Staff Reporter :
A group of anti-corruption activist, academic and politician on Sunday observed that corruption can be stamped out in the country only if the politicians want it.
Addressing a seminar styled ‘Accountable administration a key to prevent corruption’ organised by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at its office, they also said corruption takes place in collusion between the politicians and the bureaucrats.
Former rector of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) AZM Shafiqul Alam presented the keynote speech in the seminar in which he underscored the need for ensuring accountability in the administration to prevent corruption.
Outlining various types of corruption, the keynote speaker said, “Apart from ensuring accountability in the administration, the accountability of the ACC officials and accountability of democratic institution should be ensured.”
He also alleged that large-scale corruption takes place at the behest of political patronisation or at the behest of the top policymakers and political parties’ deviation from ideology. These are the primary reasons of behind the political corruption.
Speaking as the chief guest, former advisor of a caretaker government professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury said, “Corruption can never be stopped if we can’t break unholy nexus between the politicians and the bureaucrats.”
He also asked ACC officials to take stringent actions against the corrupt people.
Another former advisor of a caretaker government M Hafiz Uddin Khan said there should be a transparent policy regarding recruitment, training, transfer, posting and promotion in the public service to ensure accountability in the administration.
Citizens’ for Good Governance secretary Badiul Alam Majumder was of the opinion that ACC should give priority to controlling electoral corruption.
“The wealth of many politicians swells once they are elected,” said Badiul Alam adding, “ACC will be deemed to be a dysfunctional organisation if it fails to take actions against large-scale corruption.”
While presiding over the seminar, ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud said corruption can never take place without an unholy nexus. “There is no easy way to stop corruption by bureaucracy without bringing necessary reforms in the administration.”
The anti-corruption watchdog chief said all types of corruption are not included in the scheduled crime of the ACC and that’s why they cannot take action in all cases of corruption.
