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Bangladesh sets up Truth Commission

DHAKA: The military-backed caretaker government has approved a controversial proposal to set up a Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC) to let people voluntarily admit to their corruption, deposit ill-gotten wealth to the exchequer and seek mercy.

An official press release said the TAC had been created to curb corruption and reduce the massive load of cases through quick adjudication within 30 days of filing the application. The commission would become functional after the President promulgates an ordinance.

The TAC’s formation has received mixed reactions from civil society and politicians, who said the government’s move had proved that it bowed down to high-profilers with corruption charges.

According to the ordinance, the commission would have a five-month tenure. However, it would continue to function even after the stipulated time to clear cases filed during its tenure, said lawyer Anisul Huq, who was part of the team that framed the ordinance.

The commission would be headed by a chairman, preferably a retired Chief Justice or a retired judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and two members — to be selected from those not below the rank of a retired Major General or a retired government secretary or an eminent citizen.

According to the draft approved by the council of advisers on Sunday, those willing to voluntarily disclose their ill-gotten wealth would be exempted from prosecution and imprisonment, subject to surrendering the property or corresponding amount of money with the state exchequer.

However, a person already charged with or convicted in a corruption case would not enjoy the benefits of the provision.

Also, those who disclosed their corruption would be debarred from national or local elections for five years, holding any public office, executive positions in any collective bargaining agents, associations or banks or financial institutions.

The government launched a crackdown on corruption last year and detainment of more than 200 suspects, mostly politicians from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League.

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