Dhaka, Jan 29 (V7N) — Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain has stated that large-scale bank looting would not have been possible without support from the highest levels of the government. He emphasized the need to reduce opportunities for corruption through digitalization in various sectors.

He made these remarks on Wednesday afternoon during the inauguration ceremony of the Integrated Online Verification Management system at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing concerns about financial security, Touhid Hossain highlighted past incidents of money laundering from Bangladesh Bank and cases where individuals obtained multiple Machine-Readable Passports (MRPs) through irregularities. He stressed the importance of ensuring the security of the new verification system and asked whether there are alternatives in case of hacking or technical failures.

He also urged Bangladeshi expatriates to uphold the country’s image abroad, noting that if Members of Parliament are jailed in foreign countries for corruption, it severely damages Bangladesh’s reputation.

Meanwhile, the government’s ICT department announced that the Integrated Online Verification Management system will allow citizens to access around 200 different services at once. This initiative has been implemented under the ICT division’s Aspire to Innovate (A2i) program to streamline digital governance and reduce bureaucratic corruption.

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