing the presentation regarding the outline of the activities of the Roads and Highways Directorate in the construction of Smart Bangladesh-2041 at the government residence Ganabhaban on Tuesday (May 7) morning.

After witnessing the outline, the Prime Minister gave necessary directions and asked all concerned to give priority to avoid unnecessary expenditure and speedy completion of the projects.

The Prime Minister said that you have to consider how much the country will develop and how much the people will benefit while taking the project. She said that some infrastructural development has been done quickly and the people of the country are getting the benefits.

The head of government said, they are running the state with one goal. She said that after coming to power in 1996, her government's first priority was to ensure food and nutrition security for the people.

She further said that we have successfully ensured food security by increasing food production through research.

Sheikh Hasina said her government had announced Vision 2021 and successfully implemented it by gaining recognition from developing countries. She said, now our aim is to transform Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and smart country by 2041. We are working to implement that vision.

At this time Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Prinipal Secretary to the Prime Minister Tofazzal Hossain Mia were present. 

# To take the tender, the bribe payment slip has to be submitted to the bank

# Withdrawal of money without working on Haor project

# Construction of houses in Jamalpur with money from contractors

# Abuse, death threats to staff and contractors

Muhammad Mashiur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Public Health Engineering Directorate of Netrakona district. This government office is located in the neighboring Netrakona district. There are allegations against him starting from tender control.

He is also accused of misbehaving with office staff and contractors and threatening to kill them, including embezzling money without working, accepting bribes through banks by promising to get tenders. Along with this, allegations have also been raised that they are building houses in Jamalpur by taking money from contractors. However, Executive Engineer Moshiur Rahman denied these allegations. He claims that someone is plotting against him.

According to the source of the complaint of a complainant, he took Tk. 3 lakh as a bribe through Sonali Bank account of BUET branch for getting tender for repair work of 30 wash blocks in Madan and Khaliajuri upazilas of Netrakona. If he did not work with the money, he attacked him when he asked for the money back. When complaining to the Chief Engineer, Mashiur proudly said, "Do whatever you want, those Chief Engineers can't do anything to me."

He is also accused of building houses in Jamalpur by taking money from contractors including collecting bills for installation of 50 tube wells of Haor project in Kalmakanda and abusing the staff and contractors in inaudible language and threatening to kill them for various reasons.

When asked about the complaint, Netrakona Public Health Executive Engineer Moshiur Rahman told Barta24.com that this complaint is false. I don't even know the person who made the complaint.

The receipt of the money given to your account through the bank is attached in the charge sheet, if you do not know him, then why did a stranger give so much money to your account, he said, this money was deposited by my staff. There is a signature there, that of my accountant. If the contractor had submitted, he would have signed. My accountant's signature was gone.

In response to the question that if your account assistant or your office staff deposited the money, then how the receipt of that money went into the hands of someone else, Moshiur said, "I don't know that." This is my question too because I have that slip too.

In the complaint written by the contractor Haji Abdul Wahab to the Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, "Complaint regarding Executive Engineer Moshiur Rahman's non-payment of cash (proof attached)", it is said, "This is my submission to you that I am a 3rd-tier contractor in Netrakona district. I participated in small and medium quality work in various government departments including Public Health Engineering Directorate. When talking about the work to Mr. Moshiur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Directorate of Public Health and Engineering, Netrakona, he showed the estimate of 30 wash block repair works in Madan and Khaliajuri upazilas and said, I will give you this work, you prepare, how will you work in the E-GP system. He said I will do the quotation by manual tender. if you want to do the work I have to pay Tk. 3 lakhs, he gave me an account number 4404034166124 of Sonali Bank, BUET branch. Ask him to give the original slip by sending money to that address. As promised, I went to Sonali Bank Netrakona branch on April 3 and deposited the money and submitted the original slip to him and asked him to issue a work order.

In the complaint, Haji Abdul Wahab also wrote, "He (Mashiur) asked to meet on 8th." When I went to him on the 8th, he said that now there is a little problem and he is late for a couple of months. When I asked for my hard earned money back, they attacked me and told me to do whatever they want; those Chief Engineers can't do anything for me. Immediately called the Chief Engineer sir, he hung up. When I spoke to Shafiq Bhai, the contractor, he asked me to file a complaint with the secretary. Shafiq Bhai also said that he has done many irregularities in the Haor project, his close friend is the Engineer of Kalmakanda Upazila and in the same area, he collected the bill without doing the work of installing 50 tube wells of the Haor project in Kalmakanda, I also learned that he is building houses in Jamalpur by taking money from the contractors. He was very ill-tempered, verbally abused office staff and contractors and threatened to kill me, I heard.'

He also said in the complaint, "Netrakona Public Health Engineer Moshiur of Buet was the leader of the Chhatra Dal. Complaining to the office doesn't do anything, so I am forced to appeal to you. I have attached the photocopy of the bank slip of depositing three lakh taka to his own account number as proof. I am making an urgent request to investigate the matter and take necessary measures.

When asked about the complaints, Superintending Engineer of Mymensingh Circle of Public Health Engineering Directorate Md. Abdul Awal told Barta24.com, "I do not know about these complaints. I have not received any complaints. I will look into the matter if there is a complaint.

But I don't think that's the case, he said. Aren't there many evil people? I heard about the bank slip. But that does not mean that he took this money from there. Those who take bribes, I think they don't take bribes through banks. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on the IOM to raise more funds for Rohingya relief in Bangladesh from new sources.

She said that as funding to support displaced Rohingya from Myanmar has dwindled, IOM should find new partners to raise more funds.

The Prime Minister said this when International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General (DG) Amy Pope paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister's official residence, Ganabhaban, on Tuesday morning (May 7).

At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister's speech writer Nazrul Islam briefing reporters at Sheikh Hasina's official residence Ganabhaban said the Prime Minister has also asked IOM to help relocate Rohingyas in Bhasanchar because, housing system with all facilities including education, healthcare services and employment has been created for one lakh Rohingyas. So far 30-35 thousand Rohingya have been shifted to Bhasanchar.

In the meeting, the IOM Director General visited the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar and raised the security issue of the Rohingya camp to the Prime Minister.

Sheikh Hasina said that her government has appointed sufficient number of security personnel to ensure their safe stay and security in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar.

The Prime Minister said the Rohingyas are divided into various groups and sub-groups and are engaged in internal conflicts. She said that as the Rohingyas are more in number, the local people have now become a minority in their area.

Amy Pope emphasized on providing proper training in language and culture to the immigrants to enhance their skills according to the needs of the host country. In response, the Prime Minister said that her government has given top priority to providing proper training in profession and language to understand someone from another country.

She also said that they have set up 112 technical training centers across the country to provide training to create a skilled population.

The Prime Minister said that migration is a natural process. She opines, however, that if poverty is reduced, the number of emigration will decrease significantly.

The Prime Minister said her government has taken various programs for the migrants, including collateral-free loans. Sheikh Hasina said that both host and source countries have to protect the interests of migrants, as they are working for the socio-economic progress of both countries.

She said, people have also migrated internally due to climate change. The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to the harmful effects of climate change and people are being displaced internally due to river erosion, floods and cyclones.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has given homes to more than 4,000 climate refugees in Khurushkul, Cox's Bazar.

She said her government was building climate resilient houses and floating houses for flood-prone areas and provided free houses to the homeless.

At this time, the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister Tofazzal Hossain Mia and Secretary of Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Ruhul Amin were present. 

Debapriya Bhattacharya, honorary fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said that something is wrong in Bangladesh Bank that is why the central bank has barred journalists from entering.

Criticizing the central bank, he said that some are getting information and some are not. Businessmen are getting information while journalists are not. If information is given to traders, the market is affected and prices rise.

Debapriya Bhattacharya said these things at the Moazzem Hossain memorial lecture organized by the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) at the organization's office in Nayapaltan of the capital on Tuesday (May 7).

He said, Bangladesh Bank is a place of people's expectations, a big pillar of information. Prior to the release of BBS data, economists, analysts and policy makers relied on central bank data on financial indicators including exports and imports. Now why the information has been compromised, it will damage the reputation of Bangladesh Bank.

Regarding Bangladesh Bank, Debapriya Bhattacharya also said that it is a state institution. But journalists are not allowed to enter there. His question, if the information is published will it be a major sabotage? Are financial journalists saboteurs?

Addressing the journalists, Debapriya said, you are important people; you are being honored through the fact that the central bank has taken control of the data.

Debapriya Bhattacharya complained that the public representatives are also not being given information. He said, they are also not entitled to get information. Their grief is no less than journalists. As people's representatives have weaknesses, they cannot speak loudly in front of bureaucrats.

Shamsul Haque Zahid, editor of English daily Financial Express, was the special guest at the event. Moderated by ERF Secretary Abul Kashem, it was chaired by organization president Refayetullah Mridha.