Editorial
Unfettering the ACC
Proof will be in deeds
The provision that required Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to seek prior permission from the government before instituting corruption cases against its functionaries has been withdrawn. We congratulate the government that at long last good sense has prevailed and that it has taken a step in the right direction to stave off corruption.
It is worthwhile to recall that in February last year, the government had proposed some amendments to the ACC Act, 2004, which if carried out would weaken the anti-graft body.
While appreciating the government move, we would like to see that what is incorporated legally, does not remain purely on paper. Instead, the ACC should be allowed to exercise its given latitude in practice.
Whether the government accept it or not, the fact remains that corruption has reached horrific proportions at every level of society and administration. Neither government servants, nor the public representatives are immune from its ever-spreading tentacles.
The report of the Transparency of International, Bangladesh (TI, B) at the end of 2011 corroborates this view. It shows that the perceived level of public sector corruption had hardly shown an improvement over the level of the previous year (2010).
Although the government vociferously express its commitment to zero-tolerance of corruption, judging by the ground realities, it does not seem that it is all that serious about combating corruption. This we are constrained to say, as instances of actions taken against defaulting high government officials are few and far between. The only exception appears to be the opposition, whose leaders have often been made to face corruption charges.
Overall, if we are to fight graft effectively, then a congenial environment and the culture of non-interference would have to be fostered by the government.
So to prove the courage of its conviction, the government will have to take the bull of corruption by the horns with all seriousness. Unless this is done, the gains made by the government will be undercut.
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