The corrupt officials are working overtime to harass small and helpless ones by showing them falsely involved in petty corruption cases. The corrupt officials are easily exploiting weak people by denying bail. So punishment begins with their filing an FIR.
The courts take strong view against corruption and are very hard on granting bail. So it is easier for the corrupt officials to blackmail the small fishes for bribe. Let the Chairman examine the files of corruption cases against others to know how baselessly many such cases have been commenced. He will find how blatantly some of his officials are abusing their power.
Now they have also the power to arrest, thus they can now abuse the power of arrest also. verybody wants more power to make the people more helpless.
The Chairman must have read a recent news in the newspapers how Land Ministry officials were vandalised by officers from the ACC for implicating them in false cases.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is reportedly using various traps to arrest dishonest government officials in a bid to curbing corruption in government offices. A senior ACC official has been quoted in a report published by The New Nation on Monday saying that they are also keeping vigilance on big fishes to gather information and fight back corruption. The teams are at work, he said to trap them while taking bribe from people to give them services that they are mandated to give free of cost.
The Chairman knows that big corruptions are not transacted across the table. May we suggest humbly that let him start with Ministers for investigation into corruption but he will not be able to do it. It is no fight against corruption if politically powerful ones remain above and when Anti-Corruption officers are happy chasing and harassing small fishes.
Bangladesh is swept by corruption in all government offices while politically linked big corruption involving powerful people within and outside the government are remaining untouched. So big talks have to be backed by big achievements.
In countries serious about ending corruption the fight against corrupt people starts with the Presidents and Prime Ministers even when there is no allegation of taking bribe directly. In South Korea the President is facing a corruption allegation for the conduct of her close confidant.
We also want to see ACC engaged in finding the budget manipulation of big projects.
The agency’s recent performance included arrest of three land officers in Tangail, Narsingdi and Narayanganj and an officer of Roads and Highways in Dhaka while accepting bribe as the report quoted its Deputy Director (Public Relations) Pranab Bhattachariya said.
Another land officer was arrested on Thursday from Rupganj in the Narayanganj district showing he was receiving Tk 25,000 as bribe from a client. There is a strong speculation that the money was planted by the officials themselves.
The Chairman will also find that forgery and corruption cases are being filed against land developers for falsely obtaining construction plan but RAJUK officials are not shown as accomplices.
Our justice system is found more political in following the political agenda of the government when it should be more concerned to resist abuse of power.
Recent media report said ACC officials are sending three letters on an average in a day to real estate offices asking names and address of buyers of flats and land. We want the Chairman to clean his office to earn confidence of the people to the effect that ACC is not another engine of oppression.
A recent TIB report confirmed many ACC officers are misusing power to make illegal fortune.
The people are seething in anger and this will have consequences.
