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Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior leader Abdul Moyeen Khan on Saturday said that no reform would succeed, nor will it help the country develop, unless corruption is eliminated from society.

‘We must free our society of corruption. If we fail to do this, we will never be able to make Bangladesh a developed country. No matter how many reforms we bring, as long as we don’t remove corruption from society, nothing will work,’ he said.

Moyeen, a BNP Standing Committee member, made the remarks while speaking at a discussion organised by the Nationalist Bank-Insurance Professionals Parishad at the Jatiya Press Club.

He praised the late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman as a man of integrity, honesty, and ideals.

Moyeen recalled that Zia once said politics would have no meaning in people’s lives unless it plays a role in improving their livelihoods. ‘If the poor of this country do not see an improvement in their fortune, if their economic conditions do not get better, and if they cannot build a better life, then such politics is meaningless.’

He said a healthy political environment and accountable governance are essential for Bangladesh’s progress. ‘Development is only sustainable when there is active participation from the people. Without it, no development can last,’ he observed.

Moyeen accused the Awami League of depleting Bangladesh’s economy over the last 16 years through widespread corruption and plundering.

He cited a recent report by a well-known British newspaper that revealed $234 billion was illegally taken out of Bangladesh over the past one and a half decades. ‘This is not a small amount. This $234 billion is equivalent to the country’s five-year budget.’

‘If I tell someone that $234 billion was smuggled out of the country over the past 15 years, they may not understand. But let me put it in a way they can relate to — this money is enough to build 100 Padma Bridges. This is not the money of the rich and powerful. It belongs to the poor, hard-working people of Bangladesh,’ the BNP leader said.

He also said the wealthy class has benefited most from corruption, making life unbearable for the common people while a specific section continues to grow richer.

Moyeen said democracy is not the ultimate goal, but what matters is what the nation wants to achieve through it. ‘Democracy is the mechanism that allows us to create a society where all people, regardless of religion, caste, or creed, can live peacefully.’