The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) cleared some 590 suspects from graft charges in 2015, setting a record in giving clean chits since its establishment in 2004.

Official statistics show that the commission approved a total of542 final reports (FR) till November last year.

The ACC also approved about 50 final reports in December, which are yet to be included in the official statistics, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, ACC spokesman and public relations officer, told the news agency.

The commission approved 499 final reports in 2014, 409 such reports in 2013, and 382 in 2012. Last month, the ACC cleared former chairman of the National Board of Revenue Golam Hossain and managing director of Dhaka WASA Taqsem A Khan of graft allegations. On October 20, 2015, the corruption watchdog gave a clean chit to Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Rear Admiral Mohammad Nizamuddin Ahmed. Former chairman of Basic Bank Abdul Hye, former chairman of Petrobangla Dr Hossain Mansur and commandant of Police's Range Reserve Force Mizanur Rahman are among the top graft suspects who got clean chits last year. ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin said the commission generally launches probes taking graft allegations into account and gives its reports based on merits of the enquiries.

He said if the ACC, after conducting probes into the allegations, does not find any corruption or irregularity