Measures to stop illicit Finance flow demanded

Staff Correspondent: Twenty one rights based civil society organizations and networks facilitated by EquityBD on Sunday demanded to take specific measures to stop illicit finance flow.

The speakers of the civil society organizations came up with the demand while addressing at press conference, held at national press club in the capital titled, “Stop illicit Finance flow to ensure development investment and revenue mobilization”.

They also said that it is indispensable for our government to enhance development investment and necessary resource mobilization if want to become a middle income country by 2021.

The press conference was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD while position paper was read out by Ahsanul Karim of same organization.

Other speakers of the press conference are Aminur Rasul Babul of Unnayan Dhara Trust, Prodip Kumar Roy of Online Knowledge Society and Md. Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krisak Federation.

On behalf of the group, Md. Ahasanul Karim made eight-point demands, those are included- Any Bangladesh citizen holding duel passport must submit their detail annual information on bank and assets. Punishment should be imposed if tax evasion found. The government have to prepare a white paper and make it public on how many Bangladeshi people have taken “Malaysian Second Home and other citizenship process” through financing transaction from country.

Md. Badrul Alam of Krisak Federation said that enhancing domestic revenue is urgent as we fail to mobilize resource to our national ADP (Annual Development Program) without foreign loan. Mr. Prodip K. Roy said that the Bangladeshi citizen deposited Tk 3,236 core in 2013 that disclosed by Swiss National Bank report which is 62% increased than the year 2012 and demanded to disclose the details for transparency.

Aminur Rasul Babul said that under the "My Second Home" program of Malaysia total about 2370 nos of Bangladeshi citizens have taken this advantage since 2002 to 2013. He mentioned that about BDT10,000 crore has been transferred to Malaysia for flat and plot purchase.

Moderator of the press conference said that, for the sake of our garments workers and migrated labors people, government should stop illicit finance flow and ensure investing these amounts for our poor people and their socio-economic development, because they are earning foreign currencies for us.

The twenty one civil society organizations of this allies included- Arpan, Online Knowledge Society, EquityBD, Udayan-BD, Bangladesh Sramik Federation, DSO, CDP, Krisani Sava, Jatio Sramik Jote, DOKAP, Nature Campaign-BD, Prantojan, BAFLF, Bangladesh Krisak Federation, Bangladesh Bhumihin Somiti and others.

risingbd/ DHAKA/ May 24 ,2015/ Shafiq/ Mahfuz