Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former lawmaker Professor Golam Porwar has issued the following statement on 12 April 2020 urging the concerned authority to take stern measures against those people who are involved with misappropriation of rice meant for distribution to the poor across the country.

The government has decided to sell rice at open market at 10 taka per kilogram among 20 million poor people nationwide. The people, who are supposed to implement this program, in some occasions, got involved in misappropriation of rice and other irregularities. Such types of mismanagement and corruption have created resentment among the general masses.

Government, since the onset of the initiative, had warned saying that no corruption and irregularity would be tolerated in the process of supporting the poor to help them survive through the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country. But already news after news is coming which reveals a section of ruling party leaders’ and activist’s involvement in misappropriation of rice. In last 4 days, 95 thousand kilograms of rice have been recovered which had been misappropriated earlier. This is a glimpse of the major and massive corruption which is going on across the nation now. Practically huge amounts of rice are being misappropriated. Such corruption during an outbreak is really painful and regrettable. The quarters which are responsible for rice distribution have miserably failed to discharge their duties. The people, who are doing these irregularities in this critical period, are enemies to the people and they should not be spared.

We think, stern and punitive measures must be taken against the public representatives, officials and staffs who are involved with the misappropriation of rice, irregularities and corruption.

Bangladesh Army is on the field in this crucial period. People have trust and confidence upon them. In order to provide rice to the real affected people, we are urging the concerned authorities to conduct this rice distribution program under the management of the Army.