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Law adviser Professor Asif Nazrul on Monday said that Sheikh Hasina turned the Anti-Corruption Commission and the judiciary into her slaves during the Awami League rule in the country.

The ACC and judiciary failed to ensure justice and accountability in most cases, he said as chief guest while addressing a discussion arranged by ACC at the Institutions of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, in Dhaka marking International Anti-Corruption Day 2024.

Asif said, ‘There was an ACC, there was a High Court, but there were no trials except for Khaleda Zia, and the corruption became entrenched in society due to the lack of accountability.’

Mentioning that Sheikh Hasina and her entire family were 'thieves,' Asif Nazrul said that ‘No one could speak in front of that 'thief' (Hasina). The ACC and the judiciary had become her slaves. Now there is no interference.’

Expressing frustration about corruption, he said the corruption had become an ‘accepted norm’ in the society. ‘No one asks, where has so much money come from?’

Asif said, ‘We used to hear peoples saying at places about the names of the cashiers of Sheikh Hasina, Rehana, and Salman, through whom does Joy gets money, whose money does Palak (former state minister of ICT) keep.’

He said, ‘There was the ACC, there was also the High Court, but no trial took place except Khaleda Zia. She kept Tk 3 crore in a bank; no one embezzled or touched a single penny from there, but the ACC and the judiciary jointly sentenced the three-time former prime minister to 10 years in prison only for a procedural error.’

Referring to a controversial statement by the former prime minister, he said, ‘How does a prime minister's peon claim to own Tk 400 crore and laugh about it during a press conference? The entire family was complicit in corruption. During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, the ACC and judiciary became her subservient.’

Asif said that the ACC commissioners, before resigning, had approved inquiries against hundreds of ministers and businessmen who stole and became owners of thousands of crores of taka in the past. ‘Now you conduct the inquiry and prove that you can work if you get a good environment. This is our and the entire country’s desire from you.’

He emphasised the need for immediate reform and activation of the ACC to address previous corruption effectively. ‘We cannot leave the ACC dormant. The new commission must be empowered to tackle corruption effectively,’ he added.

 ‘We must stop blaming only politicians and take responsibility for our own actions. Learning from the youth and fostering a culture of accountability are essential,’ he added.

ACC secretary Khorsheda Yasmeen presided over the discussion. The discussion also underscored the necessity of reform within the ACC and judiciary to ensure their independence and efficiency.