The move follows growing pressure on the government from Bangladesh's development partners on the issue.

Under the framework of the commission act, the proposed commission will have three commissioners, who will be picked for a four-year term by the president from a six-member panel chosen by the selection committee.

The five-member selection committee will have a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court as its chairman and a judge of the High Court Division, the chairman of the Public Service Commission, the comptroller and auditor general and the last retired cabinet secretary as its members.

The chief justice yesterday nominated Appellate Division Judge MA Aziz and High Court Division Judge Nazrul Islam Chowdhury for the selection committee.

Now the committee, led by Justice MA Aziz, will meet to make a panel of commissioners. The act stipulates that people with 20 years of experience in law, education, administration, judiciary or armed forces would be eligible for the posts of commissioner.

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed told The Daily Star last night that he is optimistic that the selection committee will finalise the commissioner panel soon and that the commission will be functional by the month-end

The Jatiya Sangsad on February 17 passed the much-talked-about Anti-corruption Commission Bill, 2004, introduced on July 10 last year, in an amended form, making way for institution of an independent body to fight graft.