|
|
 |
| >> |
”
Bangladesh should be no.1 corruption free country
”
Campaign for Establishing an Independent and Neutral
Anti Corruption Commission
|
| |
Rationale
The government has drafted a bill on forming an
Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), which is in
process of a parliamentary committee review, under
pressure by the World Bank. This bill is supposed
to be passed in the next parliamentary session.
The draft bill has not given enough freedom to
ACC compared to the existing Bureau of Anti Corruption
(BAC). SUPRO organized a nationwide campaign for
establishment of an independent and neutral anti
corruption commission with the goal to make Bangladesh
the no.1 corruption free country by 2006. 
Objectives
• To create awareness of mass people, especially
at the local level, on the inadequacy of the government’s
AAC draft bill;
• To motivate politicians to take necessary
steps in order to make Bangladesh the no.1 corruption
free country;
• To involve local level civil society organizations
and NGOs in the campaign, with the aim that in
future they will locally take a stand against
corruption;
• To put pressure on national policymakers
and politicians to take measures and establish
an effective independent anti-corruption commission
and make Bangladesh corruption free.
Activities
Development of Communication Material and Publication
We have developed a position paper on the draft
bill and inconsistencies of the existing anti-corruption
bureau, and also published one booklet on the
position paper. SUPRO published thousands of leaflets,
distributed across the country and two posters
highlighting the major demands. These are:
1. The selection committee should be free from
political influence;
2. All aspects of corruption should be included
in the proposed commission;
3. The commission should be reportable to a parliamentary
committee;
4. The legal ambiguities of the proposed commission
should be eliminated;
5. The staff of existing anti-corruption bureau
should not be included in the proposed commission;
6. Economic status of the commission should be
independent;
7. The Official Secrecy Act from the colonial
period should be eliminated.
Campaign at Local Level
Signature Campaign: 5000 postcards have been sent
to the Prime Minister, Law Minister, Members of
Standing Committee of Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs and local MPs.
Divisional Seminars: Four divisional seminar were
held in Rajshahi 15 January, Sylhet: 18 January
Barisal 20 January, and Chittagong: January 15
2004.
Campaign at National level
Round Table Discussion
A national level round table discussion was held
on 21 January 2004 at LGED auditorium, Dhaka entitled
“Our Recommendation Towards Establishing
an Independent and Neutral Anti Corruption Commission”.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minster
Maudud Ahmed attended as chief guest. Leaders
of political parties, civil society activists
and academicians participated in the discussion.
Maudud Ahmed, the Minister of Law, Justice
and Parliamentary Affairs: “The
anti corruption commission will curb the attitude
of the people in power who think they are above
the law----by scrutinizing whether the public
functionaries misappropriate public office and
money.” The minister also mentioned the
recommendations on giving the commission financial
independence and prosecution authority and incorporating
section 109 of Bangladesh Penal Code would hopefully
be included in the proposed bill.
Professor Khan Sarwar Murshid, Chairman
Board of Trustees, Transparency International,
Bangladesh: The civil society’s
watchdog role has to be institutionalized to curb
corruption. The lawmakers who get elected by splashing
money do not represent the people, nor do they
remain accountable to them.
Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, Transparency International
Bagladesh: A proactive private sector
and a vibrant media is needed in order to sound
out people’s voice alongside a deterrent
legislation, citing the success of Singapore.
People’s voice is very active even in the
one party system in Singapore.
Dr. Kazi Kholiquzzaman, President, Bangladesh
Economic Association: Corruption cannot
be eliminated from society since the corrupt people
are interdependent. To make the anti-corruption
commission independent, it has to be empowered
to investigate the source of wealth of public
representatives.
Dr. Abdur Razzaq, Awami League lawmaker:
About 50% of the country’s people live under
the poverty line due to corruption in the higher
echelons of society.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Member Secretary, SUPRO:
The legal vagueness of the proposed bill has to
be removed, current staff of the Bureau of Anti-Corruption
cannot be absorbed in the commission, and the
colonial official secrecy act has to be replaced.
Dr. Tofail Ahmed, Advisor, SUPRO: Installation
of an ombudsman, separation of judiciary, decentralization
of executive power, empowerment of administrative
tribunal, political reforms and end of administrative
politicization.
G M Kader MP, Zahiruddin Swapan MP, Rashiduzzaman
Millat MP, and opposition whip Faruq Khan MP,
among others, were present.
|
|
 |
SUPRO
( Campaign
for Good Governance )
House 13/3, Road 2, Shamoli, Dhaka-1207.
Phone (PABX): +880-2-812 5181, 815 4673, +880174 014
203
Fax: +880-2-912 9395, Email:
info@supro.org
|
|
|
|
