‘Corruption not died down in line with people’s expectations’

The intensity of corruption has not died down in line with people's expectations despite thousands of arrests across the country, said the Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Iqbal Mahmood.

The anti-corruption watchdog boss made the comment while attending "Preventing Corruption to Establish Governance: Role of Public-Private Partnership" programme at Oxfam Bangladesh's office in the capital's Mohakhali on Thursday.  

Iqbal Mahmood said as he took charge in 2016, the commission immediately brought people, accused in cases filed with it, under the rule of law.

"During that period, more than a thousand were arrested. I thought it would bring corruption to a tolerable level. But the reality has been different."

The anti-corruption watchdog boss said it is hard to change the behavior and perception of the adults as some of them get involved in crimes in cold blood and show a lot of arguments to defend their crimes.

"To control these people, the commission has taken strategies of imbuing moral values among the youths along with taking stern actions."  

As part of this strategy, to develop moral values among the youths, debate competitions in cooperation with Oxfam were organised in 26, 213 educational institutions across the country.

Most of the money from the commission's preventive programme is being spent on the youths, said the chairman, adding if these activities can produce 10,000 people with a moral value that would be an excellent asset for the country.