The interim government has announced to form six commissions under the supervision of six eminent personalities with a view to reform the country. Other relevant persons for the commissions is about to be included in the commissions. The chiefs of the newly formed commissions have expressed their hope to start their tasks by finalizing the work plans for reformation.
Chief of Electoral Reform Commission and Secretary for Citizen for Good Governance Badiul Alam Majumdar said, “Chief Adviser has given us responsibility. Some of the terms of reference also stipulate that we will submit the report within three months. It should be done with the input of all stakeholders.”
When asked how many members will be in the commission and when another member will be appointed, he said, it should be before October 1. But I don't know anything yet about how many members there will be.
He said, “Surely a notification will be issued. Everything will be there.”
Election analyst Badiul Alam said first the commission will be formed. After that, the work will start on October 1. I hope, first of all, we will determine what we will do. A roadmap or action plan will be prepared in that regard and we will proceed along that roadmap.
He said we have been working for a long time to consolidate the electoral system. It is his recognition.
The main Justice of the Judiciary Reform Commission Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman said, "I have not received any documents or letters. I don't even know what the guide line will be. Wait for the documents and I will tell you after getting that.”
Head of Anti-Corruption Reform Commission and Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Iftekharuzzaman said, “I have not yet received the full action plan of the commission. So how it will work cannot be said right now. However, based on the experience of working in this field for a long time, I personally have some reform plans. If other members of the commission join, they will also make some recommendations. Apart from this, what were the expectations of the students should be taken into account. You have to talk to everyone. Honest and energetic officials who are always cornered for various reasons including political should be talked to. I will try to go to various parties.”
About his personal reforms, he said, establishing the ACC as an independent and constitutional institution and bringing it to the place of people's trust is the main task. For this reason, it is necessary to modernize all related laws, as well as reform the ACC's recruitment process, bureaucratic complexity, and the supplementary institutions related to the ACC's activities. Just reforming the ACC without looking at institutions like the National Board of Revenue, BFIU, Attorney General's Office, which are supposed to play a complementary role to the ACC in cases like high-level corruption or money laundering, will do nothing. Apart from this, we have observed the institutional weaknesses of the ACC since its inception, the lack of trust in the ACC as an institution, and the lack of capacity of the ACC to fulfill the assigned responsibilities.
When asked why this deficiency, why ACC cannot take effective action against the ruling party, he said, “One of the weak points of the ACC is the appointments made from the beginning from the commissioner to the higher positions, considering all the party politics. As a result many of the officers were politically influenced. It could not take any action against those in power or those who were in touch with power. We’re thinking about how to fix these areas. Apart from this, there are bureaucratic complications and lengthy processes in ACC activities. It wasn't meant to be and must be removed. Besides, the related laws should be reviewed and made timely, so that the ACC has the opportunity to work independently.”
He said ACC was supposed to be a constitutional institution. That didn't happen. The matter should be taken care of. Apart from the ACC's direct own laws, some supplementary laws including the Money Laundering Act, Tax Act, create obstacles to the ACC's activities, impairing the ACC's performance should be rectified.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 13 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan)
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