Govt officials must submit wealth statements: HC

The High Court on Tuesday ordered the authorities concerned to implement the rules regarding the submission and disclosure of wealth statements by government officials.

It also ordered submission of a progress report on it within three months.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed as a public interest litigation.

The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directive should not be given asking government servants to submit or publish their wealth statements as per section 13 of the Government Servants Ordinance-1979.

It also sought explanation as to why directives should not be given to formulate a guideline for taking effective measures to control the accumulation illegal wealth by government servants.

The Cabinet secretary and nine others were made respondents to the rule, said Advocate Subir Nandi, a counsel of the writ petitioner.

Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state while Advocate Fazlul Haque stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The HC bench said corruption is an impediment to development and good governance and so it has to be stopped at any cost.

Not only the government, people have to stand against corruption and the resistance should start from every house, it said.

It stressed the need for building social movement against corruption.

Earlier, on Monday, a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directive on submission of wealth statements by government officials and publishing them on the designated website.

Supreme Court lawyer Subir Nandi Das filed the writ petition with the wing concerned of the High Court on Sunday.