Dhaka: Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood has said the conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 percent in 2017, claiming that the commission is trying its best to improve the quality of its probes to bring graft suspects to justice.

"The conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 percent up to August 2017. But, the commission isn't happy at all. It wants to see punishment in cent percent cases," he said.

The ACC chief was addressing a meeting with a delegation of German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development at the ACC head office in capital Dhaka on Tuesday night.

He informed the delegation that once the conviction rate in graft cases filed by the ACC was only 20 percent, but it reached 54 percent in 2016.

Mahmood said the commission is trying to bring about a positive change in inquires and investigations, and complete probes within the stipulated timeframe set by its rules.

The commission may file less graft cases, he said, but it will not compromise with the quality of probes.

The ACC chief said the German government is providing assistance to the ACC through its development agency, GIZ, to increase the capacity of the commission.

He said the ACC has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bhutan and it is now negotiating with other international anti-corruption agencies to increase cooperation with those in fighting graft.

Head of the seven-member German delegation Dr Angelika Stauder assured the ACC that the German government will continue its cooperation to the ACC to help Bangladesh fight corruption.

ACC commissioners Dr Nasir Uddin Ahmed and AFM Aminul Islam and its secretary Dr Shamsul Arefin were, among others, present at the meeting.