Photo : Collected
After the fall of the Awami League government due to widespread protests by students and the general public, the work of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has suddenly increased. Major corruption cases that had been dormant for years are now being reactivated. The commission is approving cases after reviewing the investigation reports.
In the last 16 years, cases against major corruptors have been far from investigated; if the government did not want it, the investigation could not have been started. In some cases, even after the investigation, clear evidence of corruption was found, but the complaints were forced to be settled. Especially in the intelligence unit of the ACC, hundreds of sensational corruption files are buried.
According to officials, due to the displeasure of the government, media trials have sometimes been conducted against certain individuals in the name of investigation. When the media attention ceased, the work of the ACC also stopped. Party governments have never allowed the ACC to function independently. This is the opportunity to make the ACC an independent institution.
According to ACC sources, many of those under investigation have received 'clean chits' or immunity by settling corruption charges. Several influential people have been acquitted two or three times. But after the reshuffle, the corruption files are again active against many of them.
If the ACC is not reorganised, ACC officials believe these activities will not be seen through to the end. The commission has effectively tied the hands and feet of its commentators. As a result, very few investigations against influencers have seen the light of day. Most of the major corruption allegations have been settled due to political and unethical influence.
A senior official of the ACC, who did not wish to be named, told The Daily Messenger that the ACC is being overhauled very soon. The commission is also preparing to resign. They are just waiting for the instructions of the interim government. In the meantime, a Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice demanding the resignation of the chairman. An effective anti-corruption campaign will begin only after the ACC has been overhauled.
He further said that plans have also been made to bring back money smuggled abroad through legal processes. In this case, the list of ministers, MPs, bureaucrats, and government officials who have been 'exonerated' by settling complaints is also being compiled.
When asked about the sudden increase in the speed of work, ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmin said, “It is not accurate to say that the speed of work has increased suddenly. Investigation of the ACC cases is an ongoing process. It’s routine work. The ACC was never 'inactive.'”
It is learned that in the last few days, the commission has allowed cases after considering the recommendations of several investigation reports that had been pending for years. The ACC filed a case against former Director General Shudhanshu Shekhar Bhadra, who was discussed last Wednesday. This official had given a mobile banking company cash handling facilities in the name of the postal department. Along with this, the investigation into various corruption cases of the postal department had been buried for a long time.
The previous day, the agency decided to investigate the corruption and illegal assets of former Prime Minister's DPS Ashraful Alam Khokon. After investigating the corruption of Wasa MD Taqsim A Khan, the inquiry officer submitted the report last year. The commission sent back the file with 'queries' without considering that report. The file was buried under the name of the query.
When whispers started about the changed situation, the investigation officer Syed Nazrul Islam brought the issue to the fore by requesting a ban on Taqsim A Khan's foreign travel on Tuesday. Even though the media discussed such significant corrupt cases, the investigation was kept under wraps. Now it is gaining momentum.
In this context, Iftekharuzzaman, the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), told The Daily Messenger, “It is necessary to reorganise the ACC to make it a virtually independent institution. Allegations of corruption against these individuals are not new. Decision-making powers in the management of the ACC have been in their hands for several years. So why was the decision to investigate their corruption not made earlier?”
“From this, it can be understood that the ACC has worked under the authority of the government. At times, the organisation has been overzealous against some individuals disaffected by the government. In the changed circumstances, they are now starting investigations against a large number of ex-ministers and MPs,” he added.
Messenger/Fameema
