Six top officials dismissed this year; two ex-bosses under probe; 245 employees disciplined over 17 years
The Anti-Corruption Commission is facing a crisis within its own walls, as fresh allegations of bribery and illicit benefits surface against its officials, including some tasked with investigating graft.
In 2025 alone, six ACC officials have been dismissed, three of them in September, among whom is a director-level officer.
Over the past 17 years, the commission has taken disciplinary action against 245 officials and employees for bribery, unethical benefits, and involvement in corruption. Among the penalised, 34 have been dismissed, while many others faced forced retirement, demotion, or salary cuts. More than 10 officials currently face departmental cases.
Today, as the ACC observes International Anti-Corruption Day under the theme "Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity," the shadow over its own integrity looms large.
ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen decried corruption by its own officials, claiming it takes immediate action whenever such allegations surface.
However, campaigners warn that corrupt ACC officials, like other accused, must face trial, not just action by ACC as such revelations strike at the heart of the institution's credibility.
"Departmental action alone is not enough; they must be handed over to the court for trial," said Iftekharuzzaman, head of the ACC reform commission and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh.
"The commission cannot function properly while retaining corrupt officials. Dismissal alone is insufficient; they must be prosecuted," he told The Daily Star when asked for comments.
6 OFFICIALS FACE ACTION
The ACC dismissed Khan Md Mizanul Islam as its director on September 8 for allegedly accepting medical expenses from a private hospital director, who is being investigated by the ACC.
On September 4, Deputy Director Mahbubul Alam, and Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Zulfikar were removed over separate allegations.
Mahbubul reportedly extorted around Tk 1 crore from the principal and administrative officer of Ideal School in Motijheel by threatening to file cases. He is also accused of taking Tk 10 crore in bribes from the managing director of Essential Drugs.
Zulfikar allegedly received financial benefits from the former chairman of Arcade Real Estate Limited in exchange for resolving a case. He and his family were reportedly living in a flat without purchase or rent.
On August 6, Deputy Director Ahsanul Kabir Polash was dismissed for negligence in a corruption investigation.
On July 17, Deputy Director Komlesh Mandal faced the same consequence for negligence in probing allegations against officials of the Dhaka Water Supply Network Improvement Project.
On October 5, Assistant Director Abdullah Al Mamun was suspended for allegedly forming a syndicate involved in fabricating documents, preparing false notesheets for submission to commission meetings, and targeting upper-middle-class and wealthy individuals with these forged documents.
In March, Assistant Director SM Mamunur Rashid was dismissed for allegedly torturing his former wife and demanding dowry.
Contacted, ACC Chairman Momen said, "If my commission is not free of corruption, then I lose the moral right to speak out against corruption elsewhere. Whenever we find evidence of corruption within our institution, we take immediate action."
Former ACC director general (legal) Moyeedul Islam cautioned that corruption within the commission "obstructs the commission's anti-corruption efforts and creates a negative perception among the public".
He said a committee led by the ACC chairman verifies complaints and takes action, but noted that the internal anti-corruption committee "is currently dysfunctional". He urged its reactivation to address internal graft effectively.
EX-BOSSES UNDER SCANNER
The ACC on December 1 confirmed it has opened an inquiry into former chairman Iqbal Mahmood, the first time in the commission's history that a former chief is being investigated over corruption allegations.
ACC sources said Iqbal's name surfaced during interrogation of his brother, Sadik Mahmud Bokul, who was arrested on September 11. Sadik is alleged to have maintained close business ties with Motazzerul Islam Mithu, a controversial health contractor long accused of large-scale graft.
Investigators claim that the two remained untouched for years due to Iqbal's influence during his tenure, and that Iqbal is accused of accepting two luxury Gulshan flats from Mithu.
The inquiry will examine allegations of money laundering, abuse of power, and illegal wealth accumulation.
On December 3, the ACC also approved a corruption case against former ACC commissioner and ex-BTRC chairman Md Jahurul Haque, another first for the institution.
According to the case statement, between October 2015 and January 2018, BTRC reduced international incoming call rates from $0.030 to $0.015 without government approval, slashing the state's revenue share from 51.75 percent to 40 percent while raising IGW operators' share from 13.25 percent to 20 percent.
The move allegedly caused Tk 383.73 crore in revenue-sharing losses, Tk 2,941.99 crore in reduced call-rate losses, and a foreign currency shortfall of Tk 5,685 crore.
RECOMMENDED REFORMS
In its report submitted to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on January 15, the ACC reform commission called for a high-powered task force with representatives from intelligence and investigative agencies to identify corrupt officials and pursue disciplinary and criminal action.
It recommended dissolving the ACC's internal anti-corruption committee and replacing it with an independent disciplinary division staffed by ACC officers and personnel deputed from defence, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies.
The unit would enforce the code of conduct, carry out covert investigations and counter-intelligence operations, review asset declarations under the ACC (Employees) Service Rules, 2008, and impose punitive measures.
Since its establishment in 2004, replacing the Bureau of Anti-Corruption, the ACC has struggled with persistent internal complaints. The Service Rules empowered the formation of a three-member internal anti-corruption committee.
