Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a staunch opponent of corruption and if any member of his Advisory Council commits corruption, no leniency will be shown, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen
He said that corruption cannot be completely eliminated by punishment alone. Mutual sincerity and good relations between service providers and service recipients can largely reduce corruption. The ACC is working to establish connections between service providers and recipients.
He was talking to journalists after laying the foundation stone of the ACC's Divisional and district offices on Station Road in Rangpur city on Tuesday morning.
Addressing the journalists, the ACC Chairman said that some newspapers have reported allegations against a few people of the current government. The chief advisor of this caretaker government is always vocal against corruption. We will not spare anyone legally. However, if there are allegations against someone for corruption, those allegations must be specific.
He added that simply saying someone embezzled or committed corruption of millions of takas will not suffice. It must be said where and how it happened. If these parts cannot be proven, the allegations will not hold. If there are specific allegations against advisors, bring them forward.
The ACC Chairman said that many cases have been filed in the last year, and many old cases that were buried earlier are being revived. New cases are also being looked at with importance.
Operations are also being conducted in many places, especially since there are many complaints against service-providing institutions. Regular raids are conducted on such institutions.
Regarding former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said the ACC has its own rules and laws. There is no scope to go beyond the law. Corruption in Bangladesh exists in many forms, but the ACC has its limitations. Being government officials, the ACC tries to monitor money laundering and illegal income. There is no scope to go beyond that.
There are several cases pending against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and a few investigations are ongoing. If proof is found after investigation, cases will be filed, he said.
The ACC Chairman added that initiatives are underway to ensure pending ACC cases are resolved quickly.
Later in the afternoon, a meeting was held at the Rangpur Deputy Commissioner’s office where ACC Chairman Dr. Mohammad Abdul Momen exchanged views with administrative officials.
Divisional Commissioner Shahidul Islam NDC, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Majid Ali, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Robiul Faisal, Police Superintendent Abu Saim, and other administrative leaders were present.
