Right now, corruption has spread like a cancer across the country. Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansoor recently said in an interview to the international media that with the help of the former prime minister, his close associates have smuggled 2 lakh crore taka from the country. Apart from this, huge amount of money was laundered during the previous government.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's speech also revealed that her peon Jahangir owns four hundred crore taka. But at that time the ACC could not catch the corruption of Jahangir. There is no account of Jahangir's other assets in the country and abroad beyond four hundred crore rupees.

Experts say that if a peon of the Prime Minister has so much wealth of corruption, how much corruption have those around him, i.e. who have become ministers-MPs for four terms, became party leaders, got posts, those who worked in the administration and law enforcement to bring the party to power without voting, how much corruption have they committed? beyond imagination. The ACC did not pay attention to the unlimited corruption that has taken place over the years due to the influence of power. Did not pay attention to the incident of 'piracy' in the name of big projects.

Those who sit at the top of the ACC are appointed on the basis of political loyalty. They did not want to embarrass the government by being appointed in favor of the government. Moreover, even if the minister gets a complaint of corruption against any MP or government party leader in the media or any other source, they get a 'clean certificate' after the investigation.

As focused as the ACC was on catching bribes or tracing their assets, it was less flexible in catching corruption among high-ranking officials in the bureaucracy, police administration or other departments of the government.

However, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was formed on 21 November 2004 (almost 20 years ago) to investigate and investigate corruption-related offences. Since then, this institution formed to fight corruption in the country is working as a subordinate of the government.

However, in 2007 and 2008, during the army-backed caretaker government, the organization conducted a corruption campaign against the top leaders of two major political parties in the country, including big businessmen and industrialists. A case was filed against them. was sent to jail. Many are punished.

But after the national elections in 2009, Awami League came to power. Many things change. The campaign against corruption stopped. Even corruption investigations and prosecutions have declined.

From then until August 5 of this year, ACC was busy with opposition party leaders, public representatives and businessmen during the party's sole rule in the country for 15 and a half years.

On the other hand, the institution was in the role of 'silent spectator' in the investigations into rampant corruption and money laundering of various levels of leaders of the then ruling party.

Not only this, 'Acquittance Certificate' or 'Clean Certificate' has been given arbitrarily from all the cases made during 'One-Eleven' against the leaders of Awami League and the influential people blessed by the party.

There is no precedent for cases or punishments against any influential member of the ruling party.

In such a reality, the current interim government has constituted a committee on ACC reforms headed by the Executive Director of TIB as part of state reforms. They will talk to the stakeholders and propose reforms to the government.

In view of these circumstances, it has become necessary to give constitutional status to ACC to ensure independence and neutrality of ACC, the related experts have commented.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, senior lawyer of the Supreme Court and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said that all countries of the world have independent organizations to fight corruption. They caught any government minister corrupt. But it does not happen in our country. ACC should be made a neutral and constitutional body. This organization should be empowered to work independently.

At the same time, he pointed out that the chairman and commissioners of the ACC for the past 16 years have done political excesses and said that they should also be thought about.

Regarding the indifference of the ACC commissioners, the expert said that according to Section 7 of the ACC Act of 2004, the selection committee for the appointment of three commissioners of the ACC cannot be recommended for appointment as there is no rule for the appointment of the three commissioners or its activities.

The Act calls for the formation of a selection committee of five members. For the past 20 years since the law was enacted, the government has secretly selected the names of six people through a selection committee, and then appointed three of them.

Those concerned say that there is no rule for this. The government appoints three people from among them in the name of secret selection. They said, this selection work cannot be done secretly. The process of appointing commissioners should be transparent. If the provision of appointing three commissioners out of six as per the present system is in force, then the selection committee will recommend the names of the six persons, the recommendation of the selection committee constituted as per the rules shall be published on the website of the government or the ACC.

Public advertisement should be made to find out if anyone has interest (EO-Expression of Interest) for becoming a commissioner. Eligible candidates will apply. Six of them (of whom three are recommended for final appointment by the President) should also state on what merits they are proposed for appointment. Names of applicants should be published on the website. There must be a criterion for scrutiny. It has to be seen whether it has any role in fighting corruption or establishing good governance. What is his contribution to the state, what has he done for the country, whether there are any research or publications related to corruption or good governance, whether he has any prior experience in anti-corruption work or not - these should be taken into consideration. People who have no experience in anti-corruption activities have been appointed so far. Years go by to understand their work.

According to the current law of the ACC, 20 years of work experience in law, education, administration and discipline are taken into consideration for appointment of commissioners. Those concerned said that apart from these few qualifications, it is necessary to add qualified people who have worked on corruption prevention and good governance. In addition to government parties, opposition parties and patriotic civil society may be included in the selection committee for appointing commissioners. They said, two cannot be appointed from the same cadre service. This has not worked well in the past.

Citing the example of Hong Kong, experts say that the head of the country's anti-corruption agency has sufficient powers. But Bangladesh's ACC has a chairman as its head but he does not have much power on his own. ACC may have four members instead of two under the head of the ACC on the lines of the Chief Election Commissioner. Because, at the moment, the size and nature of corruption including money laundering has increased. Debt has increased. Besides, those who will come from other departments of the government to ACC, their term should be two years. If an officer is to be brought to the ACC on a mission, he must have worked in anti-corruption or have prior experience in this regard. The identity of those who are sent to ACC should be given on the website. Vacancies in the ACC are to be filled through new appointments and promotions.