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DHAKA, May 13, 2025(BSS) - At least 135 law officers appointed during the previous Awami League (AL) government have been still serving the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) resulting in delay in case disposal.

"The investigators made significant progress in case investigation but the trial of cases has been delayed due to the inactiveness of its law officers appointed during the tenure of previous government," official sources said here today.

The issue was raised in the commission's meeting by a number of deputy directors (DDs) and assistant directors (ADs) who worked as complainants and investigators, the sources said.

The fascist Awami League government was ousted more than nine months ago but their appointed law officers are still working in the ACC. As a result, trial process in corruption cases is being delayed due to their non-cooperation despite tremendous progress in filing cases against the stalwarts of the previous government, their arrest and attachment and freezing of properties of thousand crores of Taka, the sources added.

Deputy Director (Public Relations) of the ACC headquarters Aktarul Islam told BSS that the legal wing of the commission has been working for appointing new law officers to solve the issue. A strong panel of lawyers for the ACC would be appointed soon, he added.

A senior director at the ACC headquarters, requesting anonymity, told BSS that three to four members from the panel have voluntarily resigned after the charge over of August 5. The chief of the panel advocate Khorshed Alam Khan is not appearing before the court for long time, even many panel members including advocate Mosharaf Hossain Kajol are not attending the court, the director said.

Talking to BSS, Barrister Ruhul Kuddus, former general secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said it is unfortunate that the ACC panel lawyers of the previous government are still in service and demanded immediate change of the panel.

Central Organizing Secretary of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum Gazi Kamrul Hassan Sajal told BSS that the expected outcome in disposing of the cases by the ACC will not be possible keeping the previous lawyers' panel active.