Former Appellate Division Judge Asaduzzaman Named Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman
DHAKA, Aug. 18 —
Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam Khan and former tax commissioner Md. Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan were appointed as commissioners, completing the new three-member commission, according to a government notification issued on Monday.
The appointments were made under Section 6(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, and took effect from the date of appointment. The government had earlier begun the process of selecting new ACC leadership after inviting applications and forming a selection committee.
Under the notification, Asaduzzaman will receive the salary, allowances, benefits and status equivalent to a judge of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division. The two commissioners will receive benefits and status equivalent to judges of the High Court Division.
The new commission takes charge at a time when Bangladesh is seeking to strengthen its institutional mechanisms for tackling corruption and financial misconduct. The appointments follow months of efforts to form a new leadership team for the ACC.
Asaduzzaman’s legal career
Asaduzzaman was born on March 1, 1959, in Sapahar in Naogaon district in northern Bangladesh. His father, M.A. Samad, was a prominent lawyer.
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Rajshahi and was enrolled as an advocate of the Dhaka District Bar in September 1983.
He was subsequently enrolled to practise before the High Court Division in 1985 and the Appellate Division in 2001.
Asaduzzaman was appointed an additional judge of the High Court Division in August 2003 and became a permanent judge of the division in August 2005.
He was elevated to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on March 25, 2025, before retiring in February 2026.
His appointment as ACC chairman brings a judicial background to an institution responsible for investigating corruption allegations, filing cases and pursuing illicit-wealth investigations.
Jahangir Alam Khan
Jahangir Alam Khan, appointed as an ACC commissioner, is an agricultural economist and researcher. He currently serves as director of the Dhaka School of Economics.
He previously served as director general of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute and as vice-chancellor of the University of Global Village.
A former president of the Bangladesh Agricultural Economists Association, Khan received the Ekushey Padak, one of Bangladesh’s highest civilian awards, in 2020 in recognition of his contribution to research.
Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan
Before his appointment to the ACC, he was serving as chairman of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the statutory body responsible for overseeing financial reporting and auditing standards for companies and financial institutions.
He was appointed FRC chairman in May 2025 for a two-year term.
The appointments of the three-member commission mark a new phase for Bangladesh’s anti-corruption watchdog, with the new leadership expected to oversee investigations and enforcement in a country where corruption, illicit financial flows and accountability remain major governance concerns.
The government’s decision to place a former senior Supreme Court judge at the head of the commission also underscores the importance attached to legal and institutional oversight as the ACC begins its new mandate.
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