Although the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has finalised a total of 439 complaints for conducting investigation in the past 11 months of this year, but it has exempted the accused of 227 complaints while 48 complaints secured acquittal order from the court.
Sources said that after August 5, the anti-corruption agency had to go through a busy time in operations, investigations and investigations against corruption. After the fall of the Awami League government, the ACC started a record number of investigations in three consecutive months in ---August, September and October.
The commission started investigation a total of 31 complaints in August and a total of 100 complaints in September while it started investigation of 73 complaints in October. But, the commission did not start a single investigation in the month of November, sources added.
Sources said that in the past 11 months of this year (January-November), after scrutinizing and sorting out various complaints, a total of 439 complaints were taken into account for investigation. Out of these, 227 complaints were closed (exempted from charges) and 48 cases were acquitted.
According to the sources, the commission filed a total of 345 cases in 2024 while it filed a total of 404 cases and charge sheets have been submitted in 368 cases in the year of 2023.
After the fall of the Awami League government, a record number of investigations were started in August, September and October, but the rhythm suddenly broke with the resignation of two commissioners including the chairman.
After August 5, the anti-corruption agency had to against 'big fish'
go through a busy time in operations, investigations and investigations of corruption. Although the number of cases filed this year has decreased, the number of people who have been exempted from charges has increased. However, in August, September and October, the ACC suddenly came into discussion about investigating more than 250 VIPs, including ministers and MPs of the Awami League government.
The state-run ACC, which operates in teams, suddenly shifted gears in the changing situation. After the fall of the Awami League government and the interim government taking over office, the ACC began investigation of corruption of at least 100 ministers and MPs, former top bureaucrats, university vice-chancellors, businessmen and top police officials of the previous government.
While the organization's investigation list had 180 names in the first two months of the interim government, it exceeded 200 in the third month. Most in the list are Awami League ministers, state ministers, and MPs and close associates of the previous government. Not only that, bank accounts, movable and immovable assets have been frozen in their names and identities.
To speed up the investigation work, a ban has been imposed on half a hundred people from travelling abroad. Although many have already left the country, some top leaders and activists have also been arrested. Most of them have been accused of abusing power, accepting bribes, looting banks, money laundering, illegal recruitments, tender rigging, commission trading, seizure of government and private land and property and acquiring undeclared assets worth thousands of crores of taka through various immoral activities.
However, although almost all the ministers of the Awami League government are on the list of corruption investigations, no investigation has been initiated against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Soon after the reformation of the commission by appointing new chairman and commissioners, the ACC brought speed back to the corruption investigations.
In just a week since its formation, the new commission's scrutiny of heavyweight corruption suspects, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina among them, has gathered fast pace.
In December 12-19, the agency filed 20 cases against around 100 mostly powerful corruption suspects, former ministers, lawmakers, top bosses of banks and businessmen among them.
"The commission will not spare any corrupt individual, and no favouritism will be shown to any special cadres or individuals," stated its Director General for Prevention Md Aktar Hossain.
Officials said that the commission's activities were almost stalled for more than one month until the appointment of a new chairman and commissioners on December 10.
After joining office on December 11, its new Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen said the commission would start probes into the allegations against 'big fish' immediately, as it was the expectation of people.
"We will take action immediately about those cases of corruption that significantly affected the country and take action against the culprits behind the corruption," he said at the time.
Regarding inquiries, the commission has started an inquiry into allegations of embezzling Tk 80,000 crore by Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Rehana's daughter Tulip Siddiq from different development projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project initiated during the Awami League regime.
Former senior secretary Mohammad Abdul Momen was appointed as the commission chairman with former district and sessions judge Mia Mohammad Ali Akbar Azizi and Brig Gen (retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid appointed as commissioners on December 9.
