The ACC had sought two consultants but the ADB proposed for four including former cabinet secretary Mujibul Huq, and informed the ACC of their names.

Besides, the ADB said it will go for follow-up governance TA (technical assistance) in phases during the next two years, subject to satisfactory progress under the current TA.

In an aide-memoire yesterday, the ADB asked the commission to inform it by Wednesday if it has any objection to the proposed consultants.

The ACC sits today to take a decision on the ADB proposal. "We have received a copy of ADB's proposal today and will sit tomorrow to take a decision," ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan told The Daily Star yesterday.

A source in the ACC said the ADB is imposing conditions on the commission by proposing the appointment of four consultants despite ACC's request for two.

He said the government will take the final decision on ADB's proposal.

Shifting from the commission's previous stand against appointment of ADB consultants, the ACC chairman sent a letter to ADB's Bangladesh resident mission on April 30, requesting for appointment of two consultants.

He was learnt to have made the move without discussing the matter with the two commissioners. Sources said the chairman briefed commissioner Prof Maniruzzaman Miah about the matter after sending the letter.

The chairman and two ACC commissioners, during a meeting with cabinet secretary Dr Saadat Hussain on January 8, opposed the ADB proposal for assistance.

The commission did not make positive response when officer-in-charge of ADB's Bangladesh resident mission Hua Du met the ACC top officials on January 11.

Commissioner Miah openly opposed the idea of appointing ADB consultants and said: "I do not think hiring foreign consultants at this moment is necessary."

But Justice Sultan later asked for immediate appointment of a change management consultant/advisor and an organisation development consultant for the commission.

The management consultant would provide professional advice and technical support on day-to-day and operational matters of the ACC and help develop short, medium and long term actions and strategic plan for the anticorruption watchdog.

His tasks also include assisting and maintaining liaison with the government and taking a lead role in the screening of former staff of Bureau of Anti-Corruption (Bac).

The other consultant's task mentioned by the ACC chairman is preparing job analysis of the approved ACC organogram and assisting the management consultant.

He also mentioned in the letter the necessity of logistic support for the commission.

In reply, ADB named four consultants -- Mujibul Huq (Team Leader/Change Management Advisor-Domestic), Chua Cher Yak (Organisation Development Consultant-International), Sakhawat Hussain (Organisation Development Consultant-Domestic) and Abdul Matin (Legal Trainer and Capacity Building Consultant-Domestic).

In the aide-memoire, the ADB said the scope of its assistance in the short run would focus on the development of legal framework for ACC operationalisation, criteria and procedures for screening of Bac staff and its organogram.

The ADB informed the ACC about the possibility of a follow-up ADB governance technical assistance in 2006, subject to progress under the current technical assistance.

The follow-up assistance for next year may accommodate training of the ACC officials and procurement of some equipment for the commission.

The ADB also informed the ACC about the possibility of a future governance project in 2007 for support of further facilities requested by ACC Chairman in his April 30 letter.

The ADB also informed the commission about the proposed terms of reference (ToR) of the consultants and their detailed job description.

According to the ToR, one of the consultants will review the ACC Act to see if there are any inadequacies or scope for further development of the act to strengthen ACC's independence and capacity in anticorruption matters.

The commission, meanwhile, has completed first phase screening of Bac staff and has already absorbed 20 out of 67 ex-Bac anti-corruption officers and 30 out of 116 Bac inspectors.

The ACC also has completed 70 percent work on the formation of the organogram. Sources said if the commission takes ADB assistance now, it will make further delay in finalising the organogram.