Prothom Alo's Shanaullah Sakib wins ACC Media Award

Prothom Alo's senior correspondent Shanaullah Sakib wins the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Media Award-2020. He won the first prize for his report on the controversial businessman Prasanta Kumar (PK) Halder making off with Tk 35 billion, published on 12 January 2020.

The award was presented in the print and online category for 2020.

The Media Awards-2020 and 2021were handed over to the winners at an event organised today, Monday, by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

A total of 12 journalists in the print, online and television media were awarded at the event.

ACC chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah officially handed over the awards to the winners at the ACC office in Segun Bagicha of the capital.

Second prize in the print and online category of 2020 went to Jugantar's senior correspondent Mizan Chowdhury and third prize to Kaler Kantha's Patuakhali correspondent Emran Ahsan Sohel.

In the electronic media category for the same year, the first prize went to ATN Bangla's staff reporter Mahbub Kabir Chapal, second prize to Maasranga Television's special correspondent Kawser Soheli and third prize to DBC Television's senior reporter Muhammad Arafatul Momen.

First prize in the print and online category for 2021 went to Dhaka Post's senior reporter Adnan Rahman, second prize to Amader Shomoy's senior reporter Ziadul Islam, third prize to Jaago News' staff reporter Saiful Islam Patwary.

In the electronic media category of the same year, first prize went to Independent Television's senior reporter Abdullah Al Rafi, second prize to Maasranga Television's staff reporter Anwar Hossain and third prize to Maasranga Television's special correspondent Nur Siddiqui.

Speaking at the event, the ACC chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said, "The higher authorities of the various ministries, departments and offices of the government has the responsibility to check the corruption in their organisations. But they just sit idle and wait to see what ACC does."

He said, "The places where the more powerful class of people use their authority, that is where there is more corruption. This powerful class wants to control the meritorious people so that they do not publish news on their corruption. Unfortunately, this wasn't so before. It has increased now."

Comparing ACC with a barrage, the anti-graft body's chairman said, "If all the barrages upstream are left open, the dams will all be swept away. It is extremely difficult to prove corruption, though it may be in public knowledge."

Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah went on to say, simply using the law to prevent corruption is difficult in the reality of present-day circumstances. Public awareness must be mobilised and the institutions must function