The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule on the government asking it to explain why the formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the appointment of its commissioner Maniruddin Ahmed should not be

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The rule came upon a public interest litigation writ filed by Supreme Court Advocate Saidur Rahman Khan.

Respondents cabinet secretary, the selection committee that selected the ACC commissioners represented by its Chairman Justice MA Aziz, secretary to the president, principal secretary to the prime minister, Maniruddin Ahmed and the joint secretary of the cabinet division will have to reply in three weeks.

Moving the petition before a HC division bench, the petitioner's counsel MK Rahman submitted that the commission was formed ignoring the prescribed list of eligible persons recommended by a selection committee for the appointment of commissioners.

He told the court that the name of Maniruddin, a chartered accountant, was not on the list.

Maniruddin's appointment was a violation of the rule as he did not meet the requirement of at least 20 years of experience in the fields of law, education, administration, judiciary or disciplined forces, and thus was not eligible for the appointment as commissioner of the ACC, the petitioner said. During his career, Maniruddin mostly served in accounts and finance departments in different statutory corporations, he added.

Advocates Ruhul Quddus Babu, Abdul Mannan, Nazneen Nahar and Alpana Das assisted MK Rahman in the court.

The government formed the three-member ACC on November 21 last year with former HC judge Justice Sultan Hossain Khan as the chairman.

The two other members of the commission are Prof M Maniruzzaman Miah, former Dhaka University vice-chancellor, and Maniruddin Ahmed, a member of the Pay Commission and former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.