Transparency advocates have urged Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure the Anti-Corruption Commission’s new independence is matched by public accountability.
The draft ACC Ordinance 2025, approved by the advisory council, removes the need for government consent to prosecute officials. But several key reform proposals were dropped.
Iftekharuzzaman, head of the ACC Reform Commission and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, told The Daily Star that “strategically important recommendations” had been omitted, including creation of a Selection and Review Committee, disclosure of shortlisted commissioner candidates, half-yearly performance reviews, and expanding the commission from three to five members.
“The government arbitrarily rejected the recommendations because some quarters within it hold different views,” he told the newspaper, calling the move “a frustrating and anti-reform precedent.”
Reform advocates say public disclosure and routine reviews are essential to sustain the ACC’s credibility. They argue that lasting transparency will determine whether the reformed commission can truly serve the Bangladeshi people.