Study circle Reports Released
TIB and Madhupur CCC have jointly organized a meeting for launching reports on study circle discussions on Transparency and Accountability in Primary Education and Primary Health Service. The meeting was held on 11 December at Rani Bhabani Pilot High school premises of Madhupur in Tangail followed by an anti-corruption procession.
Presided over by the local CCC Convener Professor Md. Golam Samdani, Chairman of TIB Professor Khan Sarwar Murshid was present as chief guest at the meeting. In his speech, TIB Chairman said that corruption is the main obstacle to development. He further added that curbing corruption should be given the first priority if the image of the country is to be salvaged. He urged to make a coordinated effort to fight corruption.
Resident Director of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Dr. Owen Lippert and Principal Sekander Hiat were present as special guests. Besides, Abdul Momen Program Coordinator of NDI, Ekram Hossain, Program Officer of TIB, local politicians Bappu Siddiqui and Nurul Islam Raj. Samapika Halder Program Associate of TIB among others spoke on the occasion.
December 9th, henceforth International Anti-Corruption Day
The UN Convention against Corruption, was signed on 9 December in Merida, Mexico, is a milestone for global efforts to combat graft, says Transparency International. The Convention's signing ceremony on December 9th, recently designated International Anti-Corruption Day by the UN General Assembly, is the result of a three-year effort by 129 countries to take global action against corruption.
"The Convention will provide a comprehensive set of standards and measures to promote international co-operation and domestic efforts in the fight to prevent corruption," said Peter Eigen, Chairman of Transparency International, was speaking in Merida on 8th December. "The Convention addresses glaring inadequacies in two of the most critical tools for combating international corruption: mutual legal assistance and repatriation of funds sent abroad by corrupt officials," Eigen said.
Over the three years of negotiations, the UN Convention was watered down in other ways: an important article which required state parties to make the funding of political parties transparent and accountable was replaced by a weak optional provision. A provision calling on states to criminalize bribery in the private sector was made non-mandatory. Still, the inclusion of private sector corruption in the text at least made clear that corporate corruption is of major concern globally.
TI welcomes the inclusion in the UN General Assembly resolution to adopt the Convention, of a decision to designate December 9th as the annual International Anti-Corruption Day.
People's Theatre
Two performances of the people's theatre play 'Asiraner Bangladesh' were staged on 9 December at Kali Bazar and at Satrsia Bazar of Mymensingh. An audience of around seven hundred spectators enjoyed the show.
'Relief' was staged in two separate locations on 10 December at Kakarkandi bazar and Adaiani bazar of Nalitabari. Staged by the Nalitabari People's Theatre Group of TIB, this play depicted the irregularities, mismanagement and corruption in relief distribution in the country. Around six hundred spectators enjoyed these two shows.
