Anti-corruption bodies to start functioning at dists, UZs soon

Corruption prevention committees at the district and upazila levels, a move initiated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with a view to creating mass awareness, are likely to become functional soon.
Sixteen district and 125 upazila committees of Rajshahi division are going to start functioning after meetings between the Commission and the committee members at the ACC headquarters on January 8-10.
Meetings will be held in phases with all other committees from the remaining five divisions.
All the corruption prevention committees across the country are expected to begin their work within two months.
Each district committee will have maximum 10 members while the upazila committees will have maximum six members.
On January 8, meetings will be held with the committees from Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Kurigram and Rangpur districts.
Meetings with committees from Naogaon, Nawabganj, Bogra, Joypurhat, Rajshahi and Natore districts will be held on January 9, while with the committees from Gaibandha, Sirajganj and Pabna on January 10.
Some 839 members of the committees have been invited to the Commission headquarters where they will be given clear directives about the constitution and rules of business of the committees.
The main task of the committees will be to help implement the programmes announced by the ACC in line with its strategic paper relating to prevention of corruption.
These committees will carry out corruption prevention activities in a non-violent manner without violating the existing laws. These committees will, however, have no scope to interfere with or influence the inquiries and investigations of the Commission, according to the ACC hierarchies.
Besides, there will be no scope for the committees to influence or interfere in administrative or internal activities of the government, semi-government and autonomous organisations, and private offices.