Look at the modern road network of flyover, elevated expressway, bus rapid transit and metro rail in Dhaka—they are all “relievers” of traffic congestion. Look at the street furniture—they really look breathtakingly beautiful. Traffic calming and off-limit measures are also “in place”. Look at multi-lane motorway corridors, Jamuna, Padma and other road-rail bridges—they all have shortened distance and saved time. Such good communication links make my heart leap with a proud feeling. But the same heart sinks when pondering how graft stories behind building those physical facilities filled column inches almost daily. Things have not changed, so has not the system. Corruption is making headlines even today!
Sadly, Bangladesh has slid into the depths of corruption over the years. Previously, it earned the notoriety of being the most corrupt nation. Corruption was the corollary of a systemic change within the political superstructure of the country. Systemic corruption reached cosmic proportions that rocked the once unassailable Sheikh Hasina regime! Today’s interim government, which is the denouement of the 2024 youthquake, is also called into question over graft allegations often. Recent turns and twists in the political landscape have made it clear that the road to democracy is so rocky and unpaved. Anarchy reigns after the fall of the demonic Hasina, and it sets in motion political topsy-turvy.
Corruption runs in our blood as an endemic vice. My current stream of consciousness is full of those corrupt minds and souls involved in sleaze, bribery, deception or other vices. Think of year-round road and footpath renovation and the amount of corruption behind such works. Corrupt officials are aided and abetted by rent-seeking politicians whose main mission is making oodles of money out of government projects in the name of price hike, cost overrun and multiple extensions. Yet, missing a project deadline is typical. Fraudsters find loopholes to undertake projects up to Tk 50 crore that need not seek the green light from the ECNEC.
Bribery, palm-greasing, influence-peddling, profiteering, malfeasance, misconduct or misrule are different forms of corruption. Bribery or palm-greasing is used to secure illicit advantages or gains in politics, business or file movement in offices in exchange for money or favours. But influence-peddling is done by an individual who uses his/her influence for any work. In this case, the influencer may not be inclined to accept or offer any bribe for using their powerful position. Say, Yunus’ Grameen entities have got the pick-me-up in the post-uprising interregnum, let alone approving Grameen University and digital wallet service Samadhan.
You know there are ‘ism’ suffix-added negative words like sexism, ageism, racism, cronyism, favouritism, fascism, nepotism, parochialism, regionalism, religionism, sectarianism and terrorism. They are heavy in weight and dangerous in meaning. For example, cronyism is the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority disregarding their qualifications. Again, favouritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. So, such isms are vices too. Never forget the supercharged term ‘fascism’ that led to the fall of a long-held regime only last year.
Let me delve deep into the corruption issue by referring to what Dr Serajul Islam Chowdhury recently said about malpractice. Bangladesh endured British and Pakistani colonialism only to become a colony of the wealthy today. While past colonisers pillaged and plundered our resources, now the ‘independent’ Bangladesh sees a privileged class looting and laundering wealth abroad. Former secretary Abdus Sattar accused some advisers of making prior deals for big appointments or transfers. The government, however, outright rejected his unsubstantiated allegations against unnamed advisers, saying that the administration remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, integrity and accountability.
Overindulgence is a sort of corruption of minds. One year into the historic July Uprising, many ambitious student leaders still strut and stride in the corridors of power and use state patronage in feeding parochialism. Their wholesale meddling of state affairs in the name of putting things in place is an act of sheer whim. Again, mob justice (read violence) by vigilantes creates anarchy all over. The use of youth power is the need of the hour, but, by the same token, students should brace for a brighter tomorrow. A protector turns into a predator when power comes unchallenged, but the power-wielders must keep in mind that “With great power comes great responsibility”.
The nation has not forgotten the pillowcase-procurement corruption and how public servants were grossly involved in this monetary vice. Again, there are hundreds of corrupt officials and even petty employees at education offices who always try to find faults of petty, low-paid primary teachers to realise some money, be it Tk 50 or 100. Why? Ain’t they public servants? Ain’t the public provisioning for their pays and perks for what they deliver?
Land sub-registry offices are a cesspit of corruption. Sub-registers or boro sahebs are the kingpins of corruption at every turn and corner of their desks. Go and check if you accomplish your deed unhindered without making them happy with moolah. So, all sub-registrars must be brought under investigation, and the corrupt ones and their enablers be booked for trial if found guilty of bribery, forgery or counterfeiting. Otherwise, positive changes, as we expect in the neo-liberation formula, will remain elusive.
Bangladesh turns 54 this year! So, it is no longer fledgling now. On a downbeat note, the otherwise upbeat expatriate researcher and writer Rauful Alam laments the fact that our dear country is yet to think deeply about the assurance of people’s voting rights, procurement of modern fighter jets, establishment of modern hospitals and no world-famous universities! Thousands of Raufuls living abroad have the same perception about their motherland. They are critical of a sorry state of affairs with a push for corrections through amending all things wrong and setting priorities right.
Amid all bad things about corruption surfaces a piece of good news on the arrangement of the 13th general election. The Yunus administration is committed to being a truest and truest overseer of the country’s finest and fairest election in its history through ensuring true enfranchisement in a real-sense-of-the-term festivity. The nation’s election watchdog is preparing fully to hold the polls. Unlike the past three dummy, midnight polls done by Hasina, the voters, who are the real power of a democracy, await an inclusive, participatory and credible general election in February 2026 with bated breath.
In a reformed political landscape, the voters never want to see shrewd, unprincipled persons in high places and other positions of power and govern them ever at their sweet will. They do not want to see repeats of the past. Even taxpayers do not want to see civil servants as éminences grises behind government ministers. People always hate the dealers of politics who are power-mad snollygosters and greedy rent-seekers. The public knows how to throw outrageous Machiavellian politicians out of political office. They know how to resist oligarchs and their allies and cronies who are parachuted into such positions controversially.
In sum, there is no room for corruption anywhere. Corrupt practices must end everywhere. The corrupt must be spotted and meted out condign punishment through timely trial and through correcting professional misconduct and changing corrupt mindset. It is guaranteed that society will change automatically. The interim government should keep its corruption-busting bandwagon alive for the party that will be in power next to follow suit.
The writer is a senior news editor at Times of Bangladesh
