IT is with deep regret that we note the departure of Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury from the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC). The resignation of the ACC chairman clearly raises a number of questions, the answers to which have not been provided by either Chowdhury or the government. There is, though, the subtle feeling that not everything had been going well for the ACC chief since the general elections in December despite his apparent belief that the new government would give him the cooperation necessary to continue the drive against corruption. The retired general met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and then emerged to tell waiting newsmen of the satisfactory nature of their talks.

One cannot say with certainty that the ACC under Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury did not stumble in some areas. Indeed, at times it appeared that the commission became overwhelmed with the cases it was filing against allegedly corrupt politicians, businessmen and others. But such an assessment does not detract from the fact that General Chowdhury's stewardship of the ACC made a huge and positive impact. In a society where politics increasingly came to be mired in corruption, Chowdhury and his colleagues at the ACC began their job with missionary zeal. The ACC went resolutely after people suspected of corrupt dealings; it was a job that cut across party lines. For the first time in Bangladesh's tortuous history, the message went out that individuals and institutions could not indulge in bad deeds and then expect to get away with their act. For a country that for years had earned the sobriquet of being among the most corrupt of nations globally, the ACC's drive was clearly aimed at turning a new leaf. The ACC instilled hope in the nation.

We regret Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's inability to withstand pressure, if any, to have the ACC chairman quit. We feel that she should have resisted that in line with her message of change. It is now our hope, though, that the government will ensure that a postChowdhury ACC will be as assertive as it was under its just departed chief and that the anti-corruption drive will not slow down. At the same time, we feel that nothing should be done or said, especially by those in power, which might raise questions about the future of the ACC. In this context, the happiness that the minister of state for law exuded on Thursday about Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury's resignation was disappointing and in less than good taste.

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury is to be credited for creating awareness about corruption throughout the country. A man of decency and integrity, he has earned the enduring respect of the nation. Only time will tell whether his actions inaugurated a process of positive change.