ACC plans to form armed unit to conduct drives
UNB
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is working out a plan to form an armed unit to conduct drives for arresting graft suspects and ensuring the security of its officials, say senior officials of the national anti-graft agency. Weve already sent a proposal to the Home Ministry through the Cabinet Division in this regard. Now, its under the governments scrutiny, ACC Secretary Abu M Mustafa Kamal told UNB.
According to ACC officials, they have to visit many places and institutions to collect information for conducting probes into the graft allegations that are under the Commissions jurisdiction. Besides, the ACC officials arrest and interrogate graft suspects and take them on remand if the Commission deems it necessary for the sake of fair investigation. As most of the graft suspects have link with influential and powerful sections of society, there is a possibility that the ACC officers might be attacked by them, they said. That is why the ACC investigators need to carry and use arms while performing their professional duties, the sources said.
At a meeting on August 18 last, ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood first came up with the idea of the formation of an armed unit in
the Commission, saying, It now needs an armed unit to detain graft suspects and ensure the safety of its investigation officers.
The lack of security often puts the ACC officers at risk while arresting and taking graft suspects from courtsthe offices of the Commission also lack in security, Mustafa Kamal said.
At present, he said, police help the ACC investigators conduct anti-corruption drives. But, sometimes police cannot help us in special circumstances. Getting police help is also time-consuming sometimes, he said.
So, the ACC has decided to form an armed unit, which will be ready round the clock for conducting drives, the ACC secretary said, adding that the governments approval is a must to form such a unit. Endorsing the ACCs proposal, Executive Director of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman said once the armed unit is formed, the capacity and efficiency of the national anti-graft agency will get strengthened. I think this proposal is a rational one. But, before constituting an armed unit, the Commission must prepare a set of rules to identify its scope of works and ensure accountability of the unit, he said. After forming the armed unit, Iftekharuzzaman cautioned, the ACC may face some challenges misuse of power, lack of professional skilled manpower and conflict of interest with the law enforcement agencies.
