High Court Questions ACC Over Unfilled Vacancies Despite Qualified Candidates

The High Court has issued a rule demanding an explanation from authorities regarding the failure to appoint 14 candidates who successfully completed the recruitment process for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The candidates, who applied for deputy assistant director positions, argue they met all qualifications but were subsequently overlooked.

Filed by Umar Faruk and 13 other candidates, the writ petition challenges the ACC's decision not to appoint them despite existing vacancies. The court is examining whether the authorities' inaction is lawful and seeks to understand the reasons behind the exclusion of these qualified individuals. Barrister Mohammad Humaun Kabir Pallob represented the petitioners, highlighting the alleged departure from established recruitment procedures.

The ACC had issued a recruitment notice in November 2019 for several positions, including deputy assistant director. The petitioners successfully navigated all stages, including the viva voce examinations in April 2021. While the ACC appointed 147 candidates in April 2022, the petitioners claim the full results were not published, and they later discovered that many appointed candidates had accepted other jobs, leaving posts vacant.

According to government rules, vacant positions should be filled from a merit-based waiting list if recommended candidates do not join within the specified timeframe. The petitioners' lawyer pointed out that while the ACC followed this procedure for court inspector posts, it was not applied to the assistant director recruitment. This alleged deviation from standard practice, they argue, has violated the petitioners' fundamental rights.

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The ACC followed this procedure for the court inspector posts but did not do so for the assistant director recruitment.