ACC credibility questioned as conviction rate in cases drops
Noman Mosharef :
Efficiency and performance of the prosecution team of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have been called into question as conviction rate in cases filed by the commission has declined alarmingly over the past year along with a surge in the number of acquittals.
According to ACC data, the conviction rate in corruption cases dropped to 48 per cent in 2024, compared to over 60-72 per cent between 2020 and 2023.
In the first seven months of 2025 (January-July), the conviction rate stood at 49 per cent with more than half of the accused walking free.
In 2024, trial courts disposed of 295 ACC cases-99 in Dhaka’s special judge courts and 196 outside Dhaka. Among these, 157 cases ended in acquittals, while convictions were secured in 138 cases.
From January to July this year, another 144 cases were settled: 70 ended in convictions, while 74 resulted in acquittals.
In contrast, the conviction rate in corruption cases had been 67 per cent in 2023, 64.17 per cent in 2022, 60 per cent in 2021, and 72 per cent in 2020.
Legal analysts link the declining conviction rate to last year’s political transition following the August 5, 2024 change of government. Many politicians and businessmen previously charged under the military-backed caretaker government of 2007-08 (commonly referred to as the “1/11 period”) have since been acquitted.
A large number of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders-including Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, and former minister Amanullah Aman-were acquitted in recent months.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia herself, along with her son Tarique Rahman, was cleared of all charges in high-profile cases such as the Zia Orphanage Trust, Zia Charitable Trust, Niko, Barapukuria coal mine, and Gatco graft cases.
Several businessmen, including controversial figures such as Hanif Paribahan owner Hanif Miah, Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan (former BCB director), and “Golden Monir” Monir Hossain, also secured acquittals in ACC cases during the same period.
Observers note that during the 1/11 caretaker regime, corruption cases were filed indiscriminately against politicians from both the Awami League and BNP, including Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.
When Awami League came to power in 2009, a government committee withdrew almost all cases against ruling party leaders, terming them “politically motivated,” but BNP leaders remained entangled in litigation.
The tables have now turned, with dozens of BNP leaders seeing their cases dismissed or ending in acquittals since the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.
ACC prosecutors, however, insist there is no lack of effort. Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, an ACC lawyer at Dhaka Judge Court, told media,
“The ACC files cases strictly on the basis of documents.
There is no shortage of sincerity from investigating officers or prosecutors. Still, in some cases, acquittals happen due to time and circumstances. We hope to achieve more success in the future through collective efforts.”
But former ACC Director General (Legal & Prosecution) Moidul Islam sees political influence at play:
“The shift in the political landscape has clearly affected ACC cases. We are witnessing a trend similar to what happened when Awami League came to power after 1/11-their cases were quashed by the courts.
Now, many BNP leaders are being acquitted in trial courts under the new political context.”
He stressed that the ACC should appeal acquittals in higher courts and carefully examine whether weaknesses in investigations or lapses by prosecutors contributed to the failures.
The rapid decline in conviction rates and the spate of high-profile acquittals have cast doubts on the credibility of the ACC as an independent anti-corruption body. Experts warn that if the trend continues, public confidence in Bangladesh’s anti-graft drive could erode further.