He, however, claimed that he has resigned on 'personal and health grounds'.

His resignation came on the date when the senior lawyer was supposed to start his work at the ACC.

"I have submitted my resignation to the commission chairman seeking relief from the position on personal and health grounds," Mahbubur Rahman, also a former minister of autocrat Ershad's cabinet, told The Daily Star last night.

He denied having quit following media reports against him and said that his resignation has no connection with these. Earlier several newspapers brought out stories that the ACC has appointed a "corrupt person" as its chief prosecutor.

Advocate Mahbub, also a former BNP lawmaker, sent his resignation letter to the ACC Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury at around 12:00noon by his personal secretary.

In his resignation letter, he thanked the ACC chief for appointing him as the chief prosecutor. The letter that he read out for The Daily Star over phone said that he has support for the ongoing anti-corruption drive by the government and the ACC and his support will continue in future.

Mahbub said that he is planning to leave for Bangkok within a week to have a medical check up.

Media reports at different times hinted at his involvement in corruption. The now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption sought wealth accounts from him in 1994, but he did not submit that. He, however, claims that the chapter had been closed by the highest court.