The conviction rate in corruption cases in the country has fallen to a worrying 47 per cent in 2024, the lowest in the past eight years, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission in fighting corruption.
This marks a sharp decline from the previous year鈥檚 conviction rate of 57.18 per cent, reflecting a 10 per cent drop in just one year.
Experts have pointed to several reasons behind this alarming drop in conviction, including weak inquiry and probe reports, lack of skilled public prosecutors and inadequate supervision.
The data reveals that more than half of the accused in graft cases were acquitted in 2024. Furthermore, the conviction rate has decreased by a significant 25 per cent over the past four years, from 72 per cent in 2020 to just 47 per cent in 2024.
This downward trajectory has raised alarm among anti-corruption watchdogs and experts, who call for urgent reforms to address the issue.
Md Moyeedul Islam, former director general (investigation) of the ACC, attributed the falling conviction rate to negligence by the agency鈥檚 officials and lawyers, weak case preparation, and a lack of proper supervision.
鈥楾he graft cases are sometimes approved by the commission without proper merit or based on political considerations,鈥� said Moyeedul, also a former district and sessions judge.
Pointing to the inefficiency of the public prosecutors in proving the charges, he said that greater supervision and maintaining more caution during approval of cases were essential in this regard.
The commission鈥檚 data shows that 341 graft cases were disposed of in 2024 with only 47 per cent resulting in convictions. Of them, the conviction rate was just 29 per cent in the cases filed by now-defunct Anti-Corruption Bureau, while the ACC鈥檚 cases saw a higher conviction rate of 48 per cent.
This marks a significant decline compared with the previous seven years with 57.18 per cent conviction rate in 2023, 60.98 per cent聽 in 2022, 60 per cent in 2021, 72 per cent in 2020, 63 per cent in 2019, 63 per cent in 2018, 68 per cent in 2017. In 2016, the conviction rate, however, was 37 per cent, and in 2015, it was 35 per cent.
The decline in the pace of case disposal is also evident with only 8.65 per cent of cases disposed of in 2024, down from 10.17 per cent in 2023.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has also reported a significant backlog of corruption cases currently pending in lower courts across the country. As of 2024, a total of 3,410 cases鈥�3,066 of which have been filed by the ACC and the rest 344 filed by the erstwhile Anti-Corruption Bureau鈥攁re awaiting disposal.
The large volume of pending cases highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the anti-corruption agency in dealing with corruption.
Despite a huge backlog in the ACC cases, in 2024 alone, courts ordered fines totalling Tk 1,147.33 crore in graft cases while assets worth Tk 11.75 crore were seized in connection with graft cases.
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman while remarked that the commission faced numerous challenges, he said that decline in conviction rates was concerning.
He said that although the special judges鈥� courts were set up to dedicatedly handle corruption cases, in reality these courts were handling other cases also, which could be a contributing factor for low conviction rates.
Iftekharuzzaman also said that the ACC reform commission recommended establishing an independent prosecution unit for the anti-corruption commission to improve the agency鈥檚 efficacy to handle graft cases.
He also mentioned that earlier the commission filed many cases due to pressure that was out of its jurisdiction.
He, however, expressed hope that the agency under the new government would set an example by ensuring punishment for major corruption incidents.
In response to criticisms, ACC director general for prevention Md Aktar Hossain defended the agency鈥檚 efforts, stating that it was doing its best to prove corruption charges.
He emphasised that convictions depended on the quality of evidence presented in court, and it took capacity development initiatives for its officials to strengthen the investigation process.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, which replaced the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2004, was formed with a vow to strengthen the fight against corruption.
Experts said that as Bangladesh grappled with widespread corruption, the shrinking conviction rate underscored the need for urgent reforms in the agency and the judiciary as well to restore public trust in the fight against graft.
The path ahead may require more resources, better case management, and more specialised teams to tackle growing corruption at all levels of the government, said experts.
The ACC Reform Commission formed by the interim government submitted a report on January 15, making 47 recommendations, including significant changes to the agency鈥檚 structure and operations.
The ACC reform commission led by TIB鈥檚 Iftekharuzzaman recommended that the ACC should be recognised as a constitutional body. It also recommended that the agency should be free from political and bureaucratic influence, which would help it grow as a dynamic agency.
