The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury Sunday said corruption would continue to haunt the Land Ministry and its departments if the existing land-related laws and rules are not reformed.

And graft would not come down unless the conventional method of dealing with land-related issues is replaced by with automation, he told reporters after the ACC's view exchange meeting with the senior officials of the Land Ministry and its departments.

The ACC chairman said the administrative problems, atmosphere and lack of manpower were the main reasons why corruption takes place in the ministry.

With the day's meeting with the Land Ministry, the anti-graft watchdog, as part of its campaign against institutional corruption, kicked off its view exchange meetings with different ministries.

In the meeting held at the Land Ministry conference room at the Secretariat, the ACC was represented by its chairman and two commissioners - Habibur Rahman and AH Manjur Mannan.

About the objective of the meeting, the ACC chairman told reporters that it would not be possible to fight institutional corruption without involving the persons who take decisions.

He informed that during the meeting suggestions came from the participants on ways to reduce corruption in the ministry and also that some of the measures could be undertaken by the ministry itself.

"In future, we'll sit with them in the ACC and try to 'do the things that are doable'," Mashhud said. He said the objective of the meeting was not to find the individuals involved with corruption, rather to identify the causes of corruption.

Asked why the Commission did not act in the institutions like police where corruption is perceived to be rampant, he said if the ACC start dealing with corruption in all institutions at a time, results would not be good.

Asked how he expects the desired results by only talking to officers leaving the low-level employees aside, the ACC chairman said that in future measures would be taken for exchange of views with employees at every level.

There are many preventive measures which the officials of the ministry could undertake right now, he said adding that the officials have expressed their intention to do so.

Mashhud said that he has advised the Land Ministry officials to go to field level for communicating with the people.

Earlier, addressing the officials, ACC commissioner Habibur Rahman said that the Commission is not solely responsible for combating corruption. Everyone would have to come forward in this regard.

Manjur Mannan, another Commissioner, told the officials that according to a study there are 1.4 million land-related cases pending with the courts and 120 million people affected by this. "I am also affected," he said

Mannan also stressed the need for mass awareness for the prevention of corruption in the Land Ministry.

Land secretary Abu M Moniruzzaman Khan floated a suggestion to set up Land Tribunal for dealing with the land-related cases. He said that 70 percent of the country's cases are land-related and if such a tribunal is set up vast majority of these cases could be disposed of much more quickly.

Emphasizing on land reforms and change in laws, he said that the lengthy processes involved in the land-related activities "open the door of corruption."

Speaking on the occasion, Land Appeal Board chairman Ashraful Maqbul said that in order to reduce corruption in government offices, the basic needs of the officials would have to be addressed.

"Once the crime is detected, the punishment of the offenders will have to be ensured. And good works must be rewarded," he said.

Land Reform Board chairman Monirul Islam said corruption may come down if transparency can be ensured in every stage of the land-related activities.