Five-member search committee formed to appoint ACC chairman, commissioners

The government has formed a five-member search committee to recommend candidates for the posts of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman and commissioners.

The Cabinet Division today (22 June) issued a gazette notification confirming the development, stating that the committee has been constituted under Section 7 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.

Appellate Division Justice Md Rezaul Haque has been appointed chairman of the committee, reads the notification.

The other members are High Court Division Justice Rashik-Al-Jalil, the comptroller and auditor general of Bangladesh, the chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, and the cabinet secretary.

According to the gazette, the committee will prepare a list of suitable candidates for the ACC chairman and commissioner posts and submit its recommendations to the government. The Cabinet Division will provide administrative support for its activities.

The search committee has been formed as part of the process of appointing a new ACC leadership following the expiry of the current commission's tenure.

Earlier on 15 June, Home Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that the government would soon form a search committee to reorganise the ACC.

He said the government aims to establish a stronger and more effective anti-corruption watchdog through the new commission.

During the parliamentary question-answer session, Salahuddin said competent, honest and widely acceptable individuals must be brought into the commission's leadership to strengthen the fight against corruption. The appointments would be made through a legally mandated search committee process, he added.

Under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, a search committee must be formed before appointing the ACC chairman and commissioners. The government makes the final appointments from the list of candidates recommended by the committee.

The formation of a new commission comes amid growing calls for institutional reforms following the student-led mass uprising. In recent months, discussions over the ACC's independence, accountability and effectiveness have intensified, alongside demands from various quarters for changes in the commission's leadership.

The ACC has also returned to the centre of public debate following several high-profile corruption investigations and asset inquiries involving former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and others.

Political observers say public confidence in the new commission will largely depend on the transparency of the appointment process and the credibility of the candidates recommended by the search committee.