Report in a national daily on Wednesday said the ACC roars fades away as corruption cases pile up against alleged small corruptions. The item appeared on International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday to mainly highlight the failure of anti-graft agency but feared as usual Bengali educated one’s way to speak the truth.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has easily characterized the ACC status with a toothless tiger. But said nothing to provide strong teeth to the ACC. It has identified the primary factor for lacking progress is a dividing line beyond which ACC is incapable or fearful of going based on the identity and status of the individuals concerned. It also blamed high level collusive corruption. We do not have a well-reputed research body like Transparency International to know how expensive the corruption is.
We want to tell the government to make a truely independent ACC and not a lame duck. But nobody is prepared to do so. Bangladeshi is a country where lies only freedom of corruption. The government is zealously protecting this freedom.
What should be permissible is that their corruption investigation shall go on without publicity and if found substantiated then prime minister’s sanction will be required. Now it is being interpreted that no investigation must begin by the ACC. The biggest corruptions are committed by the people in power. Their cases cannot be taken up when they are in power. After they had lost power and if the corruption cases were started, then it is termed politically motivated and the cases are false. The big corruptions are committed collectively under the protection of the prime minister and the law.
Police recommended indictments against Netanyahu, and on 21 November 2019, Netanyahu was officially indicted for breach of trust, accepting bribes and fraud. As a result of the indictment, Netanyahu is legally required to relinquish his ministry portfolios other than prime minister. There was pressure on him to resign. He could continue in power for anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim strong position he enjoys as commander of American power base in Middle East.
So what is the justification in Bangladesh for maintaining the Anti-Corruption Commission if it is powerless against government corruption? The military backed caretaker government in 2007 and 2008 made ACC fully independent. But was not acceptable after the change. Our country has become a well-protected corruption country. Public money need to be spent on public services. It is for the government, for the use of the government.
The ACC is maintaining a pathetic and useless existence. To the officials government facilities are much more important than fighting their duty to combat corruption. There is harassment for alleged corruption but no real fight against corruption is in existence.
