Two committees now scrutinising the track records of 1,106 Bac staff are likely to submit reports by December 12 recommending those who will work with the ACC. Sources close to the committees said around 25 percent staff might be axed.

After selecting the officials and other staff, the three-member anticorruption watchdog will send a list of the 'disqualified' staff to the government asking for their withdrawal from the ACC. The government will then decide their fate.

"There is no alternative to removing some staff to bring transparency in the Commission's activities and achieve the goal to combat corruption," an ACC high official told The Daily Star yesterday on condition of anonymity.

All the staff of the now-defunct Bac were absorbed into the ACC immediately after its formation, although there were widespread allegations of corruption and inefficiency against a good number of anticorruption officials.

The Anti-Corruption Commission Act empowers the Commission to decide who are to be absorbed and who not. Aiming to select honest and efficient staff, the Commission formed the two committees, each with three members.

One committee has been tasked with the selection of class one officials while the other committee will choose lower level officials and employees.

The committee members were chosen from among the government high officials who earlier worked with the Bac on deputation.

"We have been asked to scrutinise the staff on the basis of their ACRs (annual confidential reports), skill, honesty, involvement in corruption or irregularity, and see whether their lifestyle is consistent with their earnings," one of the committee members said.

There are some other criteria, which the member would not disclose.

"We have provided them with specific criteria for staff selection," ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan told The Daily Star yesterday without detailing further.

About the allegation of corruption by Bac staff, one of the committee members said, "There are allegations against many staff, but we did not find enough evidence. Maybe action could not be taken earlier against some of them for the lack of evidence."

Asked to comment on the selection of the scrutiny committee members and their honesty, ACC Director General MA Matin told The Daily Star that the Commission selected them only after being sure that they are good men. "Commission has trust in them."