Praised until he stepped on toes

A skilled and judicious officer, who is well experienced in investigation. He is worthy of promotion.

This is how Sharif Uddin, the recently sacked deputy assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, was described in his Annual Confidential Report for four straight years until 2019.

Negative comments appeared in the ACR for 2020. It is the year Sharif completed investigating land acquisition scams in Cox's Bazar and recommended the ACC file corruption cases against a power syndicate in the district.

The ACR is a performance evaluation report of a public servant by their immediate superior.

Sharif was terminated on Wednesday following complaints filed by three individuals in September last year. Interestingly, he had found all three involved in that syndicate.

The termination triggered an uproar among his colleagues, who called him an honest and sincere officer. They said he ultimately paid the price for his firm stance against graft.

Sharif worked at the ACC office in Chattogram for three years before being transferred to Patuakhali in June last year. Mahbubul Alam, the then deputy director of ACC's Chattogram Integrated Office-02, was his supervisor from 2017 to mid-2021.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Sharif claimed Mahbubul violated the public administration ministry's "Confidential Report Instruction-2020" as he did not issue any show-cause notice on him before giving poor scores and writing negative comments on the ACR.

The ACR for 2020 says Sharif "shows reluctance in executing lawful orders of seniors, behaves harshly with those associated with enquiry and investigation, and has tendency towards [committing] unlawful misconduct."

"Mahbubul Alam never said anything to me verbally or in writing about my misconduct," Sharif said.

According to the ministry instruction, negative comments can be written on an ACR when any official commits misconduct, including not following superiors' orders, neglecting duties, taking drugs and facing allegations of taking bribes.

 "The Reported Upon Officer must be issued a written show-cause notice to inform him of his misconduct the moment his supervisors will come across it [misconduct] to correct it before making any adverse evaluations in ACR. A copy of the show cause-notice must be kept in the employee's personal file."

The ACC wrote to Mahbubul Alam on December 21 last year, asking to know whether Sharif was issued any show-cause notice. The letter was signed by Mohammad Moniruzzaman Bokaul, ACC director (administration and human resources).

The Daily Star tried to reach Mahbubul several times over phone yesterday for comments on the matter. He was also sent text messages. But he did not respond.

Bokaul also could not be contacted, despite repeated attempts.

As his attention was drawn to the matter, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said, "The abrupt U-turn in the performance assessment, including reported anomalies, raises the question whether it is a part of a design to vicitimise Sharif Uddin because he was leading the process to hold the powerful corruption syndicate to account.

"A question also arises whether there are vested quarters at the higher management of the ACC who are amongst protectors of the politically and administratively linked sections of the corruption syndicate whose impunity Sharif proceeded to challenge with professionalism, courage, and commitment."

In his investigation as an ACC official, Sharif exposed a powerful nexus which took over the land acquisition process in Cox's Bazar and looted public money forging documents. The syndicate included a deputy commissioner, a deputy secretary, a superintendent of police, an additional SP, a UNO and local Awami League leaders in Cox's Bazar. The Daily Star published reports in 2020 and last year.

Sharif also investigated scams linked with a former minister's son, Petrobangla director, general manager of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd, and the NID scam involving many election commission officials.