Transparency International Bangladesh

Anti-Corruption Youth Concert

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), as a part of its ongoing Youth Engagement & Support (YES) activities, has organized the first ever Anti-Corruption Youth Concert in Bangladesh. Eminent personalities of the country, including those from the youth and the music arena have participated in this concert. The concert was held at the Gulshan Youth Club on Friday, 29 December. The event was earlier scheduled on 9 December, but had to be postponed for political uncertainty. Most of the leading artists and musical groups of the country performed in the 8 and a half hours non-stop open-air concert (14:00-22:30 hours), participated at the ground by nearly 30,000 youngsters. The live on-line transmission was featured by more than 7,500 on-line viewers sending impromptu feedbacks - the highest record for any such transmission yet in Bangladesh.

Among those who contributed to organize this concert are Channel-i, Bangla Vision, Radio Today, Radio Foorti, Prothom Alo, Daily Star, SAS and others, including field level anti-corruption organizations. Among the musicians the concert featured Azam Khan, Miles, Renaissance, Feeback, Souls, LRB, Fahmida Nabi, Mehrin, Hydr Hussein, Sahed, Warfaze, Aurthohin, Dalchhut, Artcell, Shironamheen, Meghdal, Face2Face, Shahjahan Munshi, Rab Fakir, Aklima Baul and a Gambhira troupe. Professor Muzaffer Ahmad, Sultana Kamal, Abdullah Abu Sayed, Muhammad Jafar Iqbal and others were present to declare solidarity. The Nobel Prize Winner Prof Muhammad Yunus told the audience that corruption was a huge giant - the biggest impediment to Bangladesh's development. He stressed the importance of collective social movement against the menace with active involvement of the youth. The programme ended enthusiastically with an anti-corruption oath taken by the young participants. It was telecast live and/or covered as main news item by most channels. Print media covered it extensively.