Quader wants to know meaning of ‘good faith’ as described by ACC chief Iqbal

What the Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC chief meant by “good faith” while speaking about graft is not clear to Obaidul Quader.

“Corruption is corruption. It has no second explanation,” the road transport and bridges minister remarked on Friday.

Quader, the general secretary of the Awami League, responded to a reporter at a news conference at the ruling party chief’s Dhanmondi offices in Dhaka.

ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood made the comments in response to a reporter’s question about the Public Service Act on Thursday after a session on Cabinet Division-related work at the deputy commissioners’ conference at the Secretariat.

Public servants will not be liable to punishment for any offence if they act in “good faith”, but they must prove that the action was done in “good faith”, the ACC chief said.  

Quader said he was not aware of Iqbal’s comments. “I want to see corruption as corruption.” 

“I would like to know what he meant by ‘good faith’. Corruption is corruption...some are involved in small corruption, some others in big ones,” he said.

The Awami League leader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her firm stance against corruption when they discussed the issue in detail at the last meeting of their Working Committee.

He also said “international politics” plays a role in “largely identifying a country” as one being riddled with corruption.