ACC wants watchdog also for police

Banks’ board of directors must involve professionals, it says

Maksud-Ul-Islam Joarder & Rafiqul Islam, UNB Staff Writers

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has recommended the formation of Criminal Justice Commission to monitor the activities of the police.

The national anti-graft body came up with the recommendation in its Annual Report-2015 submitted to President Abdul Hamid. 

“The activities of those departments that have executive power should be monitored. That’s why we’ve recommended the formation of Criminal Justice Commission,” ACC commissioner Dr Md Nasiruddin Ahmed told UNB.

As per people’s perception, he said, the police department is vulnerable to graft and therefore its activities need to be monitored.

“Like other government offices, there’s no effective system in place to monitor the internal activities of police and take necessary actions on receiving complaints from people,” the annual report said.

It also suggested incorporating a legal provision into the Code of Civil Procedure to impose strict time-limit for disposal of civil cases. Failure in timely disposal of cases augments the existing backlog on one end and angers the justice seekers and the accused persons on the other, the ACC report added.

About the ACC’s proposal for formation of the Criminal Justice Commission, executive director of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said he thinks that it is a good proposal. “It is like the activities of ombudsman. The government should consider the proposal.”

He said there is a lack of confidence about police among the country’s people. “Once the proposed commission is formed, it can play a positive role in building people’s confidence in police,” said Iftekharuzzaman adding that the Criminal Justice Commission must maintain neutrality.

In the light of widespread irregularities and corruption in the banking sector, the ACC annual report observed that non-professional and persons without having experience in banking sector are included in the board of directors of banks. Multiple irregularities and crimes take place in the sector because of their capriciousness and narrow vision, it said.

“Financial embezzlements and other crimes occur in the same sector, which is imputable due to lack of proper monitoring, deficiency and training and absence of accountability,” the report added.

The ACC recommended constituting the board of directors of banks and financial institutions involving core professionals to resolve such problems.

Nasiruddin Ahmed said businessmen and political leaders are currently included in the board of directors of banks, but the banking sector needs complete professional people.

“We also support the recommendation of including core professionals in the board of directors of the state-owned banks since it is our expectation and longtime demand,” Iftekharuzzaman said.