Mahidul Islam Ripon, Dinajpur 

 The recent raids by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in various government departments   in Dinajpur district have raised hopes for transparency and accountability among the local people.

However, that hope is gradually fading after a few days of the campaign. Birampur and Birganj Upazila Health Complexes, Dinajpur Technical Training Center, Chirirbandar Sub-Registry Office, Dinajpur BRTA, and BADC Despite the ACC's activities in the office, no clear change has been observed in the corruption picture. As a result, frustration prevails among local residents.

This year, an ACC team conducted surprise raids on these institutions in the district.

  The ACC indicated it would take strict action by examining files, discussing with officials, and investigating corruption allegations.The news of this operation raised hopes among the local people, many of whom thought that major steps would be taken to break the long-standing web of corruption. But there are allegations that the situation returned to normal a few days after the operation.

 For example, on February 3, an ACC raid at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital (DIMEC) uncovered irregularities in the recruitment of outsourcing manpower, the free movement of brokers, and the provision of low-quality food And there is evidence of lack of transparency in the procurement of medical equipment. However, there has been no improvement in the quality of services or cleanliness of the hospital after the raids. Biplab Kumar, a patient who came for treatment from Debiganj in Panchagarh, said, "I thought the situation at the hospital would change after the ACC raid. But everything remained the same."

Similarly, on April 30, a raid at the Birampur Upazila Health Complex revealed information about poor quality food being provided and patients being forced to undergo tests at external diagnostic centers despite government facilities.

Investigation revealed that the hospital's medical technologists Shah Alam Emran and Yasin Ali were arranging to send patients to diagnostic centers of their own interest. This trend continued even after the raid "Everything has been going on as usual since the day after the raid," said local resident Afzal Hossain. "We thought corruption would decrease, but there has been no change."

In addition, on April 16, a raid at the Chirirbandar Sub-Registry Office recovered Tk 35,500 in bribe. The money was seized from fake Nabish Dulal Chandra Roy and office assistant Lutfar Rahman. However, local resident Sohag said, "After the raid, I thought something big was going to happen. But now I see, everything is going on as before." Similarly, raids were conducted at the BRTA office on May 7 and the BADC (Farm) office on May 13, but the situation did not improve.

The ACC's raid has been met with mixed reactions among locals. Some see it as a propaganda move, while others still hold out hope that the ACC may take stricter action. However, the question on most people's minds is, are these campaigns really aimed at curbing corruption, or are they just a ploy to attract public attention?

 In this regard, Dinajpur ACC Deputy Director Md. Ataur Rahman Sarkar said, "Applications have been sent to the central office for permission to conduct public investigations in the institutions where we have conducted raids."

 "We will take legal action if we get approval." However, he could not say anything about the timeframe for approval.Regarding the continuation of corruption even after the raid, he said, "After one raid, there is no opportunity to conduct another raid on that institution without permission. However, if we get approval for the investigation, we will take appropriate action."

These incidents in Dinajpur have raised new questions about the effectiveness of the ACC's activities. With the rapid return to the old image after the operation, locals are now waiting - will the ACC really take effective action against corruption, or will this effort be limited to paper and pen? Time will tell the final outcome of this operation