Lobbying intensifies for ACC posts
An unusually intense contest has emerged over appointments to the top positions of the Anti-Corruption Commission, with more than 300 candidates reportedly applying to become its chairman or commissioners.
As the search committee scrutinises the applications, several aspirants—including retired judges, former secretaries and lawyers—have reportedly been visiting ministries at the Secretariat and seeking meetings with senior government figures.
Sources familiar with the process said some candidates had met Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, advisers Mahdi Amin and Ismail Zabiullah, and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani.
Some aspirants are also reportedly trying to secure a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The lobbying has raised questions over whether the selection process for one of the country’s most important independent institutions can remain transparent and free from political influence.
Tanvir Ahmed, a Joint Secretary at the Cabinet Division involved in the process of forming the ACC, told The New Nation that the search committee would be able to specify the exact date, though he could confirm that an announcement would be made soon.
According to him, the search committee will submit a list of six names to the President, who will then appoint one person as Chairman and two others as Commissioners from that list.
The search committee is currently examining the applications before recommending candidates for the positions of ACC chairman and commissioners.
Sarwar seeks politically independent ACC
Among the applicants, former army officer and barrister Dr M Sarwar Hossain has drawn considerable attention on social media after publicly announcing his candidacy and outlining a hardline anti-corruption agenda.
“I have submitted an application,” Sarwar told The New Nation.
Asked what he would do if appointed ACC chairman, he said corrupt individuals should face legal action, imprisonment and confiscation of assets acquired through illegal means.
“I would tighten the legal grip on corrupt individuals. Their illegally acquired assets should be confiscated and deposited into the state treasury, while they should also face imprisonment,” he said.
Sarwar said the commission could play a crucial role in establishing good governance and justice, but only if it were restructured and protected from political interference.
“I hope the ACC will be reorganised as an institution free from political influence,” he said.
Sarwar, who currently serves as an ACC panel lawyer at the Supreme Court, previously served in the Bangladesh Army for nearly two decades. He submitted his application and supporting documents to the Cabinet Division on July 7.
‘White-collar criminals enjoy protection’
Sarwar claimed that corruption costs Bangladesh the equivalent of around 2 percent of its gross domestic product and facilitates the laundering of illegally acquired wealth abroad.
He described corrupt individuals as “white-collar criminals” who often maintain respectable public images, use expensive vehicles, cultivate influential connections and, in many cases, become involved in politics.
“In countries with strong governance, people in power fear the anti-corruption agency. In Bangladesh, the opposite often happens.
Once influential people come to power, allegations against them are pushed aside,” he said.
He argued that Bangladesh’s anti-corruption efforts had focused too heavily on imprisonment while failing to recover stolen assets.
“Real justice does not mean imprisonment alone. Assets amassed through corruption must be recovered and returned to the state treasury,” he said.
Sarwar questioned whether the state had successfully recovered the illegal wealth of any major convicted figure.
He also criticised the five-month absence of a functioning commission at a time when the government had pledged to take strong action against corruption.
“If the government is truly determined to confront corruption, why has the ACC remained without its commission leadership for five months?” he asked.
He said the ruling BNP must first address allegations of corruption within its own ranks if it wanted its anti-corruption campaign to remain credible.
Calls for transparency
Sarwar said the names and qualifications of candidates for important constitutional and autonomous bodies should be made public.
“In a civilised country, the names of qualified candidates for such important positions are disclosed so the public can assess who is best suited for the responsibility,” he said.
Transparency advocates have similarly argued that secrecy surrounding senior appointments can undermine public confidence in supposedly independent institutions.
The reported lobbying by candidates at the Secretariat has further intensified concerns that political connections may influence the appointment process.
Five-month leadership vacuum raises concern
The ACC has remained without a fully functioning leadership structure for around five months, prompting concern among civil society representatives over delays in investigations, prosecutions and institutional reforms.
Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently said that he had seen little visible change in the state and administration over the past five months.
Some observers have questioned whether the prolonged leadership vacuum at the ACC has contributed to the lack of progress in tackling corruption.
No clear timeline for appointments
Asked when the ACC would be reconstituted, a senior Cabinet Division official said no specific date had yet been fixed.
“I cannot say exactly when it will be reconstituted,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The official said the search committee was conducting its work confidentially and that details would be disclosed after the issuance of an official notification.
