Truth and Accountability Commission
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| name = Truth and Accountability Commission
| formation = 30 July 2008
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| headquarters = Dhaka, Bangladesh
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| language = Bengali
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| region_served = Bangladesh
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The Truth and Accountability Commission ({{Langx|bn|সত্য ও জবাবদিহি কমিশন}}), also known as the Truth Commission,{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=AMM Shawkat |title=Truth Commission |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Truth_Commission |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Banglapedia}} was a Bangladesh government regulatory commission formed by the Fakhruddin Ahmed led caretaker government to investigate corruption. It was eventually declared illegal by the courts.{{Cite news |date=2011-05-16 |title=Bangladesh truth commission is declared 'illegal' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13410976 |access-date=2022-03-28}}{{Cite news |title=Law and Our Rights |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/law/2008/10/01/index.htm |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star}} The commission was headed by Justice Habibur Rahman Khan.{{Cite news |title=Justice Habibur Rahman Khan passes away |url=https://www.observerbd.com/2015/10/21/116617.php |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Observer}}
History
The Truth and Accountability Commission was established on 30 July 2008 by the Fakhruddin Ahmed led caretaker government to increase the speed of corruption cases.{{Cite web |title=Bangladesh: Truth and Accountability Commission Declared Illegal |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2008-12-15/bangladesh-truth-and-accountability-commission-declared-illegal/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Library of Congress}}{{Cite news |date=2008-04-04 |title=The Truth Commission |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-30625 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Faisal |first=Farhad |last2=e-mail |first2=On |date=2008-03-28 |title=Truth commission |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-29525 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} The caretaker government had arrested numerous politicians including former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia on corruption charges. The commission was made up of a former judge of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, retired comptroller and auditor general Asif Ali, and a retired major general, Manzur Rashid Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Army.{{Cite news |date=2008-07-31 |title=Truth Commission gets chief, members |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-48283 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
The commission had the authority to provide immunity to those who confessed to corruption and give their ill-gotten wealth to the government. During the commission's short lived life 448 people confessed and deposited 340 million taka in the government treasury. Transparency International Bangladesh noted that the commission collected arbitrary amounts as fines from corruption suspects.{{Cite web |title=Anti-Corruption Commission: How can it be truly effective? - Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) |url=https://www.ti-bangladesh.org/beta3/index.php/en/articles-op-eds/5775-anti-corruption-commission-how-can-it-be-truly-effective |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=www.ti-bangladesh.org}} Former president Hussain Muhammad Ershad in an opinion piece in The Daily Star described the commission as "impractical".{{Cite news |last=Ershad |first=Hussain Muhammad |date=2007-10-21 |title=Truth commission: An impractical proposition in Bangladesh context |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-8154 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} The amount reported by suspects and deposited by them was only a small fraction of the amount the Anti-Corruption Commission estimated they had stolen.{{Cite news |last=Hossain |first=Emran |date=2009-01-20 |title=Lies in the Truth Commission |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-72067 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
On 25 August 2008, Supreme Court of Bangladesh lawyers and politicians filed petitions challenging the legality of the commission based on the argument that only courts are authorized to give verdicts according to the Constitution of Bangladesh. On 13 November 2008, Bangladesh High Court declared the Truth and Accountability Commission illegal. The verdict was delivered by justices Mir Hasmat Ali and Shamim Hasnain.{{Cite news |date=2008-11-14 |title=Truth Commission not legal |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-63260 |access-date=2022-03-28 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina disclosed the names of 456 people who had confessed to the commission in April 2009.{{Cite news |date=2009-04-02 |title=PM discloses list of 456 people seeking Tac clemency |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-82377 |access-date=2022-10-04 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}