Corruption-free Bangladesh hinges on quality of future leadership: Mashhud

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FE Report
Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury said Wednesday shaping Bangladesh as a corruption-free nation would largely depend on the quality of future leadership.
"The matter with regard to shaping the future of Bangladesh depends largely on the quality of future leadership… And the leadership will have to be free from corruption," he said.
Mashhud was speaking on "The role of the ACC in Shaping the Future of Bangladesh" at the monthly luncheon meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) held at Hotel Sheraton in the city with the AmCham President Syed Ershad Ahmed in the chair.
The continuation of current drive against corruption also depends on the willingness and support of the people of Bangladesh, he said while responding to a query about the future of the ACC's anti-graft drive under the next political government.
"If the people want the ACC to function effectively, definitely, it will do so," he said, adding that the people should work together to make the Commission more functional and effective.
Mashhud said the ACC is doing its jobs keeping two main objectives - prosecution and prevention - in mind.
On the one hand, the Commission is pursuing all the corruption-related cases for justice, it is continuing the campaign against corruption on the other, he observed.
"The main objective of the ACC is to ensure good governance and accountability by eliminating corruption from the society and we are closely working with the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) for achieving such goals," he said, adding.
Referring to the TIB's figures, the ACC chairman said Bangladesh suffers losses to the tune of Tk 70 billion per annum because of corruption. With that amount, 800 rural hospitals and 12000 primary schools could be built, he said.
Responding to a question about the selection process of graft cases, Mashhud said, "We have not only made our office transparent, but also we are dealing with such cases fairly."
Replying to another question, he said, "I do not believe in the existing official secrecy act… And also the people do not like such law."
He also expressed the hope that the government would definitely formulate a new law that will ensure the people's access to information.