Corrupt politicians, civil servants, magnates--none will be spared
Says army chief; rules out 'existence' of martial law
Unb, Borguna
Army chief Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said the armed forces are assisting the government in its crusade against corruption that has eaten up the vitals of the nation.Addressing a cross section of people at Borguna Circuit House, he made it clear that the civil government is ruling the country. "No martial law exists. The president has declared emergency under a compelling situation." "The armed forces are only assisting the civil administration...we all in the civil administration and the army is carrying out our respective responsibility," he added. About corruption that had bedeviled the nation, the army chief said, "Corruption had engulfed every sphere of life. This cannot be allowed to continue. Number of corrupt elements is not many but 95 percent of the country's population suffered from the pangs caused by corruption." Lashing at dishonest politicians without naming anyone Gen Moeen said, "It is not possible to count by calculator the enormous wealth they have accumulated. Their irresistible lust for wealth led them to gobble up the CI sheets allotted by the government for distribution as relief among the poor." "Corrupt whoever he is- politician, business magnet or bureaucrat - will not be spared," the general assured his audience. "List of corrupt elements has been prepared and the process will continue in future." He said the present caretaker government has already taken certain significant steps. The judiciary has been separated from the executive. Election Commission has been reformed. Drive against adulteration, hoarding and land grabbing continued. More steps for people's welfare will be taken in phases. "All of us have to work with a zeal of patriotism. We have to identify our problems and find ways to resolve those ourselves, not on alien prescriptions, to turn the country into a sonar Bangla." He added, "We were victorious in 1971. We have faced cyclones and tidal bores with courage and fortitude. We will be able to resolve the problems with our united efforts." Later, General Moeen distributed house allotment letters of the rehabilitation project among 80 people affected by the demolition of slums in the town. He also met army personnel deployed here. They apprised him of the situation prevailing in the district.
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