For an effective TAC

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THE Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC), set up by the incumbent interim government for a limited period of time, is yet to prove its effectiveness as a body to recover the ill-gotten money.
It is surprising that despite the hue and cry against corruption, only two number of individuals have thus far availed themselves of the services of the commission, admitting to irregularities involving not so large amounts of money and promising to deposit the sum with the exchequer in return for pardon. And, they are, again, mostly government officials whose ill-gotten wealth was accumulated through bribery.
But the businessmen for whom mainly the commission was established with the purpose of facilitating them to avail the opportunity of "admitting" their wrongdoings, by paying fines and thereby avoiding prosecution, have not yet turned up in any good number. The members of business community are not availing this facility.
Politicians, accused of similar wrongdoings are de facto not extended all the facilities of the TAC at the same level as that of the businessmen and bureaucrats. This is in a sense discriminatory. There cannot be two sets of laws or rules for two different groups of people for the same offence.
The government high-ups say that the commission would reduce the burden of the court system and help expedite disposal of some cases. But as far the rule or the constitution, it is the judiciary which is the only competent authority to dispose of criminal cases.
Considering that the TAC has not only been up to the mark for one reason or other to deliver the goods it was expected to do, the government should meanwhile accelerate its effects to help enhance the capacity of the judiciary to deal with criminal offences as expeditiously as possible.
Ahmed Sobhan
Dhanmandi R/A, Dhaka