BNP wants ‘govt corruption’ to be probed; writes to ACC to take steps

The BNP has sent a letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), demanding an investigation into the alleged corruption of the ruling party and the government.

An official letter was handed over to ACC officials at its headquarters in Dhaka by a BNP delegation led by the party's Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal around 1pm on Monday.

Earlier, addressing a press at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the ACC is not taking into cognizance the probe reports into various incidents of corruption.

"Rather, they're trying to hush up those matters. So, we've decided in the highest forum of our party that we will write to the ACC requesting them to investigate the incidents of graft," Fakhrul said.

In turn, Hasan Mahmud, information and broadcasting minister and joint general secretary of the ruling Awami League, ruled out the allegations and accused the opposition BNP of staging a drama in the name of lodging complaints with the ACC.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir further said they will continue to raise various allegations of corruption and write to the ACC for taking proper action.

As per the decision, the BNP secretary general said Alal was given the responsibility to submit a letter to the ACC on Monday requesting it to look into the content of the leaked telephone conversation between a minister and an adviser to the prime minister and the allegation of syphoning off Tk2,000 crore abroad by a member of a family in Faridpur.

"We hope that good sense will prevail upon the ACC to conduct proper investigations into the issues of corruption we're informing it," the BNP leader said.

He also urged the ACC to make public the findings of their probes into the allegations and take proper legal action accordingly.

Meanwhile, ACC Secretary Mahbub Hossain said the graft watchdog will examine the complaints submitted by the BNP and take steps according to laws.

Answering journalists Monday, he said their dockets will be reviewed.

"Two complaints have been lodged here. Complaints have been received at two registrars. According to the rules of the ACC, action will be taken after reviewing," he told the reporters.

During a programme at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said, "When world champions in corruption talk about corruption, it sparks laughter among the people. In the real sense, the BNP has gone to the ACC to stage a drama."

Replying to a question about the BNP's ACC move, "I saw on television that the 'Alal-Dulals' have gone to the ACC on behalf of those who became world champions in corruption."

"I think if the ACC interrogates them, it will get the information about the looting that took place through 'Hawa Bhaban' and how the country has become a five-time champion in corruption because of them," he added.

Asked about Hridoy Chandra Mondal, a school teacher in Munshiganj, Hasan expressed satisfaction with his bail, saying the entire incident is unfortunate and unexpected.

"Even after his release on bail, there was an internal conspiracy of the teachers against him. I think there may be someone else behind it," he added.

In response to a question about the BNP secretary general calling Pakistan's electoral system the ideal of democracy, the minister said, "We have been saying for so long that Pakistan is the ideal for the BNP and its allies. The founder of their party, Ziaur Rahman, wanted to confederate the country with Pakistan, but could not. The fact that they still follow Pakistan, and want to take the country to Pakistani ideology, was revealed by Mirza Fakhrul yesterday."