Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said Bangladesh is ahead of the United States in many cases of transparency and accountability.
"Every candidate has to submit tax or income tax files during any election, whether it is local government, mayoral, or national parliament elections in Bangladesh. However, Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, did not complete his tax or income tax file until today,” said the minister.
"So, we are ahead of the USA in many cases of transparency. And everyone has to submit the file in our country," he said.
The minister was addressing the 'NIMC Media Award' organized by National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) in Dhaka.
Secretary, Coordination and Reform Wing, Cabinet Division Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan addressed the function as special guest with NIMC director general Shahin Islam in the chair.
Joint secretary of the Cabinet Division Ayesha Akther, Attache of the European Union to Bangladesh Fani Farmaki, Platform for Development Project Team leader Arsen Stepanyan, and British Council, Bangladesh country director Tom Miscioscia, among others, addressed as guests of honour.
Hasan said the project has been taken by the cabinet division as the government put emphasis on good governance. They are informing people about how and what benefits they can obtain in government offices because many citizens are unaware of many issues, he added.
He said many common people don't know about the Right to Information Act. Even today, he says, many journalists are unaware of the act.
He said the act was passed in the parliament after Bangabandhu's daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, formed the government in 2009. The Information Commission has been formed under the law, said Hasan, also the Awami League's joint general secretary.
About 1,10,000 applications have been solved till now after forming the Information Commission, he continued.
He said there is no need to steal any pages of files from any office. Many have applied through the Information Commission after not getting information from any government or private office and the commission has settled it. There are numerous examples of this, he added.
The minister said every state on the globe has some secrets that are not exposable, whether it is the USA, the European Union, the UK, or any other country. But there is so much misconception in the country (Bangladesh) that everything has to be 'public', which is not right, he added.
The government, he said, has ensured transparency and accountability. It was a regular event of snatching or fighting in the pages of newspapers 12 to 14 years ago when a tender was placed somewhere, he added.
But, e-tendering has ensured transparency, said Hasan.
He said paper files are also required along with the e-files for preservation.
Ten journalists were awarded in the function. Hasan handed over crests and certificates to the recipients.