Print ArticleThe best achievement, if someone may show, of the present millitary backed interim government in Bangladesh, is their all out offensives against corruption. There is no room to have any doubt that, many of the former ´untouchables´ were already put behind bar by this government and charges of corruption are going on, which many of the international and local observers opined as transparent.
Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh very unfortunately witness rise of corruption and political notoriety in the society, irrespective of whichever party or regime came in power.
When a political system is corrupt, not only the political leaders are benefited, the benefits may go to the political cadres of all strata of the parties, especially the party in power.
The party leaders attain the higher post in the government, assume greater responsibility, and enjoy more privileges. The party cadres at different level also share the privileges. They get the contracts; get the tenders, selected for employment, preferred for admission, promotion, training at home and abroad.
Beaucracy is also benefited by corruption. They also took the advantages of corruption in the political system. They take undue promotion, unhealthy privileges and participate in underhand negotiations. The government employs to the lowest level take the advantage of the system.
The businessmen also take the privilege of the corrupt system. They procure orders in illegal ways, bypass taxes, compromise with the quality of goods and of works, they patronize the parties and take advantage in exchange. They themselves enter into politics, purchase the seats and purchase the voters.
The media also compromise and they don´t maintain the neutrality and they speak in the light of their political affiliation.
The Judiciary is also afflicted. The appointment is compromised. The promotion is manipulated. They lost their judgment and they give verdict in favour of their political interest.
The universities become sit of politics rather the seat of academic exercise. The teachers are more interested in discussing politics than principles. Getting good score in exams is more a matter of political connection than a matter of merit. The recruitment in faculty is also dictated by political menuaver than academic excellence.
After 1/11, when the present interim started arresting the politicians, most of them were from BNP, AL appreciated the move of the new government. When the CTG started arresting a few leaders of AL, AL tried to explain to the public that government is trying to balance the sheet. BNP took the move as an attempt by the new government to crush the party.
General public was also under the illusion that the new government is more anti-BNP than anti-AL. The illusion was created more because of the speeches of the Chief of Army where he expressed his intention to declare Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation and set the history in its true form.
The new government continued its arrest spree and more and more AL leaders were arrested along with BNP leaders, few businessmen and some beaucrates. Government reiterated its stand that it is against all sorts of corruption by the politicians or by anybody else. As the advisers told the politicians are the leaders of the country, they are mainly responsible for the corruption prevailed in the country and they had created the environment for others to compel to adopt the corruption for them.
Government gradually increased its pressure on more powerful two of the former female Prime Ministers, as well as sons of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia were also arrested. .
Quickly after arrest of Awami League leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, most of the senior leaders in that party started discovering conspiracy theory behind such arres and trial.
Praising Bangladesh´s interim government´s anti-corruption drive, American commentator Emily Wax wrote an opinion editorial in prestigious newspaper The Wahington Post on October 3, 2007.
Wax wrote, "corruption was ingrained in social fabric that even the Bureau of Anti-corruption accepted a bribe and Bangladesh persistently ranked top most corrupt country in the world."
He continued, "Now, two former Prime Ministers, rival politicians who have dominated the countries politics for 16 years are behind the bar. They are awaiting trials for siphoning off millions of dollars from the Government. Also incarcerated on graft, tax evasion and corruption charges are 170 members of the ruling elite, along with an estimated 15000 political underdogs, local government officials and businessmen."
Commenting of massive arrest of politicians and others on corruption charges, Emily Wax wrote, "the arrests this year are unprecedented for South Asia Region, a reputation for widespread impunity when it comes to thievery in Government corruption. It is completely unthinkable in SA that a country´s demigods are now in jail."
Quoting Iftekher Jaman, Executive Director of Transparency International, Bangladesh chapter, Wax wrote, "For most people what matters is daily life and corruption is so deep rooted her that there has to be a painful transition. But in the long terms, it has to happen´."
Bangladesh is in 7th position in Transparency International Corruption Perception Index [CPI] report for 2006-2007 with the score at 2. Previous year Bangladesh was in 3rd position with the same score. Before that from 2001- 2005 Bangladesh had consecutively in no 1 position for 5 years. In 1996, Bangladesh had score 1.2. It takes 10 years for Bangladesh to come to the score 2 where score 3 is considered for a country to be against corruption. Among the Saarc Countries Bangladesh is again at the bottom. Then Pakistan with 2.4, Nepal 2.5, SriLanka 3.2, India 3.5, Bhutan 5.0. On the better end, at the top are Denmark, Finland, NeoZeland with 9.4 score, Singapure and Sweden 9.4 score, UK 8.4 and USA 7.2.
Transparency International report is prepared by the Berlin – based Transparency International. The CPI of 2007 was prepared from the 14 surveys conducted by internationally renowned 10 independent bodies.
According to various scoops in local and international media, Bangladesh may again get into the top of the most corrupt nations in the TI report of 2007-2008, as because silent corruption has increased significantly during past sixteen months. There are even allegations of high profile corruption in various sectors as well as extraction of ransom from the innocent people either by the members of law enforcing agencies or their agents. But, some of the critics, challenging the legitimacy of Transparency International report say, this prestigious organization is not represented by neutral people at least in a number of countries. Many of the TI boses in different countries belong to so-called civil society, which are mostly packed by either oxthodox opinists or partisan analysts. Whatever the argument may be, it is well understood that TI reports are already recognized by various governments in the world as genuine source of information. There are even allegations that mostly syndicates of corrupts are spending substantial amount of money in defaning Transparency International in order to altimately supress the notorious face of corruption. For Bangladesh, Transparency International report turned one of the mightiest tools for political parties in attacking opponents with the published fact sheet on rise or level of corruption. It was even observed that people and party involved in one of the most corrupt governments in Bangladesh are regularly quoting TI report on Bangladesh to show that during their tenure corruption didn´t reach such worrisum status.
Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh very unfortunately witness rise of corruption and political notoriety in the society, irrespective of whichever party or regime came in power.
When a political system is corrupt, not only the political leaders are benefited, the benefits may go to the political cadres of all strata of the parties, especially the party in power.
The party leaders attain the higher post in the government, assume greater responsibility, and enjoy more privileges. The party cadres at different level also share the privileges. They get the contracts; get the tenders, selected for employment, preferred for admission, promotion, training at home and abroad.
Beaucracy is also benefited by corruption. They also took the advantages of corruption in the political system. They take undue promotion, unhealthy privileges and participate in underhand negotiations. The government employs to the lowest level take the advantage of the system.
The businessmen also take the privilege of the corrupt system. They procure orders in illegal ways, bypass taxes, compromise with the quality of goods and of works, they patronize the parties and take advantage in exchange. They themselves enter into politics, purchase the seats and purchase the voters.
The media also compromise and they don´t maintain the neutrality and they speak in the light of their political affiliation.
The Judiciary is also afflicted. The appointment is compromised. The promotion is manipulated. They lost their judgment and they give verdict in favour of their political interest.
The universities become sit of politics rather the seat of academic exercise. The teachers are more interested in discussing politics than principles. Getting good score in exams is more a matter of political connection than a matter of merit. The recruitment in faculty is also dictated by political menuaver than academic excellence.
After 1/11, when the present interim started arresting the politicians, most of them were from BNP, AL appreciated the move of the new government. When the CTG started arresting a few leaders of AL, AL tried to explain to the public that government is trying to balance the sheet. BNP took the move as an attempt by the new government to crush the party.
General public was also under the illusion that the new government is more anti-BNP than anti-AL. The illusion was created more because of the speeches of the Chief of Army where he expressed his intention to declare Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation and set the history in its true form.
The new government continued its arrest spree and more and more AL leaders were arrested along with BNP leaders, few businessmen and some beaucrates. Government reiterated its stand that it is against all sorts of corruption by the politicians or by anybody else. As the advisers told the politicians are the leaders of the country, they are mainly responsible for the corruption prevailed in the country and they had created the environment for others to compel to adopt the corruption for them.
Government gradually increased its pressure on more powerful two of the former female Prime Ministers, as well as sons of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia were also arrested. .
Quickly after arrest of Awami League leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, most of the senior leaders in that party started discovering conspiracy theory behind such arres and trial.
Praising Bangladesh´s interim government´s anti-corruption drive, American commentator Emily Wax wrote an opinion editorial in prestigious newspaper The Wahington Post on October 3, 2007.
Wax wrote, "corruption was ingrained in social fabric that even the Bureau of Anti-corruption accepted a bribe and Bangladesh persistently ranked top most corrupt country in the world."
He continued, "Now, two former Prime Ministers, rival politicians who have dominated the countries politics for 16 years are behind the bar. They are awaiting trials for siphoning off millions of dollars from the Government. Also incarcerated on graft, tax evasion and corruption charges are 170 members of the ruling elite, along with an estimated 15000 political underdogs, local government officials and businessmen."
Commenting of massive arrest of politicians and others on corruption charges, Emily Wax wrote, "the arrests this year are unprecedented for South Asia Region, a reputation for widespread impunity when it comes to thievery in Government corruption. It is completely unthinkable in SA that a country´s demigods are now in jail."
Quoting Iftekher Jaman, Executive Director of Transparency International, Bangladesh chapter, Wax wrote, "For most people what matters is daily life and corruption is so deep rooted her that there has to be a painful transition. But in the long terms, it has to happen´."
Bangladesh is in 7th position in Transparency International Corruption Perception Index [CPI] report for 2006-2007 with the score at 2. Previous year Bangladesh was in 3rd position with the same score. Before that from 2001- 2005 Bangladesh had consecutively in no 1 position for 5 years. In 1996, Bangladesh had score 1.2. It takes 10 years for Bangladesh to come to the score 2 where score 3 is considered for a country to be against corruption. Among the Saarc Countries Bangladesh is again at the bottom. Then Pakistan with 2.4, Nepal 2.5, SriLanka 3.2, India 3.5, Bhutan 5.0. On the better end, at the top are Denmark, Finland, NeoZeland with 9.4 score, Singapure and Sweden 9.4 score, UK 8.4 and USA 7.2.
Transparency International report is prepared by the Berlin – based Transparency International. The CPI of 2007 was prepared from the 14 surveys conducted by internationally renowned 10 independent bodies.
According to various scoops in local and international media, Bangladesh may again get into the top of the most corrupt nations in the TI report of 2007-2008, as because silent corruption has increased significantly during past sixteen months. There are even allegations of high profile corruption in various sectors as well as extraction of ransom from the innocent people either by the members of law enforcing agencies or their agents. But, some of the critics, challenging the legitimacy of Transparency International report say, this prestigious organization is not represented by neutral people at least in a number of countries. Many of the TI boses in different countries belong to so-called civil society, which are mostly packed by either oxthodox opinists or partisan analysts. Whatever the argument may be, it is well understood that TI reports are already recognized by various governments in the world as genuine source of information. There are even allegations that mostly syndicates of corrupts are spending substantial amount of money in defaning Transparency International in order to altimately supress the notorious face of corruption. For Bangladesh, Transparency International report turned one of the mightiest tools for political parties in attacking opponents with the published fact sheet on rise or level of corruption. It was even observed that people and party involved in one of the most corrupt governments in Bangladesh are regularly quoting TI report on Bangladesh to show that during their tenure corruption didn´t reach such worrisum status.
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