Donors for promoting awareness on rule of law to establish corruption-free society
Sunday, 29 July 2007
Applauding the vigorous efforts made by the caretaker government to eradicate corruption in Bangladesh, country's development partners Saturday suggested promoting social awareness on the importance of the rule of law to establish a corruption-free society, reports UNB.
Representatives of donor countries and agencies made their observations on the country's situation at a seminar titled 'Rule of law to establish corruption- free society', organised by the Monthly Legal Aid at the CIRDAP auditorium, where the Chief Justice gave his views about disassociating the corrupt alongside legal actions.
Inaugurated by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Masayki Inoue, Ambassador of Japan, Ms Hua Du, country director of the Asian Development Bank, Ms Francoise Collet, charge D'Affaires, the delegation of European Commission, and Nancy Langston, resident legal adviser to the United States.
Japanese ambassador Masayuki Inoue said corruption had been one of biggest challenges to development of Bangladesh for long after the independence. Presently, the caretaker government had made "vigorous effort to eradicate corruption" through countrywide anti-corruption campaigns.
He noted that a number of politicians, officials and businessmen, said to be involved in corruption, had been arrested. "Before the proclamation of state of emergency, people could never believe such a strong anti-corruption drive would be implemented," he told the meet.
He said although an emergency situation was not a favourable one for democracy of a country, it provided a "rare opportunity for this country to drastically eradicate deep-rooted corruption" this time around.
In a flashback on the recent past, the Japanese ambassador said the Anti-Corruption Commission which could not fully function under the previous political governments was now going full steam ahead combating corruption. "I appreciate the progress they made in anti-corruption drive."
He said the Bangladesh government must show a stern position that a person who violated a law could never avoid being punished, regardless of the position of the person.
At the same time, the government and the law-enforcement authorities would also have to show respect and maintain the rule of law. "If a government does not respect a due process of law, it will lose its accountability to the people."
About the reform programmes initiated by the caretaker government for the purpose of freeing politics, administration and business from governess problems, the diplomat said, "We highly appreciate the stern position of the government towards reform."
Welcoming the roadmap announced by the Election Commission for holding the stalled general election by December 2008, he said, "I like to put a concrete deadline to hold the election and hand over power to the elected government."
He hoped that Bangladesh would return to the democratic process by holding free, fair and credible elections within that timeframe. "Of course, if all the necessary preparation is completed before the deadline, it would be better to hold the election earlier than that accordingly."
He assured that Japan would continue to support the effort of the government to restore democracy.
In her address, Hua Du, country director of the Asian Development Bank, stressed the need for availability of a credible, impartial and effective judiciary as well as other law-enforcement apparatuses to establish a corruption-free society. The law-enforcing agencies should be seen as competent in this regard, she said.
In her speech, Francoise Collet, Charge d'Affaires and acting head of delegation of the European Commission, said the EC would support those efforts of the government, civil society and other actors which were designed to embed the rule of law and respect for human rights and to create a democracy which the people of Bangladesh could be proud of.
In her address, Nancy Langston, the resident legal advisor to the USA, said the prosecutors must be appointed on the basis of propriety and efficiency to deal with the corruption cases. "Political choice in this regard never ever last."
Representatives of donor countries and agencies made their observations on the country's situation at a seminar titled 'Rule of law to establish corruption- free society', organised by the Monthly Legal Aid at the CIRDAP auditorium, where the Chief Justice gave his views about disassociating the corrupt alongside legal actions.
Inaugurated by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Masayki Inoue, Ambassador of Japan, Ms Hua Du, country director of the Asian Development Bank, Ms Francoise Collet, charge D'Affaires, the delegation of European Commission, and Nancy Langston, resident legal adviser to the United States.
Japanese ambassador Masayuki Inoue said corruption had been one of biggest challenges to development of Bangladesh for long after the independence. Presently, the caretaker government had made "vigorous effort to eradicate corruption" through countrywide anti-corruption campaigns.
He noted that a number of politicians, officials and businessmen, said to be involved in corruption, had been arrested. "Before the proclamation of state of emergency, people could never believe such a strong anti-corruption drive would be implemented," he told the meet.
He said although an emergency situation was not a favourable one for democracy of a country, it provided a "rare opportunity for this country to drastically eradicate deep-rooted corruption" this time around.
In a flashback on the recent past, the Japanese ambassador said the Anti-Corruption Commission which could not fully function under the previous political governments was now going full steam ahead combating corruption. "I appreciate the progress they made in anti-corruption drive."
He said the Bangladesh government must show a stern position that a person who violated a law could never avoid being punished, regardless of the position of the person.
At the same time, the government and the law-enforcement authorities would also have to show respect and maintain the rule of law. "If a government does not respect a due process of law, it will lose its accountability to the people."
About the reform programmes initiated by the caretaker government for the purpose of freeing politics, administration and business from governess problems, the diplomat said, "We highly appreciate the stern position of the government towards reform."
Welcoming the roadmap announced by the Election Commission for holding the stalled general election by December 2008, he said, "I like to put a concrete deadline to hold the election and hand over power to the elected government."
He hoped that Bangladesh would return to the democratic process by holding free, fair and credible elections within that timeframe. "Of course, if all the necessary preparation is completed before the deadline, it would be better to hold the election earlier than that accordingly."
He assured that Japan would continue to support the effort of the government to restore democracy.
In her address, Hua Du, country director of the Asian Development Bank, stressed the need for availability of a credible, impartial and effective judiciary as well as other law-enforcement apparatuses to establish a corruption-free society. The law-enforcing agencies should be seen as competent in this regard, she said.
In her speech, Francoise Collet, Charge d'Affaires and acting head of delegation of the European Commission, said the EC would support those efforts of the government, civil society and other actors which were designed to embed the rule of law and respect for human rights and to create a democracy which the people of Bangladesh could be proud of.
In her address, Nancy Langston, the resident legal advisor to the USA, said the prosecutors must be appointed on the basis of propriety and efficiency to deal with the corruption cases. "Political choice in this regard never ever last."