Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep disappointment and indignation over the Advisory Council’s final approval of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Ordinance ‘ignoring strategically important recommendations.’
The recommendations were essential for ensuring transparency, accountability and institutional independence of the anti-graft body, it said in a statement on Friday (November 28).
The exclusion of “Selection and Review Committee” from the final ordinance despite being included in the July Charter is not only disappointing, but also indicates that like almost all other cases of reform proposals the state reform agenda has become hostage to the conspiracies of anti-reform circles within the government, it added.
TIB also questions whether by denying the provision to make ACC accountable as much as independent, the Chief Adviser, as the head of the consensus commission and the groundbreaking decision-maker to form the 11 reform commissions, is trying to send a message to all including political parties, that ‘state reforms are just a rhetoric for the Government.’
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Noting that the ACC Reform Commission had recommended the formation of a “Selection and Review Committee” considering the experience of the past two decades, the opinions of all stakeholders, international best practices, and the political and bureaucratic context of Bangladesh in order to ensure that the ACC does not continue to function as a tool of protection of those in power and harass political or other opponents, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said.
“This proposal was made to overcome the dire situation of ACC as the institution has been suffering from a lack of public trust since its inception, as a puppet of vested quarters, it has become a tool of protection for those in power and harassment of opponents,” he said.
It is regrettable that the government has failed to understand the strategic value of this recommendation to transform the ACC into a truly accountable, independent, and impartial institution through half-yearly reviews, public hearings, and recommendations by the proposed committee, he said.
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“For a government responsible for state reforms, this is a self-contradictory and anti-reform precedent,” he added.
Dr. Zaman further said the matter is even more disappointing because according to reliable sources, at least seven Advisors have opposed this proposal at the Cabinet meeting.
“Yet they know that all the political parties that signed the July Charter have fully agreed on this provision. Before creating such a bad precedent of violating the July Charter, why the government does not realise that through this the Government is by itself actually encouraging political parties to violate the July Charter? Why then unprecedented bloodletting sacrifices were made? What kind of state reform is it that blocks the way to effectively curb corruption?” he questioned.
The draft of the ordinance that TIB had the opportunity to review seemed to be in some ways of a higher standard than the existing law for which the organization commends the government, it said.
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However, the TIB Executive Director has expressed deep disappointment and regret as according to reliable sources, in addition to the mentioned issue several other important strategic recommendations on which political consensus was achieved have been omitted.
“This can be nothing but a corruption-enabling and anti-reform stance of vested interests and influential quarters within the government,” he added.