Official involved in pillow scam ex-JCD member: Hasina

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Bangla Tribune Desk
Published : 20:56, Jun 17, 2019 | Updated : 21:00, Jun 17, 2019


Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina speaks at parliament on Monday, Jun 17, 2019. FOCUS BANGLAThe official responsible for the "pillow scam" in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was a former leader of BNP’s student affiliate Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Leader of the House, on behalf of the housing and public works minister, was responding to cut motions brought by lawmakers from the opposition bench members on the supplementary budget of FY 2018-2019 on Monday, reports BSS.
The premier also stressed the need for taking stern actions against the corrupt organizations.
“Taking actions against the organizations involved in a graft is a must. But any person joins a government job, he or she cannot be removed easily — it is a problem,” she said.
Despite that, she added, the Anti-Corruption Commission can now work independently as the government has strengthened the commission in that way.
About the pillow scam in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the prime minister said she came to know the identity of the person who was tasked with the project.
“The person was elected vice president of Buet students union from Chhatra Dal, and was removed from the post at the nuclear power plant (after the scandal),” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said some people still exist who are involved in corruption since their birth, and there are reasons for it.
The prime minister said the BNP was founded by military dictator Ziaur Rahman who grabbed power violating constitution.
“Zia toppled the then-president Justice ASM Sayem, when the culture of corruption started,” she said.
The Leader of the House said that it was Ziaur Rahman who declared that he will “make politics difficult for all” and “money is no problem”.
The prime minister posed questions on the issue of pillow scam: "From where have so many people bought such a huge number of pillows? Who has provided such a huge amount of money?
“However, we are taking action against the people responsible for it, irrespective of party affiliation,” she said.
Responding to a demand of plot of land by a Jatiya Party MP, the prime minister shared her own example of not taking a single plot despite being elected lawmaker seven times.
“But I did not take a single plot so far,” she said.
“My party bought a bulletproof jeep for me and I escaped death because of it during the August 21 grenade attack in 2014,” she added.
The prime minister said the government is taking actions against irregularities regarding construction of buildings and other establishments across the country including the capital.

/zmi/
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