All sources of corruption linked to politics: ACC chairman
Highlighting the political links of all sources of corruption, Mohammad Abdul Momen, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said many corrupt individuals are nurtured by politicians.
He said that one of the main reasons for the downfall of past governments was corruption, so people must stay vigilant and ensure that honest and capable candidates are elected in upcoming elections.
Mohammad Abdul Momen made these remarks while delivering the speech at the ACC public hearing held in Chuadanga.
The hearing took place from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm on Monday at the DC Sahitya Mancha on the district administration compound. The ACC organised the hearing in collaboration with the district administration and the District Anti-Corruption Committee.
To ensure the hearing’s success, a week-long campaign of public announcements and poster distribution was conducted across the district. Temporary booths were also set up at three locations in the city to collect complaints.
After verification, 75 complaints were deemed actionable. Officials from 26 government departments were present in person to respond to the complaints.
Of the 75 actionable complaints, 33 were resolved immediately, seven were rejected, and the remaining were given guidance for further action.
Regarding the hearing, the ACC Chairman said, “Our main objective is to raise awareness and build a bridge between service recipients and service providers.”
On ensuring fair and transparent elections, the Chief Adviser’s commitment was highlighted. Mohammad Abdul Momen said, “We have observed election-related offenses, which you are aware of, ranging from nominating candidates in exchange for money to various other illegal activities. During election periods, illicit monetary transactions increase in many ways. If citizens remain vigilant, I believe we will have better representatives in the future who can form welfare-oriented governments. Our expectation is that if people with integrity come to power, offices like the ACC may not even be needed.”
Referring to the district’s border location, Mohammad Abdul Momen mentioned the spread and trade of drugs in Chuadanga, saying, “If we continue to investigate sources of corruption, we will see that drugs are one of the major issues. With a little awareness from the public, we can also curb drug trafficking.”
On gold smuggling, Mohammad Abdul Momen claimed, “Several major gold smugglers are from your district, some of whom are well-known. People can socially boycott them.”
Replying to queries from journalists, Mohammad Abdul Momen said some complaints against former prime minister and members of parliament are under investigation, some under inquiry, and some are subject to court cases.
He said, “We are working as best as we can to ensure successful outcomes. Many accused have left the country, and you know better than I how they managed to leave. They could have crossed via the Chuadanga border as well.”
Presided over by deputy commissioner Mohammad Zahirul Islam, ACC commissioner (investigation) M Mohammad Ali Akbari Azizi, director general Aktar Hossain, Khulna divisional director Jamal Uddin, and additional superintendent of police (crime & ops) Jamal Al Naser, were present at the event.