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The High Court on Tuesday (2 June) directed authorities concerned of the government to strictly enforce the relevant provisions for disclosing movable and immoveable properties of government officials serving in civil capacity and their families, and to submit a progress report to this effect before the court in three months.
According to section 13 (1) of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, "Every Government servant shall, at the time of entering Government service, make a declaration to the Government through the usual channel, of all immovable and movable properties, including shares, certificates, securities, insurance policy, and jewellery having a total value of Tk 10,000 or more belonging to, or held by him or a member of his family and such declaration shall -- (a) state the district within which the property is situated, (b) show separately individual items of jewellery exceeding Tk 10,000 in value, and (c) give such further information as the government may, by general or special order, require. (2) Every Government servant shall submit to the government, through usual channel an annual return of assets in the month of December showing any increase or decrease of property as shown in the declaration under sub-rule (1) or, as the case may be, the last annual return."
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadot Hossain passed the order following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Subir Nandi Das seeking its directive on the government to disclose the movable and immovable properties held by government servants serving in civil capacity, and by their family members.
He submitted the petition as a public interest litigation to the HC yesterday, also appealing to the court to direct authorities concerned of the government to adopt guidelines or policies or to enact proper legislation to prevent accumulation of illegal wealth (movable or immovable) through corruption by the public/government servants serving in civil capacity, and their family members.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why their failure and inaction to adopt guidelines or policies or to enact proper legislation to prevent accumulation of illegal wealth (movable or immovable) through corruption by the public/government servants serving in civil capacity, and their family members should not be declared illegal.
The bench fixed October 22 for holding hearing of the rule.
Subir Nandi Das himself moved the petition while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik and AKM Fazlul Hoque appeared for the state and the Anti-Corruption Commission respectively during hearing of the petition.
Messenger/Sumon
