Saifur raps media for creating corrupt image
Staff Correspondent
Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday blamed media reports for making Bangladesh's position as the most corrupt country in Transparency International's (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) that led to the USA's withholding a planned $300 million Millennium Development Goal (MDG) fund."Because of news reports Bangladesh is the most corrupt country in TI's CPI and that's why we did not receive $300 US fund," Saifur told reporters after a meeting at the planning commission yesterday. "We have achieved great strides in development of education and health in this country through the international donors' assistance we received," Saifur said. He put the question, "If we had siphoned off all the money we received, then how come we have achieved such development?" "Look at different developing countries, particularly the African ones, where the multilateral lending bodies failed to trail their money," he said. "On the other hand, Bangladesh has never been a defaulter. Rather, it has proved itself as one of their (donors') best clients," he added. "In spite of all our achievements, negative news in newspapers is tarnishing our image abroad," said Saifur. "It seems that you cannot pass the Ramadan without aubergine and chilli," Saifur said, adding that even the IMF delegation members were surprised at the media attention on aubergine and chilli.
| 
