Published: 19 February 2024
More than 200 participants of the Anti-Corruption Youth Engagement and Support (YES) Camp in Rangpur vowed to build a prosperous and well-governed Bangladesh by preventing corruption, irregularities, poverty and discrimination.
The YES camp, with the theme "Corruption, Poverty, Injustice: Thoughts of the Youth", was held at Begum Rokeya Auditorium of RDRS, Rangpur on 17-19 February 2024. Members of 12 YES groups, who work under the supervision of the Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC) supported by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), took part in the camp from different districts and upazilas of Rangpur, Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions.
TIB Executive Director (ED) Dr. Iftekharuzzaman was the key speaker at the camp. TIB Civic Engagement Division Director Ferhana Ferdous delivered the welcome speech at the opening session.
Dr. Zaman said institutional and legal frameworks should be activated alongside political will to ensure accountability and build a strong social movement to curb corruption.
He termed youth as the best tool to prevent corruption, and urged them to build resistance against corruption for development of Bangladesh, as corruption is one of the main obstacles to development.
The TIB ED noted that corruption creates inequality, violates women's rights, increases poverty and injustice, and ultimately ruins the dream of a well-governed Bangladesh. As a result of corruption, US$ 12 billion is being siphoned out of the country every year. If the money laundering could have been stopped, the country would not depend on the lending institutions to keep the economy afloat.
After administering the anti-corruption oath to the participants, he answered their various questions about corruption in the country and the role of youth in the anti-corruption movement.
At the beginning of the discussion titled 'Gender Sensitization and Violence against Women: What Young People Should Do', a drama named 'No More silence' was performed by BotTala Theatre. Chief Executive of BotTala Kazi Roksana Ruma, noted actor Moutushi Biswas, Eva Afroz Khan and others also took part in the discussion.
On the concluding day of the camp, a panel discussion titled 'Invincible Youth: Volunteerism, Ethics and Leadership' was held. Ferhana Ferdous, Director of TIB, Abu Sayeed Al Sagar, Co-Founder of BD Assistant Limited, and Kabir Ahmed Akond, Founder of Shishu Swarga Foundation from Tetulia, Panchagarh, spoke as discussants in the session.
