Anti-Corruption Commission resumes work with new leadership after 166-day vacancy

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has resumed operations with a newly appointed chairman and two commissioners, filling a leadership void that persisted for 166 days. Retired Appellate Division Justice AKM Asaduzzaman takes the helm as chairman, joined by former secretary Jahangir Alam Khan and ex-National Board of Revenue tax commissioner Md Sazzad Hossain Bhuiyan as commissioners.

The appointments come after the anti-graft body's top decision-making body remained vacant for over five months. This prolonged absence complicated crucial functions, including the approval of new inquiries, the filing of cases, the freezing of assets, and the imposition of travel bans. The previous commission's members stepped down on March 3, leaving the ACC inoperative.

According to a Cabinet Division notification, the trio was appointed under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, and will serve five-year terms. The chairman will hold a position equivalent to an Appellate Division judge, while the commissioners will receive benefits comparable to High Court Division judges. The government had formed a five-member search committee in June to recommend candidates for these posts.

The newly formed commission is expected to confront a substantial backlog of complaints, inquiries, and investigations that piled up during the leadership vacuum. Justice Asaduzzaman brings experience from the High Court and Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court, while Jahangir Alam Khan has held various government positions. Sazzad Hossain Bhuiyan has prior experience in the NBR's tax wing and led the Financial Reporting Council.

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We will take charge of the commission today.