No major anti-graft drive ahead of polls: 76 corruption cases out of 222 only priority

Adviser for Home Affairs Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin yesterday said that the government would not go for any major anti-corruption drive before general elections slated for December.

"We will not go for any major anti-corruption drive before the general elections," he told reporters when asked whether the government plans to go for major anti-graft drive before the polls. "Rather, our main priority will be to carry on legal process against the 76 listed corrupt individuals."

Matin, who is also the chairman of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Serious Crime and Corruption, made the remarks at the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday after returning to his ministry attending a meeting of the NCC at the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka Cantonment.

The Adviser's remarks on anti-corruption drive came following the announcement of election schedule of four city corporations and nine pourashavas by the Election Commission.

He said out of 222 corruption cases dealt with by the NCC, 76 cases have been prioritised considering the importance of the offence and persons involved in the cases.

"The government has no plan to launch any more major anti-corruption drive. Considering the importance we will carry on the major cases. There are 222 cases and we have given priority to some cases. They include 76 cases. Normal legal proceedings in these cases will continue to go on," he said.

The NCC chairman said the Law Ministry, Anti-Corruption Commission, Attorney General's Office and the NCC have already made the coordination among themselves in dealing with the cases.

With the help of army-led joint forces, the government had launched the much-talked about anti-corruption drive across the country after the 1/11 last year. Later, the National Coordination Committee for Serious Crime and Corruption was formed. In the first phase, the NCC published the list of 101 corrupt suspects and in the second phase, it published the list of 50 corrupt suspects.

Besides, another list of corrupt suspects was prepared. Many of former ministers, members of parliament, leaders of major political parties, businessmen and government officials were arrested on charges of corruption. As many as 222 cases against these corrupt suspects were filed with different police stations of the country.