‘Help build corruption-free society’

Anti-corruption Debate Contest Ends
‘Help build corruption-free society’
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Chairman M Hafizuddin Khan yesterday called on the students to be imbued with the spirit of fighting corruption to build a corruption-free society.
“You will say no to corruption, fight it and stamp out the menace so that there would be no need for Transparency International Bangladesh or Anti-Corruption Commission in the country,” he said as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of a debate competition.
TIB and Bangladesh Debate Federation (BDF) jointly organised the two-day anti-corruption debate competition and training for school students at Willes Little Flower School and College auditorium in the city. The debate competition was held in parliamentary style.
Hafizuddin, also a former adviser to the caretaker government, said the debate competition helps students learn how to present their arguments logically and how to react to disagreements with logic.
Such logical arguments are absent in the speeches of parliament members, he said. “Sometimes I feel embarrassed hearing the speeches in parliament,” he said, adding that “You will not be such parliament members.”
Referring to China’s victory in the South Asian Games, Hafizuddin attributed the success to competent leadership and said that our country lacks such efficient leadership.
He urged the young generation to prepare themselves to move the country forward and brighten the image of the country.
BDF President Abdun Noor Tushar said the fight against corruption is an ongoing process. “We need to inculcate a sense of morality in students to remove all sorts of greed and corruption from society.”
Terming debate a tool to achieve such a goal, he said, “It is possible to rid the country of corruption within 25 years if we start our work to this end from today.”
Some 270 students of class 8, 9 and 10 from 36 schools across the country participated in the training and competition on the topic of ‘Corruption and good governance’.
Best 10 debaters took part in the final round of the debate on the topic ‘Would the proposed education policy ensure proper education?’.
Souvik Kunda of St Gregory’s High School became the champion and the best debater of the competition while Nafis Ferdous Sakib of Motijheel Govt High School became the first runner-up and Shagufta Binte Jaki of Manarat Dhaka International College the second runner-up.
Hafizuddin Khan distributed prizes among the winners. TIB Director SM Rezwan-ul-Alam and Principal of Willes Little Flower School and College Lt Col Mohammad Mainul Islam Chowdhury also spoke.
The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and Baishakhi Television were the media partners of the event.

Courtesy of The Daily Star