AL out of the picture, ACC shifts gears. Now it goes after the untouchables

For the past 15 years, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of ruling party ministers, MPs, high-ranking officials and businessmen, focusing on smaller fish.

But since the fall of Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, the anti-corruption organisation, established in 2004, has reversed roles and begun going after big fish long considered untouchable.

In the past few weeks, the ACC has launched investigations into at least 82 high-profile individuals, including 71 former ministers and MPs. The commission is also investigating more than 200 others, including family members, and officials suggest this list is just the tip of the iceberg.

Even though the ACC is an independent organisation, its officials admit that they had to stick to the rules and wait for the green light from senior government officials before taking any action against the Awami League leaders.

The Commission came under fire for not showing sufficient determination, turning a blind eye to influential people, exonerating high-ranking officials from responsibility for corruption and, in practice, providing unwritten immunity to the administrative elite.

According to ACC sources, since August 15, the commission has announced plans to investigate at least 35 former ministers. The investigations will focus on allegations of corruption during their time in office.

Former ministers under scrutiny include Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, AHM Mustafa Kamal, Shajahan Khan, Zillul Hakim, Tipu Munshi, Nasrul Hamid, Anisul Huq, Dipu Moni, Tajul Islam, Junaid Ahmed Palak, Zahid Malek, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel, Hasanul Haq Inu and Hasana Mahmud.

In addition, at least 38 former MPs are currently on the wanted list. They include Ashim Kumar Ukil, Saifuzzaman Shikhor, Dhirendra Devnath Shambhu, Kujendra Lal Tripura, Sheikh Afil Uddin, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Enamul Haque, Solaiman Haque Joarder and Shah Alam Talukder.

The former ministers and parliamentarians have been charged with various offences, including abuse of office, illegally amassing assets worth thousands of crores of taka, smuggling money and gold abroad and amassing unusual assets in the names of their family members.

Former ACC director general Maidul Islam told TBS: “Despite complaints against these individuals, the ACC could not take any action for a long time. The files remained unattended. After the fall of the authoritarian regime, the cases are being investigated.

“This clearly indicates that the previous government had significant influence over the ACC. Under the current government, that influence no longer exists.”

Once a complaint is filed with the ACC, a review board reviews it and recommends whether to pursue an investigation. However, influential figures have largely escaped scrutiny.

Officials said that last year, the ACC received 15,437 complaints, of which only 845 were accepted for investigation. In the first six months of this year, of 5,300 complaints, only 363 were accepted for investigation.

In other words, despite receiving over a thousand complaints a month, only 50-60 of them are selected for investigation, most of them relating to petty corruption.

Officials say there has been a shift towards focusing on serious corruption cases since the fall of the Awami League government.

A senior ACC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TBS: “Only 4-5% of the complaints we receive are referred to the review board for investigation. However, in August, the number of investigations increased significantly.

“Although the ACC was supposed to be independent, it could not take up cases against influential figures without a signal from above, which allowed many ministers, MPs and bureaucrats to escape accountability,” he added.

Former police chief Benazir Ahmed, however, appeared before the ACC before Hasina’s fall, but only after a national daily published a two-part report on his undisclosed asset acquisitions. The watchdog uncovered a significant amount of wealth linked to Benazir and his family members.

Moreover, former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and former DB chief Harun Or Rashid recently came under the ACC’s microscope.

The former DB chief is accused of owning at least 18 properties (land and buildings) in Uttara, Dhaka alone, along with properties in other areas.

Additionally, the ACC is investigating allegations against former Cabinet Secretary Kabir bin Anwar of amassing huge assets.

The ongoing investigations also include former army chief General Aziz Ahmed and his brothers, Haris Ahmed and Tofail Ahmed Joseph, who face various charges, including possession of illegal assets, money laundering and illegal transactions.

Former National Security Intelligence (NSI) Director General TM Jobair is under scrutiny for allegedly amassing significant assets in the country and laundering large sums of money through London, Dubai, Singapore and Turkey.

In addition to ministers, MPs and officials, the ACC is currently investigating three prominent businessmen who had close ties to the ousted AL government.

Businessman Salman F. Rahman, a former MP and advisor to the prime minister on private industry and investment, faces charges of laundering thousands of crores of taka through widespread corruption, looting, stock fraud and financial fraud over the past 15 years.

Saiful Alam Masud of S Alam Group is under investigation for defrauding about Rs 1 trillion from six banks, including state-owned banks.

Businessman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat is accused of misappropriating funds through corruption and abuse of office, engaging in stock fraud and committing loan fraud to the tune of Tk 400 crore at Padma Bank.

ACC Secretary Khorseda Yasmeen recently told the media that the ACC is working systematically, following the rules in its investigations. While earlier, secret investigations were conducted against these individuals, now public investigations have been launched.

The ACC has previously investigated various ministers and parliamentarians, including BNP chairwoman Khaleda Zia and Awami League chairwoman Sheikh Hasina, during the 9/11 events.

However, when the Awami League took power in 2009, its members were largely shielded from ACC investigations, although proceedings against opposition activists continued.

Manjur A Chowdhury, chairman of the Centre for Governance Study (CGS), told TBS: “We always hoped that the ACC would act as an impartial institution, but it has not. Between 2006 and 2016, around 22,000 complaints were filed, but 18,000 were dismissed.”

He added: “In 2023, only 250 people were charged with official corruption in 195 cases. How is this possible? Given the 18 crore people in the country, this data suggests that Bangladesh is the most corruption-free country in the world.”

How will ACC fare in the future?

Analysts say the question remains whether the watchdog will be able to maintain the current trend and momentum under a political government.

Manjur A Chowdhury argued that corruption is primarily perpetrated by government officials, who have also been appointed to the ACC. “The ACC needs reform and should be run by members of civil society, not bureaucrats. He suggested that ACC cells should be set up in every ministry and department,” he said.

“The current approach of the ACC also lacks transparency. This government is targeting specific individuals and the BNP (if elected to power) is likely to do the same. The ACC still does not operate independently,” he added.