'It is high time to curb corruption'

Staff Correspondent: Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmud said, "It is high time to rein in corruption as the government is assisting the commission in all matters."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also put emphasis on strengthening the ACC so that it can work independently, he said.

The ACC chairman said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with the delegates of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the commissioner's conference room on Tuesday.

South-east Asian and Pacific Oceanic region’s Anti-Corruption Advisor Zorana Markovic lead the team of delegates.

ACC's six wings led by its respective Director Generals (DGs) attended the meeting.

The UNODC delegation today visited the commission's administration, investigation, special investigation, money laundering, legal and preventive wings.

It appreciated the introduction of ACC hotline 106 for lodging graft complaints over phones, its publication 'Dudak Darpan', five-year work-plan, a documentary and its educational equipment after visiting the anti-graft body for the second consecutive day.

Director Generals (DGs) of the six wings informed the delegation of their activities, implementation process and working plan.

Zorana Markovic expressed satisfaction seeing the activities of each wing.

The ACC chairman said that the nature of corruption in this region is lot different than any others. The government aims to eradicate corruption in public services through an approach of structural development. Hence, the commission is mainly focusing on preventing corruption.

risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 3, 2017/MA Rahman/Amirul