DCs propose ACC offices in all districts

The deputy commissioners (DCs) have proposed to set up offices of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) in each district to expedite anti-corruption activities across the country.

Besides, they also proposed to bring the recruitment process of additional deputy commissioners (ADC) under the jurisdiction of divisional commissioners instead of the public administration ministry. The DCs and the divisional commissioners have come up with 354 such proposals ahead of the DC Conference this year, cabinet division sources said.

The policymakers of the government will issue necessary directives after discussing the proposals in the conference. The three-day conference starts from Sunday in the capital.

The DC conference is held every year under the supervision of the Cabinet Division. The DCs represent the government at the field level. The DCs act as coordinators in implementing the government’s policy, development programmes and other relevant issues. Therefore, the government considers the proposals raised by the DCs seriously.

However, the DC conference is going to be held under a different circumstance this time. Usually the conference is inaugurated by the prime minister. Later, the proposals from the DCs regarding different ministries and directorates were discussed in the presence of secretaries and the ministers to take decisions during the working sessions.

However, the Awami League government was deposed from power in the face of a mass uprising of students and people on 5 August. Following that, an interim government headed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on 8 August. So Dr. Yunus will inaugurate the DC conference as the chief of the government. He is likely to give significant directives in the current context. The working sessions will be attended by the advisers of the government. A total of 34 sessions, including the inaugural ceremony, will be held during the three-day conference. There will be no session with the president and the speakers this time like previous years. However, the DCs will have a session with the Election Commission (EC), which is unprecedented. Chief election commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and other commissioners are scheduled to attend the session. Cabinet Division sources say the agenda of the conference will be unveiled in a press conference a day ahead of the inaugural ceremony on Saturday.

The ACC has offices in some 36 districts across the country at the moment. The DCs have proposed to set up offices in each district. They also recommended recruiting adequate manpower to run these offices. DCs of three districts came up with this proposal.

Currently the public administration ministry handles the transfer and recruitment process of the DCs and ADCs and divisional commissioners supervise the posting of upazila nirbahi officer (UNO). Now, the DCs have proposed to keep the posting and transfer of the additional commissioners under the jurisdiction of the divisional commissioners.

Some of the Cabinet Division officials have taken this proposal positively saying such proposal will help decentralise the administration.

In the existing system, the candidates have to pass an examination on multiple choice questions for recruitment of primary school teachers. This exam is quite similar to the BCS preliminary exams. It is followed by a viva. Now the DCs have proposed to recruit primary teachers in three phases – preliminary exam, written exam and viva.

The DCs also have proposed to make ibtedayi madrasahs government institutions. However, the government already has taken a policy decision to nationalise all ibtedayi madrasahs. These madrasahs will be nationalised in phases. Additional secretary of the education ministry for vocational and madrahs, SM Masudul Haque informed the demonstrating teachers about the decision. Before that, a meeting was held with the ibtedayi teachers at the ministry.

Later, on 28 January, SM Masudul Haque told Prothom Alo that these madrasahs will be made MPO-enlisted at first step by step and then will be nationalised.

The DCs also proposed a legislature of policies regarding the source of earning, expenditure and fees of these madrasahs.

Another source in the cabinet division said the formation of an independent police investigation department may also come up in the discussion. There are arguments that such a department will make it easy to complete the investigation on time. There are proposals to promote the Police Bureau of Investigation into an independent police investigation department under an independent inspector general.

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu