Proposed amendments to weaken ACC

Speakers tell roundtable

26 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act bear testimony to the fact that the government does not have trust in an independent watchdog monitoring its activities, speakers at a roundtable said yesterday. “Those who are in the administration don't want an independent watchdog to monitor their activities. So, they often create obstacles to anti-corruption drives,” said ACC Chairman Ghulam Rahman. “Our government is lost in a maze of disbelief and suffers from lack of trust while some aggrieved persons who have suffered a lot for corruption during the immediate past caretaker government are making confusing and misleading statements about the anti-graft body and its rules,” he added. Ghulam Rahman made the observation at the roundtable on 'Independent, strong and effective corruption control process' organised by the daily Prothom Alo at its office in the city. The ACC boss explained that the ACC, like any other government institutions, is accountable for its actions and the judiciary is there to determine whether what ACC is doing is right or wrong. He said that if the ACC Act is amended, the government officials would be subject to undue pressure from their bosses, leading to more corruption in the country. Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said it is evident from the proposed provisions, especially the one which requires the ACC to take permission from the government prior to filing cases against the government officials, that the administration never wants to make the ACC independent. Speaking at the roundtable, Prof Muzaffer Ahmad raised question about the need to include such a provision, saying that this proposal is also inconsistent with the law. Other speakers also opposed the provision of making the ACC accountable to the president. They also suggested forming an all-party parliamentary committee or a supreme judicial council to ensure accountability of the ACC. They proposed strengthening the capacity of ACC, ensuring effective judiciary, decentralising power, raising public awareness and ensuring accountability of the ACC staffs to effectively combat corruption. ACC chief counsel Anisul Huq, TIB Trustee Board Chairman M Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to the caretaker government Syed Manjur Elahi, Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, human rights activist Sultana Kamal, Director of the Institute of Governance Studies (IGS) of Brac University Manzoor Hasan, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on public estimate HN Ashikur Rahman, and Editor of the Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman also spoke.