Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Dr. Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah has warned of a new kind of threat emerging in public administration, referring to what he described as the rise of "fake coordinators" seeking undue influence under the banner of the so-called "Fifth August Division."
Speaking at a views-exchange meeting in Barishal on Thursday, Dr. Abdullah said, "After independence, we saw the emergence of a force we used to call the `Sixteenth Division.` Now, we are facing another crisis—the rise of fake coordinators, which I’m calling the `Fifth August Division.` We are having to deal with this as well."
The event, held at the Barishal Circuit House, was attended by government and autonomous agency officials from the Barishal division. The meeting focused on ways to ensure corruption-free and harassment-free public service and to improve service quality.
The ACC chairman revealed that such impersonators had even made their way into his own office. "There’s no reason to give illegal advantage to either fake or even so-called legitimate coordinators," he said. "Government officials must collectively resist such interference. Only then can we be freed from many future crises."
Addressing the ongoing political transition, Dr. Abdullah cautioned public officials against aligning themselves with any specific political party ahead of the upcoming national election. "Leaning toward a particular party in anticipation of power change is not the right approach. Our job is to deliver neutral service. A major challenge lies ahead—the national election—and we all must contribute to ensuring a fair process. Interim Government Chief Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus will oversee the polls."
Dr. Abdullah also urged the ACC to shift focus toward preventive measures rather than solely investigating past incidents. "Our priority should be to prevent future corruption. We should work less on past events and more on current and upcoming risks. But unfortunately, we spend too much time chasing old cases. We must acknowledge our mistakes and correct them."
Calling for moral accountability, he advised all officials to make the most of their time in office and uphold integrity. "Don’t let your children remember you as a corrupt parent. Even female officials are now involved in bribery, which is a deeply concerning trend."
The discussion meeting was chaired by Additional Divisional Commissioner Ahsan Habib. Other speakers included Barishal ACC Director Mozahar Ali Sardar, Deputy Commissioner Delwar Hossain, DIG Manzur Morshed Alam, and ACC Director General (Prevention) Md. Akhtar Hossain.
Prior to the meeting, the ACC chairman inaugurated the construction of a five-storey divisional ACC building in Khan Sarak area of Barishal city. The project, which will be built on approximately 44 decimals of land, is estimated to cost over BDT 123.2 million.
