ACC chairman, two commissioners resign
CA encourages all to submit income tax return onlineMohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the two commissioners of the anti-graft watchdog resigned today (29 October), citing personal reasons. The development comes after the interim government earlier this month formed the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission, to propose necessary reforms aimed at making the ACC more effective, independent, and impartial, following the ouster of the Awami League government through a student-led mass uprising on 5 August.
Moinuddin, Commissioner (Investigation) Md Jahurul Haque, and Commissioner (Enquiry) Asia Khatoon submitted their resignation letters and left the office at around 2:10 in the afternoon, according to senior ACC officials who asked not to be named. The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel Media reports also said Moinuddin himself confirmed the matter to reporters around that time as well but did not say why all three of them resigned.
Former agriculture secretary Moinuddin and Jahurul, former Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chairman and a former district and sessions judge, were appointed to the posts by the then Awami League government on 3 March, 2021. The duo had joined the office seven days later. Asia, former secretary of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Secretariat, was appointed on 13 June last year. She joined the office on 2 July, 2023.
All three bid farewell to all employees at the ACC headquarters informally before they submitted their resignations today, officials and staff told reporters. Officials also said the resignations of Moinuddin and the two commissioners came just hours before a scheduled meeting with the ACC Reform Commission this afternoon. Talking to The Business Standard, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, who heads the ACC Reform Commission, said he talked to Moinuddin today after his resignation. "We had a meeting scheduled with the ACC officials but it has been cancelled. However, the meeting was not that important.
"We are already in contact with senior ACC officials in the headquarters and across the country. We are taking into account what they are telling us. The resignations and the meeting cancellation will not impact the Reform Commission's activities." According to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act of 2004, a commissioner may resign from his/her office by giving one month's prior notice to the president. However, it was unclear whether Moinuddin, Jahurul and Asia submitted their resignation letters to the president.
