The anti-graft watchdog has identified 33 sources of corruption at accounts offices under the ministry of finance.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday submitted a report in this connection to finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at his office and put forward a 21-point suggestions to prevent the menace.
The report noted the accounts officials delay sending the last pay certificate to new offices in case of transfer of a government employee.
They also make similar delay in issuing the last pay certificate (ELPC) when a government employee goes on retirement.
The government employees are being harassed by accounts officials while getting service statement issued.
They are illegally being charged for service book verification, while fixing wages after the selection grade/time scale awarded, and arrear bills submitted.
They are also being illegally charged when opening accounts for general provident fund (GPF), also charged while getting advance payment from GPF, final payment of GPF, seeking house and other loans, gratuity bills, and conveyance bills and other allowances.
The government officials are also forced to pay bribe to get salary first time of their service life, and accounts officials misappropriate public money by submitting forged pension documents, forged conveyance bills, and pass such bills by taking bribe without pre-audit.
The accounts officials also realise money from project officials by creating barriers to fund release, harass people without making payment of wages in time, harass public sector employees showing allocation complicacies in iBAS++ software, and asking for more documents.
The watchdog suggested strengthening field-level monitoring by office of the comptroller general of accounts, enhancing number of manpower at accounts offices, raising use of information technology at those offices, and automation of services.
It also suggested arranging paperless cyber archive, opening website for every accounts offices with the inclusion of complaint page, ease complaint management system, transferring officials from one office to another in every three years, and making pension hassle-free.
The Commission further suggested settling every pension cases within 10 working days, introducing electronic fund transfer system for pensioners, ensuring transparency and accountability in field-level offices by regular visit, and taking stern action against officials involved in making delay in payment of wages, among other irregularities.
Speaking on the occasion, the finance minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced zero tolerance against corruption.
The Bangladesh Awami League made commitment of rooting out corruption, for which the nation voted the party again to the power, Mr Kamal said.
He urged all officials in the offices under his ministry to avoid corruption.
ACC commissioner Dr Md Mozammel Haque Khan said the Prime Minister has reiterated her commitment against corruption after taking oath.
"Her stand against corruption encourages us to fight the menace," he said.
Mr Khan said corruption takes place everywhere, where services are delivered. "We have to take coordinated measures to prevent corruption."
He also said some people raise voice against ACC's mandate over investigating corruption everywhere
"The reality is ACC is allowed to interfere in every area where corruption occurs," he said.
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