'Gifts not bribes': Bangladesh minister sparks corruption row
A Bangladesh minister has triggered widespread outrage after telling engineers that accepting gifts from contractors out of project profits does not constitute taking a bribe.
Bangladesh's State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has sparked controversy after claiming engineers can legally accept gifts from contractors. Speaking at a training workshop for newly appointed Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) engineers, the minister argued that gifts funded from contractor profits do not count as bribes.
The remarks drew immediate criticism from anti-corruption watchdogs, who warned the statement effectively legitimises bribery in public works. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman told BBC Bangla the minister must withdraw his comments, stressing they create clear conflicts of interest.
Under Bangladeshi law, public servants are strictly barred from accepting gifts from entities they oversee. Allegations of kickbacks and substandard construction have long plagued LGED projects, prompting frequent Anti-Corruption Commission inquiries into illicit dealings.
Source: BBC Bangla
