‘Many more will have to face ACC’

There is lack of accountability in recruitment and promotion in primary and secondary education system, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood said  yesterday.

“Many [people] are facing the ACC [for corruption] right now and many more will have to face it,” he said at a meeting with the representatives of the UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) at ACC’s headquarters in Segunbagicha.

Replying to a question, the ACC chairman said if transparency and accountability in recruitment of teachers and officers could not be ensured, it would become difficult to maintain quality of education.

Iqbal said, “We’ve requested the government to introduce digital attendance system to ensure presence of teachers in the classroom.”

At one stage, a DFID representative asked about transparency in recruitment of officials in law enforcement agencies.

“The recruitment process that took place in 2018 was transparent enough,” Mahmood opined.

He, however, said the ACC is investigating into allegations of corruption against police members.

Mahmood said, “Not only police, ACC is also looking into the corruption allegations against politicians, businessmen and officials of the administration.”

ACC has so far submitted 13 reports identifying several sources of corruption at 13 government organisations.

In December 2017, the commission submitted a report detailing the sources of corruption and gave a 39-point recommendation.

In the report, ACC recommended investigation against teachers who earned wealth illegally, forming monitoring committees at metropolitan cities, districts and upazilas, strictly following rules of teachers’ transfer, and cancelling the MCQ question pattern.

Among others, Aislin Baker, governance team leader of DFID Bangladesh, and Tanvir Mahmud, governance adviser, were present in the meeting.

CASE FILED

ACC yesterday filed a case against former assistant store and purchase officer of Dhaka North City Corporation Abdul Malek for misappropriating about Tk 65.33 lakh between 2011 and 2014.

According to the case statement, Malek misappropriated the money through selling streetlights, printing and stationery equipment. ACC’s Assistant Director Jesmin Aktar filed the case with its integrated district office.