The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Reform Commission has proposed 47 recommendations, including a constitutional commitment against abuse of power, the formulation of an anti-corruption strategy, the establishment of an ombudsman, and the permanent abolition of provisions allowing the whitening of black money.
The head of the ACC Reform Commission, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, said on Wednesday that these recommendations were presented to the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus through a formal report submission.
On the same day, several other commissions on electoral systems, police reforms, and constitutional amendments also submitted their reports to the chief adviser, focusing on specific suggestions for state reforms.
Addressing the media at the Chief Adviser’s Office, Iftekharuzzaman, who is the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), explained the reform proposals aimed at strengthening the ACC.
“We have observed that no anti-corruption institution, including the ACC, can independently control corruption in Bangladesh or elsewhere. Effective policy formulation requires an appropriate state and social environment. The infrastructure of the entire state and society must be engaged in this effort,” he noted.
Highlighting the need for constitutional amendments, Iftekharuzzaman said: “We propose amending Article 20(2) of our Constitution to make a definitive constitutional commitment against abuse of power. This is crucial to combat the entrenched practices in Bangladesh where state and legal authority are exploited for personal gain.”
Although the Constitution currently provides opportunities to address these issues, he emphasized the necessity of explicit provisions to ensure their implementation.
The reform commission further underscored the absence of a national anti-corruption strategy in Bangladesh.
Iftekharuzzaman said: “There is no national anti-corruption strategy or specific policy framework in place. We strongly recommend the formulation of a strategy that not only declares a commitment to combat corruption but also enhances the capacity of state and social structures to do so. The strategy must define responsibilities and duties.”
To monitor and evaluate the implementation of the proposed strategy, Iftekharuzzaman stressed the importance of establishing an ombudsman in line with Article 77 of the Constitution.
“An ombudsman’s office should be set up to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy regularly and systematically,” he suggested.
Iftekharuzzaman strongly advocated for ending the practice of legalizing black money.
“We firmly recommend a permanent halt to the state-sanctioned annual practice of legalizing black money. This must be abolished once and for all,” he remarked.
Regarding the preparation of the ACC Reform Commission’s report, Iftekharuzzaman commented: “We have strived to create a report that reflects public expectations. Extensive research, stakeholder engagement, and public consultations have been conducted to ensure the report is comprehensive and representative.”
The reform commissions collected views by launching websites, holding dialogue and meeting with stakeholders, and conducting surveys. All of these suggestions and views were reviewed afterwards.
The commissions on ACC were formed on October 3 last year.