The workshop titled 'Role of union parishad in preventing corruption' was organised jointly by Nari Uddug Kendra (NUK) and Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum (BUPF) at LGED conference room in the city.

"There is no magic to curb corruption, elected representatives should combat corruption applying their wisdom," said Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh Prof Muzaffer Ahmed.

He said the UP chairmen and members should be courageous enough to resist dishonest move of local lawmakers and public servants for which people have to suffer in the long run.

Prof Muzaffer said elected representatives' acceptability to people and not the government fund at their disposal should be the source of their power.

"Our constitution stipulates that UP elections will be non-political," he said, adding that the provision was made on the ground that unity at the local level would help development at the local level.

Speaking about the strength of unity of the local people, Prof Muzaffer cited an example of Kabirajpur union in Madaripur district where local people have ensured security for all in their villages without any help from the law enforcers.

To solve fund crisis of union parishads, he suggested for help from successful businessmen, well-off persons and Bangladeshi expatriates living abroad.

Prof Zarina Rahman Khan of public administration department at Dhaka University said if UP chairmen and members want to fight corruption, they should first prove that they are free from corruption.

Lamenting about the current state of affairs at union parishads, she said in most of the cases records kept there are either fabricated or false.

BUPF Convener Mahbubur Rahman Tulu moderated the programme where Prof Tofail Ahmed of public administration department at Chittagong University, NUK Executive Director Mashuda Khatun Shefali, and BUPF Member-Secretary Ataharul Islam Bulbul also spoke.