ACC hotline gets huge response in five days

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DHAKA, Aug 1, 2017 (BSS) – The toll-free Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) hotline number 106, dedicated to receive graft allegations directly from the people, has got a hue response from across the country in only five days after its inception.

The hotline received several thousands of graft allegations, mostly relating to bribery in the land offices, ACC Deputy Director and Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told BSS today.

“We have already received several thousands of allegations of corruption and irregularities immediately after the introduction of the hotline five days back. Most of the allegations are related to bribery in the land offices across the country,” he said.

He added that the ACC hotline has also received many allegations of graft and irregularities relating to the social safety net programmes such as TR (Test Relief) and KaBiKha (Kajer Binimoye Khadya-Food for Work).

People from different parts of the country also phoned for registering complaints about acquiring illegal wealth by different persons and personal disputes over ownership of land, he said, adding that in many of the cases the allegations are not specified.

The ACC has only taken into consideration the allegations which are scheduled offences as per the laws, he said.

Earlier on July 27, Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the ACC hotline at the ACC headquarters with a view to intensifying drives against corruption.

“We have started hotline 106 to learn about corrupt acts before and after their happening to take swift actions. The hotline will create a direct relationship between the ACC and the people,” ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood said at the inauguration ceremony.

The toll-free hotline is receiving allegations from 9am to 5pm on work days.

ACC has framed a policy on the types and natures of complaints to be entertained for subsequent actions. The identity of the complainant will be kept undisclosed.

Some 50 trained ACC staff will write down the complaints to be received through the hotline, housed at the second floor of ACC headquarters, and then place them before the commission for subsequent actions.

In the traditional practice, people drop their written statements on corruption in complaint boxes set up at ACC offices across the country.