Nahid: Education worthless if graft prevails

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said that education will become valueless regardless of its level if the country fails to build an honest and ethical generation. “We have already said that we [the government] have some mistakes in curbing corruption. But if we cannot build our new generation as an honest and ethical one, no bigger education will work,” Nahid said while attending a human chain against corruption in front of National Press Club on Friday morning. “Whoever gets involved in corruption cannot be spared and must face due punishment,” he continued, reiterating that the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. The event was organised as part of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s countrywide mass awareness building programme against graft. He said that the government had given full support to the activities of the anti-graft watchdog. The countrymen would benefit more from development if corruption could be checked. Praising the ACC's role in combating corruption, Nahid claimed that there was no graft in admission tests in Dhaka's reputed educational institutes this year. The government was mulling adopting a new law to stop corruption in the education sector. The matter would be discussed in the next parliamentary session, he added. ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood termed the banking sector the most corrupt one. “As far as my memory goes, banking, health, passport and land are among the most corrupt sectors with banking topping the list,” he said at the event. Iqbal, however, claimed that the rate of action taken against corruption in 2016 saw a sharp 54% rise, compared to the previous year. The country was incurring a yearly loss of 2-3% in its GDP growth due to corruption, the ACC chief said. Students of different schools alongside people from all walks of life took part in the event. They also took oath against corruption.