Efforts on to make graft much riskier, less remunerative

Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Lt General (Retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday said the commission is striving relentlessly to make corruption much riskier and less remunerative than before to curb people's propensity for committing this crime.
“In the past, corruption was more remunerative and less risky in the country, which induced people to commit this crime on a large scale.
But we are trying to make it more risky than remunerative,” he said, as a countrywide purge continued in the current interim period against serious crime and corruption.
Meanwhile, many big shots in society, including top politicians, business tycoons and bureaucrats, have run the risk of getting their fortunes and future ruined under the crackdown on the suspected corrupt.
The ACC chairman was addressing a view-exchange meeting with different professionals of the district at the district Shilpakala Academy Hall in the morning.
Narsingdi district administration arranged the meeting as part of a cross-country campaign against corruption, a pervasive spread of which threatened social fabric and created a grave political crisis in the recent past.
General Hasan Mashhud painted a perilous picture of the past socio-political milieu wherein, he said, people had lost social values and also the sense of judging what is good and what is bad. And this labyrinth generated “pervasive corruption” in the country.
He called upon the helmsmen of all institutions of the country for setting an ideal example of honesty through remaining transparent in their function and conduct.
Chaired by Deputy Commissioner Jillar Rahman, the meeting was also addressed by ACC Director General Abu Taleb Mia, Narsingdi Superintendent of Police Shahabuddin, civil surgeon Dr Dhirendranath Singh and Narsingdi Government College Principal Prof Mohammad Ali.
General Mashhud also visited Narayanganj in the afternoon and exchanged views on the anti-corruption drive at Shaheed Zia Hall.
The anti-corruption watchdog boss called upon the common man to wage a social movement to build up a corruption-free country. “And ACC will help you in this movement,” he told his audience.
Later, he exchanged views with people of various professions where he trounced high-society people for this vice, saying, “The affluent section is more corrupt than the lower order of society.”
Present among others were Deputy Commissioner Faizul Kabir, Police Super Sibgatullah, Narayanganj pourasava chairman Dr Selina Hayat Ivy and Press Club President Ruman Reza.