ACC has to gain credibility first

"The ACC has been formed through controversial means which is totally disappointing," Iftikharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International, Bangladesh said, adding that it should be more credible in case of staff appointments in order for discharging its duty properly.

Iftikharuzzaman also stressed the need for a monitoring cell on the commission and public access to the information about it.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

M Hafijuddin Khan, former advisor to the Caretaker Government, said the officials who worked under the former Bureau of Anti Corruption should be removed from the ACC for making it effective.

"First of all it is essential to take accounts of the assets of the Anti Corruption Commission officials in order to convince people about its honesty," Tareq Shamsur Rahman, professor of Jahangirnagar University said.

The ACC has to prove its sincerity by rapidly disposing of some very important corruption cases, said Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of the Privatisation Commission.

Addressing the seminar as chief guest, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed termed the commission fully independent and called upon people to have faith in it.

"We should not give verdict on the commission before its operation. Rather we should give inspiration so that it can perform properly," he said.

He said ACC is expected to put more emphasis on bringing the people dealing with state assets under the law.

Presided over by former justice Abdur Rauf, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by former foreign secretary Tobarak Hossain, former secretaries Shah Abdul Hannan and M Anwar Hasim.