Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah and all the two commissioners – the commissioner for investigation, Md Jahurul Haque, and the commissioner for inquiry, Asia Khatoon, – resigned from their posts on Tuesday.
They cited ‘personal reasons’ for the resignation, officials said.
The chairman, who was appointed during the tenure of the ousted Awami League government, resigned 12 weeks after the fall of the AL regime. He resigned one and a half years before the completion of his tenure.
The news of the resignation came when different quarters had been demanding the resignation of the ACC chairman and its commissioners, terming them to be aides of the ousted AL regime.
Confirming his resignation, ACC chairman Moinuddin Abdullah said, ‘I have sent my resignation letter.’
He, however, did not say anything about the reason behind his resignation.
The development comes just hours before a scheduled meeting on Tuesday afternoon between the ACC chairman and commissioners with the ACC Reform Commission, headed by Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman.
After the resignation, the ACC chairman Moinuddin Abdullah and two commissioners left the ACC headquarters together at 2:10 pm.
According to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act-2004, a commissioner can resign by giving one month’s written notice to the president.
But, it is not clear whether Moinuddin Abdullah and two other commissioners have given that notice.
The ACC deputy director for public relations, Aktarul Islam, said that the chairman and the commissioners resigned by submitting their resignation letters to the president through the cabinet division as per Section 10 of the ACC Act.Â
The ACC official, however, declined to give further details regarding the resignation.
According to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act of 2004, if the post of ACC commissioner is vacant due to the death, resignation, or removal of any commissioner, the president will appoint a proper person as commissioner within 30 days of the vacant post. Â
On March 3, 2021, the president appointed former senior secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Moinuddin Abdullah, and former chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Jahurul Haque, as chairman and commissioner of the ACC, respectively.
Another commissioner, Asia Khatoon, was appointed on June 12, 2023. She was a former secretary of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Secretariat.
They were appointed for five years.
There was a change in the top positions in the administration and all the state institutions after the ouster of the AL regime.
Top officials of the Bangladesh Bank, the Election Commission, the University Grants Commission, the Public Works Commission, and several other state and government institutions and organisations resigned after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
After the formation of Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government on August 8, the government formed the Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission to propose necessary reforms at the commission.