Chairman of Anti Corruption Commission M Bodiuzzaman on Monday said the speed of activities of the commission has been going downwards after the amendment of the ACC law. He made the comment while talking to reporters after attending a human chain programme in front of the commission.
The ACC boss however said that they are trying to maintain continuity of the work of the commission.
Meanwhile addressing a discussion meeting at Shilpakala Academy, the ACC chief said the prime minister assured the commission that the controversial provision would be dissolved from the ACC in next Parliament.
The parliament on November 10 passed the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Act 2013 by curtailing the power of commission to prosecute any public servant on graft charges without government approval.
The ACC organised the discussion and human chain programmes in observance of the International Corruption Resistance Day 2013.
The anti-corruption watchdog chief said they would take initiative to bring further amendment to the ACC law in future.
He said there are some good aspects of the law and the commission would try to use those to go forward.
Commissioner Md Shahabuddin Chuppu said the amended ACC law resisted the flow of the commission’s activities.
He said the reduction of corruption indicators in Bangladesh is significant in the progress of anti-corruption activities.
Earlier, a rally led by ACC secretary Md Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury paraded different roads including Matshay Bhaban, and National Press Club.
Member of Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) also took part in the programme.
In the discussion meeting, the ACC chairman said that the government is yet to clarify as to how ‘government’, would give approval to the commission findings.
‘We hope that before the clarification of the approval authority the government dropped the clause from the amended law,” he hoped.
He asked to his officials to run their inquiry and investigation tasks cordially before the stage of charge sheet approval.
Commissioner M Shahabuddin said by adopting a discriminatory law, Bangladesh has deviated from the conditions of United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
“None of the countries that ratified the convention can adopt any discriminatory law but Bangladesh has deviated from its position by initiating the recently passed law,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said they would not go to court in regards to the controversial provision of the act, rather they would try to amend the provision in the next parliament.
Beside, the Transparency International Bangladesh organised a discussion programme on ‘Investigative Journalism : Challenge and Possibility’ at BRAC Inn center, stage a human chain at Shahbagh and cartoon exhibition at Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University.
On October 31, 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the convention came into force in December 2005. – Staff Reporter
