Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman appointed new ACC Chairman

Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman has been appointed as the new Chairman of Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Alongside him, Dr. Jahangir Alam Khan and Dr. Md. Sazzad Hossain Bhuiyan have been appointed as commissioners of the constitutional anti-graft body.

The Cabinet Division issued a notification regarding the appointments on Monday (August 17), which was later published in the official gazette. Under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, the newly appointed officials will serve a five-year term.

According to the notification, Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman, Dr. Jahangir Alam Khan, and Dr. Md. Sazzad Hossain Bhuiyan have been appointed as ACC commissioners under Section 6(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. Subsequently, Justice Asaduzzaman was appointed Chairman of the Commission under Section 5(1) of the same law.

As ACC Chairman, Justice Asaduzzaman will enjoy the status, salary, allowances, and other benefits equivalent to those of a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The two commissioners will receive the status and benefits equivalent to judges of the High Court Division.

The appointments come following the resignation of former ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen and commissioners Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi and Brigadier General (Retd.) Hafiz Ahsan Farid on March 3.

On June 22, the government formed a search committee headed by Appellate Division Justice Md. Rezaul Haque to recommend candidates for the vacant ACC positions. The committee was tasked with submitting a shortlist of two candidates for each vacant post to the President.

Under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, the ACC consists of three commissioners, one of whom serves as the chairman. The tenure of the chairman and commissioners is five years.

The search committee later invited applications and curricula vitae (CVs) from interested candidates before making its recommendations for the appointments.

-HIS