Section 8(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, must be amended as follows: “A person with a minimum of 15 years of experience in law, education, administration, judiciary, law enforcement, financial institutions, accounting and auditing professions, governance and anti-corruption initiatives in state or non-state institutions shall be eligible to become a Commissioner. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Internal Accountability Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The number of ACC Commissioners must be increased from three to five, including at least one female commissioner. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Internal Accountability and Staff Independence Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
As an institution the ACC must be granted the constitutional status. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Institutional Independence Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Bangladesh should officially join the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Tenure and Accountability Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Bangladesh must accede to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters so as to adopt and implement the Common Reporting Standards (CRS) to ensure transparency in financial transactions, both national and international. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Institutional Structure Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Criminalise private sector bribery as a distinct offence consistent with Bangladesh’s commitment under Article 21 of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Appointment Criteria Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
End-to-end automation must be introduced in services of all public institutions, particularly police stations, registry offices, revenue offices, passport offices, as well as relevant institutions in sectors like education, health, local government, district and sub-district administrations and utility providers. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Institutional Independence and Oversight Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Ensure transparency and integrity in political and electoral financing through necessary reforms to electoral laws: * Political parties and election candidates must make details of their funding and income-expenditure publicly accessible. * The Election Commission should, with the assistance of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the ACC verify the completeness and accuracy of income and wealth information provided under candidates’ affidavits and take appropriate actions, where necessary. * All public representatives of all levels must submit detailed income and asset statements of themselves and their family members to the Election Commission within three months of taking office and update annually. The Election Commission must publish these declarations on its website. * Political parties must refrain from granting party positions or nominations for elections to individuals involved in corruption or irregularities. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Digital Transformation Status: Reform Initiated
All laws related to criminal defamation, such as Sections 499, 500, 501, and 502 of the Bangladesh Penal Code of 1860, and Section 29 of the Cyber Security Act of 2023, should be repealed. Along with that, a system can be introduced to entrust the regulatory body, the proposed Media Commission, with offenses related to defamation involving journalists. The power given to the government to forfeit newspapers under Sections 99A and 99B of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, is contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Therefore, it should be repealed. Year: 2025 Domain: Freedom of Journalism Media Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The Mass Media Reforms Commission has attached a draft ordinance for a Journalism Protection Act to this report, based on a few examples of best practices worldwide. It proposes taking steps to issue it quickly. Furthermore, it deems the following steps appropriate regarding the incidents of misuse of various laws over the past 15 years: a. Cases filed against journalists under various applicable laws, including the Penal Code, Information and Communication Technology Act, Digital Security Act, Cyber Security Act, and Contempt of Court Act, must be identified and reviewed. Based on the information obtained after the review, the concerned government prosecutor must take appropriate steps to withdraw the cases or have the police submit the final report. b. If evidence of false cases is found upon review, legal and just action must be taken against the concerned authorities. c. Arrangements must be made to compensate affected journalists and their families. d. Affected media organisations must be provided with reasonable compensation. e. Incidents of illegal intrusion, surveillance, and eavesdropping into journalists’ communications and lives must be investigated, and arrangements must be made to punish the culprits. Year: 2025 Domain: Journalism Protection Act Media Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
