Sajal Mahmud: Bangladesh has achieved enviable success in economic progress. Not only the economy, Bangladesh`s achievements in various social indicators such as infant mortality, maternal mortality, average life expectancy, etc. have been praised globally. In order to continue this trend of success, corruption and irregularities must be prevented and honesty and justice must be established at all levels of the state.

Corruption is considered as one of the main obstacles to the socio-economic progress of Bangladesh. The reality is that corruption is a crime that undermines all development. Goal number 16 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is to create peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. It can be understood from this that it is not possible to build effective accountability institutions without eradicating corruption. Corruption is considered as a global problem. Because there is a prevalence of corruption in all developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Corruption deprives people of the benefits of democracy and the rule of law. Through this, human rights are violated, market management is distorted, organized crime increases. The impact of corruption is more pronounced in developing countries. Corruption gradually cripples the economic capacity of the state. Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission is continuously conducting multi-dimensional activities to combat this all-encompassing crime. The Commission is carrying out its duties in an integrated manner in anti-corruption, control, prevention and development of anti-corruption social values by following the existing laws and regulations. The Commission is constantly conducting numerous preventive operations to prevent corruption before it takes place. Due to these operations it has been possible to prevent corruption in some cases before it takes place. Government assets have been recovered, numerous citizens have received their desired services without harassment, service providers have become aware. Again, as soon as the incident of corruption occurs, action is also taken to investigate the complaint. Criminals are prosecuted. They were investigated and handed over to the law. In other words, prevention, investigation, investigation and prosecution are carried out with equal importance from the Anti-Corruption Commission. Again, the commission is arranging interaction between government officials and service-seeking people through activities like public hearings. Through this, on the one hand, local government officials have to be held accountable, and citizens are becoming aware of their rights. Overall, anti-corruption awareness is developing at the grassroots level.

 Through the commission`s own outreach program, the country`s city, metropolis, district, upazila, and even the union level, through the anti-corruption committee, which consists of citizens with a clean image, is implementing various programs with the aim of instilling honesty and loyalty in the society. It is also annual with students of educational institutions. Conducting various cultural activities including debate competition, essay competition. These activities are being conducted from the country`s villages to the capital`s educational institutions. The youth will rise against corruption. It is the son who will restrain the father from corruption. In anticipation of this, the Commission on Youth is working on a long-term strategy. However, it is not yet time to say that the level of corruption has decreased as per public demand. But it may be true that public awareness against corruption has increased. It may have broken the idea that the law will not touch me. The mindset of the criminal to think himself above the law has also changed. Yet the reality is that it is difficult for the ACC as a single institution to control a multidimensional criminal offense like corruption with limited resources. It is natural that strong protests will come from every level of society to control corruption. Teachers-students, mass media, civil society, bureaucracy, politicians, professionals together with all come forward from their own position against corruption will end the ugly culture of corruption. A pure society of pure people will be built. The realization of the constitutional promise will come when the state will block all avenues to enjoy unearned income. Bangladesh will emerge in the light by cutting the darkness.

Social power can play the biggest role in preventing these few corrupt greedy people from corruption. People`s intense hatred of the socially corrupt can be the most powerful weapon in controlling corruption. There is no alternative to economic development and education for the development of self-esteem of people. Many say that the beauty of education is to acquire the ability to judge what is right and what is wrong. The Anti-Corruption Commission is working relentlessly to prevent corruption as a major obstacle to economic development and education of the people. If we deeply analyze the Sustainable Development Goals declared by the United Nations, then the essence is to educate the youth with quality education to build a sustainable future. Anti-Corruption Commission is conducting multi-dimensional activities as a small effort to inculcate moral values in the minds of young students. According to various studies, it is very difficult to change the thinking and mentality of mature people. However, to build a corruption-free society, it is essential to change the mindset of people. Anti-Corruption Commission is implementing various programs for this purpose. However, priority is being given to the youth in the implementation of these programs. Strategies have been adopted to prevent corruption by instilling moral values in their minds. As part of this strategy, debate competitions are being organized for the students of most of the secondary education institutions in the country to develop their moral values. One of ACC`s objectives is to create anti-corruption social movement through the active participation of teachers-students, parents and local dignitaries through these creative programs. In 2017, the commission formed 25 government institution-based institutional teams to ensure good governance, institutional capacity building and harassment-free government services of the country`s government institutions. The institutional team identifies the sources and causes of corruption, irregularities, mismanagement, public harassment in the concerned institutions and formulates clear recommendations to prevent them. The members of this institutional team prepare recommendations by discussing with various stakeholders, reviewing various documents, analyzing the existing laws and regulations of all those institutions, inspecting various activities on the ground, reviewing information received from the media and information received from intelligence sources of the commission. In 2019, the monitoring report of 08 institutional teams has been sent by the commission through the cabinet department to the concerned ministries for taking necessary measures.

Corruption is one of the main obstacles to the socio-economic progress of Bangladesh. Many of our progress is destroyed due to corruption. No country in the world has been able to completely stop corruption, but many countries have succeeded in controlling corruption.