ACC to get five commissioners, more powers as government approves draft ordinance

The Advisory Council also approves drafts of three other ordinances

The Advisory Council has approved the draft Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Ordinance-2025 to enhance the agency’s powers.

Under the new ordinance, the ACC will expand from one chairman and two commissioners to five commissioners. At least two will be technology experts to tackle corruption linked to digital systems, and at least one must be a woman.

The approval came during a regular Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, chaired by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Alongside the ACC amendment, the council approved three other ordinances: the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Ordinance-2025, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Ordinance-2025, and the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance-2025.

At a post-meeting briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the ACC amendment was drafted based on the Reform Commission’s recommendations to curb corruption that had proliferated during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.

A proposed oversight board was removed as it would complicate operations and weaken the commission’s independence, he added.

Shafiqul added that the ACC must now publish activity reports every six months and officials will be required to declare assets, with procedural details to follow.

On the human trafficking ordinance, he said it allows freezing accounts, seizing assets, restricting foreign travel of accused persons, and preventing online trafficking, while discouraging coercion to withdraw cases.

The revised RAJUK ordinance includes provisions to protect reservoirs, playgrounds and drains, and Yunus has asked to consider a separate monitoring authority.

The Human Rights Commission ordinance empowers the commission as a National Preventive Mechanism with authority to inspect detention facilities independently.