The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Professor Muzaffar Ahmad, Chairman of the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), yesterday said the Anti-Corruption Commission alone could not curb corruption in Bangladesh.

He made the remark while addressing as the chief guest a Victory Day commemorative seminar on "Impact of Corruption on National Security-how to overcome it?", organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium.

Chairman of the BIISS Board of Governors Mufleh R Osmany presided over the session while its acting Director General Colonel Kazi Fakhruddin Ahmed gave the welcome address, a BIISS press release said. Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed suggested mass awareness about the problem of corruption in Bangladesh and said participation of citizens from all sections of the society would greatly help address the issue.

Dr. Mohammad Farashuddin, Founder Vice-Chancellor of East- West University, presented a paper on "Private Sector Corruption in Bangladesh: Corporate, Trade Union, Academic, Professional, Media and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)" in the first session.

In the second session, Barrister Manzoor Hasan, Director of the Institute of Governance Studies of BRAC University, presented a paper on "Public Sector Corruption in Bangladesh: Political and Bureaucratic."

Dr. Farashuddin, referring to various definitions of corruption in trade union as well as academic and professional institutions and also in media, suggested a neutral, free and fair election based on universal suffrage.

That is how, he observed, rule of law will be established with Ombudsman working for it through punishment for the offenders to overcome this vice.

Barrister Hasan in his paper discussed the concepts of political and bureaucratic corruption and mentioned how it impacts livelihoods in Bangladesh.

He suggested a two-step reforms-accountability of the executive and reform of the civil service recruitment process to ensure greater accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness.

The BIISS chairman, emphasising on the point that there is hardly any discussion on the link between corruption and national security in Bangladesh, recommended a holistic approach to overcome corruption in the country.