UNB, Dhaka :
Speakers at a seminar here on Thursday stressed the need for ensuring good governance and taking a strong political commitment to fight against corruption in the country.
“If a government patronises corruption, it’ll be quite impossible for the ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) to prevent corruption despite declaring a crusade against it. The main preconditions to corruption control are governance and political commitment,” said Prof Syed Dr Anwar Husain of Dhaka University.
The national anti-graft agency arranged the seminar at its conference room.
Prof Anwar said, although the country’s common people are not involved in corruption, they become the worst victims of graft, and suggested taking stern action against graft suspects and ensuring their punishment.
At best 50 lakh, out of the country’s 16 crore, people are involved in corruption while the remaining ones-farmers and workers-are being victims of corruption. Corruption takes place more in capitalist and consumerist societies, he said, adding that graft is on the rise here as capitalism and consumerism are thriving in Bangladesh. Executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said four things-political will, institutional capacity, public involvement and bringing graft suspects to justice-are a must to check corruption. Noting that the abuse of power is also corruption, he said corrupt people are misusing their power and extracting money from common people.
Calling upon the ACC to gear up its corruption prevention activities to make people aware of the adverse impacts of graft, Dr Iftekhar stressed implementing the national integrity strategy, which will help fight corruption. Chief Information Commissioner Prof Dr M Golam Rahman said sometimes policies are formulated for committing corruption. Across the country, including Dhaka, he said, many projects are not being implemented within the stipulated time raising their implementation projects. “This is also corruption.”
ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmood said the Commission has failed to achieve the trust of common people, but it is not possible to fight corruption in the country without their cooperation and strength. “From this year, we’re trying to gain the trust of general people…we need a national consensus,” he added.
The ACC is now taking action against graft suspects, the ACC chief said, adding that the conviction rate in graft cases was only 37 percent in 2016 while it is now about 54 percent.
About loan scams, Mahmood said the ACC filed 54 cases in connection with Basic Bank loan scandal, but it does not submit any charge-sheet in the cases yet.
He said more cases will be filed soon in connection with Basic Bank loan scam. ACC commissioner Dr Md Nasir Uddin and AFM Aminul Islam, secretary Abu M Mustafa Kamal, BNP leader Chowdhury Kamal Inbe Yusuf and cultural personality Sara Jaker, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Former Member Directing Staff (MDS) of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) Md Safi-Ul-Alam presented the keynote paper at the seminar.
Speakers at a seminar here on Thursday stressed the need for ensuring good governance and taking a strong political commitment to fight against corruption in the country.
“If a government patronises corruption, it’ll be quite impossible for the ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) to prevent corruption despite declaring a crusade against it. The main preconditions to corruption control are governance and political commitment,” said Prof Syed Dr Anwar Husain of Dhaka University.
The national anti-graft agency arranged the seminar at its conference room.
Prof Anwar said, although the country’s common people are not involved in corruption, they become the worst victims of graft, and suggested taking stern action against graft suspects and ensuring their punishment.
At best 50 lakh, out of the country’s 16 crore, people are involved in corruption while the remaining ones-farmers and workers-are being victims of corruption. Corruption takes place more in capitalist and consumerist societies, he said, adding that graft is on the rise here as capitalism and consumerism are thriving in Bangladesh. Executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said four things-political will, institutional capacity, public involvement and bringing graft suspects to justice-are a must to check corruption. Noting that the abuse of power is also corruption, he said corrupt people are misusing their power and extracting money from common people.
Calling upon the ACC to gear up its corruption prevention activities to make people aware of the adverse impacts of graft, Dr Iftekhar stressed implementing the national integrity strategy, which will help fight corruption. Chief Information Commissioner Prof Dr M Golam Rahman said sometimes policies are formulated for committing corruption. Across the country, including Dhaka, he said, many projects are not being implemented within the stipulated time raising their implementation projects. “This is also corruption.”
ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmood said the Commission has failed to achieve the trust of common people, but it is not possible to fight corruption in the country without their cooperation and strength. “From this year, we’re trying to gain the trust of general people…we need a national consensus,” he added.
The ACC is now taking action against graft suspects, the ACC chief said, adding that the conviction rate in graft cases was only 37 percent in 2016 while it is now about 54 percent.
About loan scams, Mahmood said the ACC filed 54 cases in connection with Basic Bank loan scandal, but it does not submit any charge-sheet in the cases yet.
He said more cases will be filed soon in connection with Basic Bank loan scam. ACC commissioner Dr Md Nasir Uddin and AFM Aminul Islam, secretary Abu M Mustafa Kamal, BNP leader Chowdhury Kamal Inbe Yusuf and cultural personality Sara Jaker, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Former Member Directing Staff (MDS) of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) Md Safi-Ul-Alam presented the keynote paper at the seminar.
