The situation only worsened as former director general (DG) of the now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (Bac) and Acting ACC Secretary MA Matin resigned yesterday, a day after the government had announced all Bac staff as 'reserved and not to work for the commission'.

The relocation of the commission from the Bac office in Segunbagicha to Agargaon yesterday did not help either.

In his resignation letter to the ACC chairman, Matin regretted discontinuing his job. He said the Cabinet Division's controversial decision about the Bac employees has resulted in a stalemate and there is no congenial atmosphere at the commission to continue working.

Matin alleged the Cabinet Division took the decision, though it was contrary to a clear opinion given by Attorney General AF Hassan Ariff that all Bac employees would be absorbed into the ACC after desolation of the bureau.

Earlier, after the formation of the ACC, the government had cancelled the contractual service of Matin but the ACC chair appointed him as secretary to the commission in addition to his job as the Bac DG.

Talking to journalists, ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan blamed a lack of co-ordination between the government and the commission for the situation including Monday's declaration of the Bac staff as reserved ones. However, he was optimistic that everything would soon start to run well.

ACC Member Maniruddin Ahmed said the government order about the Bac employees will not hamper the commission's activities. Investigations into cases will continue as usual, he added.

Echoing Ahmed, Justice Khan said, "We will not take our remuneration without work..." The ACC chair declined to comment when asked about the attorney general's view.

The other commission member, M Maniruzzaman Miah, said according to the law the commission will recruit from among the Bac staff after scrutiny and the process is ongoing.

Sources said the commission is now mulling over preparing an organogram with 1,746 staff.

They also said the full-fledged commission will meet the finance minister at his residence this evening to discuss some important issues.

The ACC yesterday moved from the Bac office at Segunbagicha to the Bureau of Statistics building at Agargaon, leaving behind the Bac employees, who had already been enraged by the government decision to make them reserves.

The Bac staff were aggrieved at the commission shifting its office without notifying them. They have communicated their anger to both the government and the commission.

Many of the employees loyal to Matin met him yesterday.

One of the Bac officials, who has been relatively more 'active' since the commission's formation, yesterday said, "The commission after its formation pledged to take us with it in its fight against corruption, but now the commission members have left us all alone."

"The commission left the office following the government orders without thinking about us," another Bac staff complained.