ACC chief Mashhud quits

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Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury stepped down Thursday, saying that there is no need to spell out the reason for his resignation, report UNB and bdnews24.com.
"I think you all know the prevailing situation, there's no need for me to explain it," the former army chief briefed reporters, before leaving the ACC headquarters in the city at around 4pm.
"There is a need for a new leadership now to bring swiftness to the work of the ACC," said Chowdhury.
"I would like to talk about two topics today. First, I've resigned by the will of Allah. And the second, I express my gratitude to the journalists for cooperating me in discharging my duties over the last two years," Chowdhury said.
He said he had worked to prevent corruption, and the work required cooperation from all. The corruption issue is yet to be solved. There are lots of scopes to work, Chowdhury said.
"I think there is a need for a new leadership to bring swiftness to the work of the ACC."
He said he believed that his successors will press on with the anti-graft drives. The time to evaluate the two-year activities of the ACC under his leadership is yet to come, as prevention of corruption has been a tough one, Chowdhury said.
Without taking any question from the press, he left for his residence, ending his last workday since he took over on Feb 25, 2007.
General Hasan sent his resignation letter to President Zillur Rahman at about 1pm. He met ACC officials at the headquarters after 3pm and bid them bye.
Meanwhile, state minister for law Kamrul Islam said he is happy that Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury has stepped aside. The minister also demanded an account of the Tk 130 million the anti-graft body spent on its lawyers during Chowdhury's tenure.
"Personally I'm happy because he carried moves to undermine the politicians in last two years instead of curbing corruption from the country," he told reporters at his office Thursday afternoon.
"I am happy about his resignation as a political activist, not as a minister of the government."
The ACC appointed lawyers spending Tk 130 million, but, those whom it had sued for corruption are out of jail, Kamrul said. "So, I want a complete financial audit of the expenditure of the money," he added.
Chowdhury was appointed on Feb 22 by the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led army-installed caretaker government after resigning as an adviser to the caretaker government, led by the then president Iajuddin Ahmed.
He led the anti-graft body in its drive against top political figures during the immediate past caretaker regime. MPs from the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP have since demanded his resignation.
In the opening session of the ninth parliament, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the ACC should be "reconstituted" to ensure its own accountability, giving rise to widespread buzz that it might be a resignation call for the ACC chief.
The PM had said the anti-graft drive during the caretaker government's two-year tenure became an "anti-politician drive", and that the ACC was itself tainted by allegations of corruption. The next day, Chowdhury rebuffed the Prime Minister's allegations against the anti-graft body, saying she was "not right."
"The ACC has conducted its drive on specific information and evidence. The remark that the commission was used to shackle politicians is not right," Chowdhury had said.