Search Committee Receives 40 Applications to Lead Anti-Corruption Commission
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Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is moving toward a functional reboot as approximately 40 candidates have submitted applications to lead the embattled anti-graft agency, which has remained leaderless for more than three months. The search committee, tasked with filling one chairman and two commissioner vacancies, is now set to begin the vetting process to recommend qualified candidates to the President.
The influx of interest comes from a pool dominated by retired senior officials from the judiciary, civil administration, armed forces, and police. According to sources close to the selection process, discussions regarding the chairmanship are centering on several high-profile retired officials, including a former judge, a former joint district and sessions judge, a retired administration cadre officer, and a current head of a state-run agency.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The commission has been effectively paralyzed since March 3, when the previous leadership team, headed by Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, resigned en masse. This administrative vacuum has stalled critical functions, including the initiation of new investigations and the formal approval of corruption cases. To address this deadlock, the government established a five-member search committee on June 22, chaired by Supreme Court Appellate Division Justice Md. Rezaul Haque. Other members include High Court Division Justice Razik-Al-Jalil, Comptroller and Auditor General Md. Nurul Islam, Public Service Commission Chairman Mobasser Monem, and Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid.
Following the July 13 deadline for submissions, the committee is preparing to meet to finalize a shortlist. Under the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, the committee is required to propose two candidates for each vacant position. The vetting process will rigorously examine the academic credentials, professional background, and career integrity of each applicant against the legal mandates set forth in the commission’s founding legislation.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Eligibility for these appointments requires at least 20 years of professional experience in law, education, administration, judicial services, or uniformed forces. Current government employees are barred from consideration. Furthermore, the law maintains strict disqualification criteria, rendering individuals ineligible if they are loan defaulters, bankrupt, have been convicted of moral turpitude or corruption, or have faced major departmental penalties during their careers.
As the committee reviews the documentation—which includes comprehensive biographical, educational, and professional records—the process aims to restore institutional oversight to an agency central to the nation’s governance. Once the search committee submits its final recommendations, the President will exercise the constitutional authority to appoint the new commission leadership.
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