Bangladesh Home Minister Pledges Stronger Anti-Corruption Commission Amid Appointment Delays

Photo Collected

A+ A A-

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed defended the government’s commitment to combating corruption during a parliamentary session on Monday, announcing that a search committee is finally being formed to appoint new leadership for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Addressing lawmakers during a debate on supplementary budget allocations, the minister emphasized that the state is working toward establishing a more robust anti-graft framework, though he characterized the current search process as a necessary interim measure.

The ACC has been effectively paralyzed since March 3, when the positions of the chairman and commissioners became vacant. While the interim government previously issued an ordinance to strengthen the commission, the legislature did not ratify it, leading to the reversion of the selection process to the original legal framework. The Home Minister explained that delays in forming the new search committee were not due to government negligence but rather a lack of administrative cooperation, specifically noting that the Chief Justice had only recently appointed a representative to the committee.

During the debate, independent lawmaker Rumin Farhana sharply criticized the government’s progress, pointing to public perception that ranks politicians and bureaucrats as the most corrupt professions in the country. Farhana questioned the administration’s sincerity, noting that while the government has successfully passed over a hundred other ordinances into law, it has failed to enact the necessary reforms to transform the ACC from what she termed a “toothless tiger” into an effective institution.

Bangladesh appoints new secretaries for Anti-Corruption Commission and Public Service Commission

Read More

Responding to these criticisms, Minister Ahmed acknowledged the prevalence of graft across multiple sectors, yet he pushed back against the narrative that politicians bear sole responsibility. He argued that while politicians are often the final signatories on official files, they are frequently the target of systemic blame for failures that originate elsewhere. He assured the house that once the commission is reconstituted, the government intends to introduce a new, comprehensive law aimed at empowering the ACC to address corruption more aggressively.

Other members of parliament also weighed in on the institutional failings of the watchdog agency. Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Masud argued that the commission has historically lacked genuine independence, claiming that past appointments were driven by ideological alignment rather than merit. He highlighted a pervasive lack of accountability within the body, suggesting that structural reform remains a critical hurdle for any future anti-corruption efforts in Bangladesh.