The Council of Advisers on Monday, February 5, decided that Bangladesh would sign the UN Convention on AntiCorruption. At its regular weekly meeting with the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, in the chair, the council directed the foreign ministry to immediately initiate necessary measures for signing the United Nations Convention on Prevention of Corruption.

The convention encourages its signatories to set up autonomous anticorruption watchdogs, meritbased and impartial public service recruitment, public service codes of conduct, publication of government expenditure and to ensure transparency in election campaign funding, among others. Ratification of the convention will also allow Bangladesh to enjoy international cooperation to combat corruption and also set up international auditing and accounting standards for the local private sector, TIB said. One hundred and forty eight countries are currently signatories to the convention.