The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Lt General (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury Saturday said the role of elected representatives of local government bodies is indispensable in combating and preventing rampant corruption in the country. He called upon the grassroots-level elected representatives to join in the drive to resist and prevent corruption, as a purge is underway in the interim period against corruption in high places. "Corruption will have to be stopped…And your role is indispensable in this regard," the ACC chairman said at the daylong Conference of Elected Representatives of Local Government at the National Parade Square.

The crusader against corruption made it clear that all of the people of the country are not corrupt and said it would have to be exposed who are responsible for the bad reputation of Bangladesh as a corrupt country.

Making a clarion call for resisting the corrupt, the former Army chief advised the representatives not to try to make corruption acceptable on the pretext of needs.

He urged the attending local representatives to convey the message of combat against corruption to the people, saying that no one else will be able to convey this message better than they will. Replying to a question from a representative, the ACC chairman categorically said there is no relationship between the ongoing anti-corruption drive and stagnancy in the economy. Meanwhile, the current drive has thrown a good many business tycoons as well as top politicians, bureaucrats and so behind bars.