The Anti-Corruption Commission could not completely fulfil people's expectations regarding curbing graft, outgoing ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood said yesterday.

"People have high expectations from the ACC…. I am leaving office with dissatisfaction that we could not fulfil people's expectations to that level," he said.

Iqbal was addressing a views-exchange meeting with the media at the ACC headquarters in the capital's Segunbagicha before a farewell ceremony.

Iqbal said he carried out his activities in the last five years without any pressure from the government. He also said he refrained from making any decision when he thought that it might tarnish the image of the country.

Replying to a question, the ACC chairman said the graft watchdog is more powerful now. "It is not a toothless tiger anymore."

Mentioning that many works were needed to be done to make the ACC more powerful, Iqbal said it was not possible for one commission aloneto do so much work.

Iqbal and Commissioner AFM Aminul Islam had joined the ACC on March 10, 2016.

Former senior secretary of the agriculture ministry Md Moinuddin Abdullah and ex-chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Jahurul Haque have been appointed as chairman and commissioner of the ACC respectively.

Iqbal yesterday said he was leaving office taking responsibility for all failures of the commission.

"As the chief officer of the office, I am taking responsibility for all failures and crediting all successes to ACC officials."

He said they tried to deliver a strong message that no corrupt person would be spared.

Replying to another question, Iqbal said reform to ACC rules was needed to curb internal corruption within the commission.

He suggested involving representatives from the civil society, retired government officials and journalists in a committee, responsible for looking after internal corruption, to ensure transparency and accountability of the commission.

Later, Reporters Against Corruption, a platform of journalists who cover ACC news, handed crests to the outgoing chairman and commissioner.