State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah Alam has withdrawn his controversial remarks about accepting gifts from contractors and expressed regret over the comments.
However, he described comparisons between his remarks and an attempt to legitimise bribery as politically motivated propaganda.
The clarification was issued on Wednesday (November 11) in a statement signed by Md Borhan Uddin, public relations officer of the ministry.
According to the statement, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), in a press release issued on November 11, described the minister's remarks as an attempt to legitimise bribery under the guise of gifts. The ministry termed the assessment false and misleading.
The ministry said the minister, in his formal address to newly appointed assistant engineers of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), had instructed them to ensure the quality of public development projects and carry out their duties promptly and transparently.
He also urged the engineers to maintain professional standards regardless of personal relationships and ensure that contractors were paid for work in accordance with the required procedures. He further instructed them to strictly follow the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) and the Public Procurement Act (PPA) in government spending and procurement.
The statement claimed that some remarks made during an informal exchange between the minister and the newly appointed engineers had been circulated by different media outlets, overshadowing the main points of his formal address.
It said the remarks had been presented in a way that sought to create controversy around the minister, adding that comparing them with an attempt to legitimise bribery was unwarranted and amounted to political propaganda against the government's anti-corruption stance.
The ministry reiterated that the government was committed to transparency, accountability and a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. It also said there was no scope for anyone holding public office to receive unlawful benefits outside established legal procedures.
According to the clarification, the minister apologised and expressed regret on Wednesday morning over his remarks made the previous day during a workshop at the LGED headquarters attended by municipal administrators, chief executives and engineers.
He also withdrew his informal comments and clarified that no government official was involved in the remarks.
The ministry urged the media and the public not to be misled by the controversy and called for cooperation in preventing corruption. It also sought media support in ensuring transparency and accountability in government activities.