Proposed Truth Commission must have legal acceptability: ACC chairman

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Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury Thursday said the proposed Truth Commission would have to have legal acceptability and also have to be acceptable to people, as no decision becomes effective without the people, reports UNB.
The ACC chairman, however, expressed the hope that the government would not form the Commission merely to please any particular party or group.
"Be it any Commission or any system, it will have to have legal acceptability. At the same time, it will have to be acceptable to people", Chowdhury said at a regular briefing when asked his views about sparing corrupt businessmen in exchange of fines.
"I think, the government will not do this only to please a particular party or group", he said.
"We know, no decision becomes effective without the people. It is proved", he added.
The ACC chairman said that as a stakeholder, the Commission would obviously be consulted by the government and it would give its opinion in this connection. "The government will certainly consider our opinions and thoughts."
About the approval by the Advisory Council of a draft amendment granting ACC self-rule, he said this was the proof of government's cooperation to the Commission and it would play a positive role.
He said the draft amendment had not yet been finalised and the details would be known within a week.
About the reasons behind seeking self-rule for the Commission, Chowdhury said the government manual stated that a self-ruled organisation could recruit people in accordance with its plan and determine the service rules. "We are seeking this to take the opportunity."
He said that by the end of the year, capacity-building of the Commission would be taken further ahead and the ACC would begin the new year with new planning, new initiatives and new enthusiasm.
About allegation of violating law regarding questioning of Hasina, he, however, said if the ACC did something illegal, there was a remedy.
Asked if there was any particular timeframe to deal with the 222 suspected corrupts whose names had already been published, he said there was no particular timeframe for this and time would be taken to ensure justice.
Replying to a question, the former Army chief said the ACC would not run any activities violating human rights, law and rules.
He told another questioner that abuse of power, not bribe, was the biggest corruption in the country. "Bribe is not the biggest problem in Bangladesh, abuse of power is."
Citing a recent Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) survey, the ACC chairman said the survey showed people think abuse of power was the biggest problem. Transaction of money was at number two or three.