Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, said on Tuesday that a white paper on corruption in the ICT sector will be published within the next two months.
“The interim government has decided to form a high-level committee with domestic and foreign ICT experts to investigate corruption in the ICT sector, which was a priority during the Awami League government,” Shafiqul said during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road in the capital.
He said: “In the last few days, many corruption stories surrounding ICT and digitalization have been reported in the media. Dr Yunus wants a white paper on corruption in the ICT sector. A high-level committee to prepare this white paper will include world-renowned people who have worked in ICT.
“Their main task will be to find out the type of irregularities and corruption that took place in the name of Digital Bangladesh, how they did it and how much money has been laundered from here. Additionally, they will examine the specific sectors from where funds were laundered and assess the overall extent of financial misconduct.”
At present, bringing Sheikh Hasina back from India to face trial is one of the government's main goals, he added.
Shafiqul further said: “The report of the UN Human Rights Commission a few days ago clearly shows what kind of crime Sheikh Hasina committed. She has been accused of crimes against humanity. It is a major crime. A lot of pressure has been created after the reports of the UN and some human rights commissions.
"An example of this pressure is a survey conducted by India Today, which found that 55% of respondents support sending Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh. A portion of respondents prefer she be sent to another country, while only 16-17% want her to remain in India."
He continued: “After the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), there has been tremendous pressure. The people of India also do not want Sheikh Hasina to stay in India.”
When asked what the government's thoughts are on the participation of the Awami League in the next election, Shafiqul Alam said: "We have repeatedly said that the people of the country will decide on this issue. However, we have one thing in common: those leaders, activists and supporters of the Awami League who were involved in the July massacre, those involved in disappearances and murders, and those involved in corruption, they will all be tried. After this happens, the people of the country and political parties will decide what they think about the Awami League."
Referring to the chief adviser’s recent visit to Dubai, Shafiqul said: "Bangladeshi workers are currently banned in Dubai. Yunus has spoken with five to six ministers there regarding this issue. We hope the ban will be lifted soon, allowing Bangladeshi workers to return. The government is actively working on resolving this matter."
He expressed hope that the UAE's visa ban will be lifted very soon.
He said relations with the UAE has reached a low point, and the government has initiated comprehensive talks to improve these ties.
He mentioned that Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy on international affairs to the chief adviser, has been entrusted with the responsibility of strengthening relations with UAE.
Shafiqul also noted that improved relations with the country would lead to increased investment.
Regarding the state of journalism in the country, he said the freedom journalists are experiencing now has not been seen since independence.
