Rein in graft in civil service

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury yesterday urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to rein in  irregularities in recruitments, promotions, and transfers in civil service.

Unless the unholy alliance of politicians and bureaucrats is broken, it is not possible to prevent corruption, said the former adviser to a caretaker government.

Without a clean political environment, it is difficult to prevent corruption, he said while addressing a seminar titled “Accountable Administration System: Key Element for Corruption Prevention” organised at the ACC's Segunbagicha headquarters.

Quoting a verdict of the Supreme Court of India, Jamilur said the court made it mandatory for candidates of parliamentary elections to submit their and their family members' wealth statements.

ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood said forgery and money-laundering offences of individuals have been excluded from the ACC Act through amendments. This makes it difficult for the commission to probe people whose names have come up in Panama or Paradise papers'.

The ACC is still investigating these individuals in connection with illegal wealth considering public demand, he said.

“If bureaucrats carry out their responsibilities following the laws, it is not possible for anyone to commit corruption,” he added.

Former caretaker government adviser M Hafizuddin Khan said to prevent corruption, there must be an accountable administration. But it is absent in the existing administration system, he added.

Former minister Mizanur Rahman Shelly said politics is the heart of the state. “If politics cannot be made filth free, it is not possible to form a corruption-free society,” he added.

Lawmaker AKM Rahmatullah said if politicians and administration officers could not work together, it would not be possible to tackle corruption.

Among others, barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, former minister Chowhdury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder spoke in the seminar.

Former rector of BPATC AZM Shafiqul Alam presented the keynote paper while Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, moderated the seminar.