The Anti-Corruption Commission is facing challenges to check corruption of its own officials who are facing various graft allegations, including taking bribes and unethical benefits from graft suspects.
The commission has penalised 244 officials and employees over the past 17 years and nine months for various offences, including taking unethical benefits, bribes, and engaging in corruption, according to ACC data.
Anti-graft campaigners remarked that graft allegations against ACC officials were a matter of concern as it might create a credibility crisis and reduce the public trust and confidence in the commission.
Welcoming recent ACC actions against wrongdoings by its officials, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman said, 鈥業t鈥檚 not enough to take only departmental action, they must be handed over to the court for trial.鈥�
鈥楾he commission can鈥檛 perform properly by keeping the corrupt officials at the commission, or by not sending them on suspension only; the officials will have to be handed over to the court,鈥� he said, adding that it was one of the important recommendations made by the ACC Reform Commission.聽聽
The commission should ensure punishment for its corrupt officials to regain confidence and credibility of people in the commission, he said, adding that the honest officials also could not work properly due to corruption by some officials.
鈥楾he commission won鈥檛 be able to function properly without removing the disease of corruption from among its officials,鈥� he added.
On September 8, the commission suspended its director Khan Md Mizanul Islam for allegedly accepting medical expenses from Mahbubul Anam, director of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, who was facing an ACC inquiry into graft allegations.
The commission suspended its deputy director Mahbubul Alam and deputy assistant director Mohammad Zulfikar on September 4 over graft allegations.
Mahbubul Alam obtained a huge amount of money issuing threats of filing cases. He received around Tk one crore from the principal and an administrative officer of Ideal School at Motijheel in exchange for the assurance of relieving them from a graft case investigation.
Apart from this, Mahbubul also allegedly received Tk 10 crore from the managing director of Essential Drugs and owned land and assets worth about Tk 150 crore.
ACC deputy assistant director Mohammad Zulfikar allegedly received financial benefits from the former chair of Arcade Real Estate Limited on the promise that Zulfikar would release him from a case.
Zulfikar, along with his family, was also forcibly living in a flat without buying it or giving rent to its owner.
On August 6, the anti-graft body also suspended its deputy director Ahsanul Kabir Polash for his negligence in connection with an inquiry into corruption while in March it also suspended assistant director SM Mamunur Rashid over the allegations of torturing his former wife demanding dowry.
On July 17, the commission suspended deputy director Komlesh Mandal over allegations of negligence in the inquiry into graft allegations against officials of the Dhaka Water Supply Network Improvement Project.
The Anti-Corruption Commission was established on November 21, 2004 abolishing the Bureau of Anti-Corruption. The commission started working in full-swing in 2007-2008 during the army-controlled caretaker government.
Amid graft complaints raised against ACC officials, the Anti-Corruption Commission (Employees) Service Rules 2007 were enacted, which empowered the commission to form a three-member internal corruption prevention committee.
According to ACC statistics, at least 244 ACC officials and employees faced penalties between 2008 and 2025, including 34 dismissals, with others receiving punishments such as forced retirement, demotions, or reduction in salaries.
A total of 32 officials and employees were punished in 2008 on the charges of irregularities, corruption, and misconduct. Among them, 4 were dismissed from service.
A total of 95 officials and employees were punished, of whom 18 were dismissed in the five years from 2009 to 2013.
In 2014, departmental action was taken against 12 individuals but no action was reported in 2015 while a total of 14 people faced disciplinary measures, including 2 dismissals, in 2016.
In 2017, departmental action was taken against 15 officials and employees, with one dismissal. In 2018, four faced disciplinary action, three of whom were dismissed.
In 2019, a total of 36 officials faced departmental cases, with 2 dismissals, while in 2020 departmental cases were filed against 3 people, but no one was dismissed.
In 2021, there were no departmental cases while three officials were punished in 2022, including one dismissal.
In 2023, a total of 15 people faced departmental action, while the commission took action against its nine officials in 2024 and at least six officials in the past nine months.
There are currently departmental cases against a dozen ACC officials and employees pending over various charges, said a director of the commission.
ACC director general (prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain on Saturday told 抖阴精品 that corruption by any officials or employees of the commission is absolutely unacceptable.
鈥業f officials or employees are found involved in corruption, the commission will take proper legal action against them based on evidence and as per the law,鈥� he added.
One of the most talked-about incidents in the ACC history was when its director Enamul Basir took a bribe of Tk 25 lakh from police deputy inspector general Mizanur Rahman in exchange for releasing him in a corruption case.
In 2019, this scandal led to his dismissal and an eight-year prison sentence in a criminal case filed by the commission itself. He has appealed against the verdict and is currently free on bail.
Earlier, in January 2011, then ACC deputy director in Chattogram Sabbir Ahmed was caught red-handed by the Rapid Action Battalion with Tk 10 lakh in bribe money. He was dismissed immediately and the trial is still going on.
ACC former director general (legal) Moyeedul Islam told 抖阴精品 that corruption could not be combatted if the commission鈥檚 own officials were involved in graft, giving a bad perception of the commission among the people.
He said that the commission should take strong measures against its corrupt officials, which would disseminate a strong message to the society against corruption.
Citing rules, he said that a three-member committee, led by the ACC chair, verified complaints against ACC officials accused of corruption and took appropriate action.
Depending on the gravity of alleged corruption, both departmental and criminal cases are initiated for serving employees, while actions are also pursued against retired officials and employees.
鈥楾he internal corruption prevention committee is now dysfunctional,鈥� said Moyeedul, urging reactivation of the committee to combat graft of the commission鈥檚 own officials.
