Sharif Uddin regains his Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) job, along with his seniority, after 4.5 years.

BanglaPress Desk: Md. Sharif Uddin, a Deputy Assistant Director at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who was removed from his position four and a half years ago, has finally been reinstated. He will regain his seniority and receive all outstanding salary, allowances, and other entitled benefits.

On Tuesday (November 10), the ACC announced the decision to reinstate him, following a court verdict and the completion of necessary legal procedures. The Commission has also revoked the original order of his removal and decided to grant him all benefits as per the existing rules.

According to an ACC notification, Sharif Uddin submitted an application for reinstatement on October 25, following the court's ruling. His application was presented during the Commission’s meeting (No. 13/2026) held on November 5. After reviewing the court's verdict and his application, the Commission decided to withdraw the previous removal order and reinstate him.

In accordance with this decision, an order issued by the ACC headquarters has formally revoked his removal and restored his position within the Commission. The order explicitly states that he is entitled to his original seniority, all outstanding salary and allowances, and other benefits as per the rules. This decision takes effect from the date the order was issued.

This marks the end of a four-and-a-half-year legal battle for Sharif Uddin. The final legal hurdle to his reinstatement was cleared on October 29, when the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division granted the ACC’s request to withdraw its 'leave to appeal' against the High Court’s reinstatement ruling. Consequently, the High Court’s judgment—which mandated his reinstatement along with the restoration of his seniority and outstanding benefits—remains in full effect.

Sharif Uddin’s lead counsel, Salah Uddin Dolon, stated that the ACC had initially filed a 'leave to appeal' against the High Court’s verdict but later requested to withdraw it. The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division granted this request on October 29, paving the way for Sharif Uddin’s return to service and removing any remaining obstacles to his reinstatement, including the restoration of his seniority and all accrued benefits. On February 16, 2022, Sharif Uddin was removed from his position as an Assistant Director at the Patuakhali office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Challenging this decision, he filed a writ petition with the High Court, seeking reinstatement and questioning the validity of the rules applied for his removal. Following a prolonged legal process, the High Court declared the order of his dismissal to be without legal authority on July 9 of last year. The court further ordered that the dismissal order be annulled ab initio (from the outset) and directed his reinstatement, with full restoration of his seniority and all outstanding benefits. The court mandated that this directive be implemented within 30 days of receiving a copy of the judgment.

However, the ACC filed a 'leave to appeal' against the High Court's verdict. Subsequently, the commission decided not to pursue the appeal further. The matter came up before the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division on October 15. On that day, the lawyer representing the ACC informed the court that he had received instructions not to proceed with the civil leave to appeal. Consequently, the leave to appeal was dismissed on the grounds of the petitioner's decision "not to proceed." The legal proceedings concluded on October 29, when the application for withdrawal was granted.

Sharif Uddin’s removal from service sparked significant discussion in 2022. At the time, he was stationed at the ACC’s Chattogram office, having been transferred to Patuakhali on June 16, 2021. During his tenure in Chattogram, he had investigated irregularities in land acquisition for government projects and recommended filing cases against influential individuals. The then-ACC official had even filed a General Diary (GD) with the police, reporting that he had received death threats in connection with the discharge of his duties.

The order for his removal from the ACC stated that it was issued under the authority granted by Rule 54(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (Employees) Rules, 2008. Under this rule, he was entitled to receive 90 days' salary and applicable benefits. However, refusing to accept the decision, he chose to pursue a legal battle. On March 13, 2022, Sharif Uddin filed a writ petition with the High Court, challenging the validity of the relevant regulation and seeking reinstatement to his position. Previously, in a case involving the dismissal of another Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) official, Md. Ahsan Ali, under the same regulation, the High Court had delivered a verdict striking down Regulation 54(2). As an appeal filed by the ACC against that verdict was pending before the Appellate Division, the High Court adjourned the hearing of Sharif Uddin’s writ petition on May 25, 2022.

Subsequently, on June 16, 2022, Sharif Uddin filed a 'leave to appeal' with the Appellate Division, seeking a stay on the adjournment order. His application was taken up for hearing alongside the ACC’s appeal against the striking down of Regulation 54(2) in the Ahsan Ali case. On March 16, 2023, the Appellate Division allowed the ACC’s appeal and set aside the High Court’s earlier verdict. At the same time, Sharif Uddin’s 'leave to appeal' was deemed redundant.

The full text of the Appellate Division’s judgment was published on December 21, 2023. The verdict directed that the utmost caution be exercised when invoking Regulation 54(2) of the ACC’s employee regulations, and it outlined 12 observations and directives for the Commission to follow regarding the application of this provision.

Following this, the hearing of Sharif Uddin’s writ petition resumed in the High Court. After an initial hearing, the court issued a rule on February 6, 2024. Subsequently, following a final hearing, the court delivered a judgment on July 9 of last year, declaring his removal order to be without legal authority and void ab initio (invalid from the outset). The court further ordered his reinstatement to service, with the restoration of his original seniority and all accrued benefits and entitlements.