Finance Minister, AHM Mustafa Kamal has urged bankers not to take bribes for the sake of happiness in the temporal worldhas citing verses from the Quran, and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Reminding the bank officials, he said there is an afterlife and all misdeeds, like taking bribes, will have severe consequences on the Day of Judgment.
“Those who take bribes and give bribes will go to hell,” Mustafa told the annual business conference of Sonali Bank Ltd, quoting a saying (Hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (sm).
“Do you take bribes?” he wanted to know from the audience of Sonali Bank employees and officials, at the Institution of Diploma Engineers’ Bangladesh on Monday (Mar 25).
“Can I trust you?” questioned the finance minister.
He said he believed the bankers at Sonali Bank were as honest as he was.
The finance minister reiterated that earthly life is temporary, so no one should resort to malpractices like taking bribes and disobeying their parents, for the sake of a good eternal life in the hereafter.
Pointing to the economic success of the incumbent government, the finance minister said the gross domestic product growth of the country will hit a double digit trajectory in four years.
Bangladesh Bank Governor, Fazle Kabir, urged the bankers to develop corporate governance, as the problems lie largely in core governance issues.
He said the provision shortfall of Sonali Bank is huge, while its default loan is increasing.
“90 percent of the default loans of Sonali are bad loans. You got to improve the situation,” the governor advised.