The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Chairman of the Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC) Justice M Habibur Rahman Khan laid importance on a well-thought plan to combat corruption saying such a plan after 1/11 changeover could have been more effective to make the country free from corruption.

"We should keep it mind that hurried and aggressive policy can never be a good strategy," he said in an exclusive interview with BSS at his Gulshan residence here.

Justice Khan said, "the economic disparity and plundering of public wealth reached to such a level before 1/11 changeover that a fight between haves and haves-not was seemed to be imminent."

"The situation had taken to a serious turn when a section of people having no business or profession became so rich only through corruption within a very short span of time. The situation led to the 1/11 changeover and subsequent action against corrupt persons," he said.

Justice Khan observed that an unplanned and aggressive drive against corrupts in the aftermath of 1/11 changeover affected the whole economy of the country very colossally.

"In the backdrop of that situation", he said, the government constituted the TAC to allow the corrupt persons to voluntarily confess their offence and get exemption from the criminal offence by returning their ill-gotten property to the state.

" When I think about most effectively performed 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' in South Africa and its chairman eminent human-right activist Bishop Desmond Tutu, I feel proud of holding such a big chair and responsibility," Justice Khan said.

"But, things did not happen as expected in my country, as our people did not accept the opportunity. The government offered them it an objective to give them impunity from corruption charges, revive the economy as well as bringing the looted money to government exchequer," Justice Khan said.

Terming the formation of the truth and accountability commission in Bangladesh as a pioneering concept, the TAC chairman said, most of the commissions formed in as many as 22 countries across the world worked with the 'truth and reconciliation' concept.

Justice Khan said, for the first time in Bangladesh, we have incorporated 'accountability concept' with the commission and as a new idea, everything in the commission including the laws could not be set in order.

"Our commission could be a better one and function more effectively if we could improve some of its existing provisions through amendment. But, such amendment is not possible due to short tenure of the commission," he noted.

He said, the TAC would not exist in future as per rule. But, the legal aspects of the ACC should be strengthened to make it an effective body to combat corruption.

"Efficient investigators as well as training and motivation for officials and employees of the ACC are needed", he said adding 'the intension of ACC is good, but their legal side is seemed to be very weak'.

The TAC chairman said, "Many people ask me, whether I am frustrated with the situation? My reply is: no. I'm neither frustrated nor hopeful," he said asking 'what I can do if people do not take the opportunity".

He said, the next elected government has to carry on the reform measures against corruption to make them acceptable to people and establish accountability and transparency in their activities, so that the past bitter experience is not repeated.

He said, instead of the graft investigating agency itself, the future elected government, political parties and social organisations should take the responsibility of carrying on anti- graft campaign to make people aware against the social problem.

The commission has so far disposed of 150 applications and recovered about Taka 20 crore from the persons who voluntarily confessed their corruption, Justice Khan said adding the commission has no plan to extend the time for receiving application from October 31 next.

The commission also has no plan to request the government to extend its tenure, which officially will expire on January 2, 2009, he said.