What the realistic view ought to be is that corruption in Bangladesh has not become unusually thicker in recent times. It is a systemic problem that the country has suffered from for a long time under different governments. Corruption or the depth of it or its pervasiveness has a long history in this land.
If a body like the Transpareny International Bangladesh (TIB) existed in the eighties, specially during the rule of the autocratic governments and allowed to operate freely, then that body would also likely find Bangladesh as a very seriously corruption riddled country.Bangladesh was ranked as the most corrupt country on earth in the list of corrupt nations published by Transparency International Bangladesh ( TIB) on 18 October, 2005. This was the fifth year in a row that Bangladesh had topped the corruption perception index of TIB.
The corruption issue was overplayed by a section of media to imprint in the minds of people as if the incumbent government in Bangladesh has been the most corrupt. As it is, Bangladesh has climbed far up the ladder in corruption perception specially under the present government. After the abysmal record of corruption as the most corrupt country for five consecutive years in 2005, Bangladesh in the corruption perception index stood at number 143 among 180 sampled countries in 2017 whereas its ranking in 2005 was 180th or at the very bottom of the list. Thus, it is irrefutably proved that Bangladesh’s corruptions have considerably declined in recent years propaganda to the contrary notwithstanding.
Now, instead of mud slinging with the corruption issue, what should be important on the part of everyone concerned is to contribute to the clamour that the country needs institutional reforms or effective institutional mechanisms set up in various spheres as the best antidote against corruption. The Anti Corruption Commission still lacks abilities in different ways to be able to strike at corruption with greater sustainable effectiveness. Therefore, the imperative is to empower it adequately with unflinching political resolve behind such a move. Government needs to realize that people in general did not approve of the manner in which the ACC functioned under previous governments-sometimes acting oppressively against corruption suspects and in others not succeeding in establishing the guilts charged against the suspected ones. Thus, ACC earned a bad name for both inefficiency as well as for unduly harassing individuals or institutions. But these sad aspects have not meant that people want the ACC’s zest for fighting corruption was turned off. They are only for ACC doing its work properly under the present government that would seem not arbitrary and lead to successful prosecution.
Thus, it would be a mistake for the government to think that people have no appetite for the ACC or its activities. Any action seen as deliberately weakening the ACC, therefore, will only erode esteem for the government in the conception of the rank and the file of the people. The notion will build that now in power the ruling party only wants to protect corruption. That could be telling on them in future voting contests. Government needs to bear all of these considerations in mind.
Government departments spawn the most corruption in Bangladesh and the parliamentary committees could play a very important role by putting into sharp focus such corruption and building up the pressure for tough measures against the same.
The creation of an ombudsman was suggested long ago to handle cases of corruption alleged by members of the public. But such an ombudsman has not been appointed.
Clearly, the outcry to strengthen institutional capacities against corruption needs to be louder from the media and civil society. They should build up enough pressure to this end and not just create undue hypes that corruption is beating all past records. This is just a poor lie but nonetheless helps to build up unjustified public concern and indignation as if such an allegation is credible. Instead, media should pile pressure on the government to go for systemic checks such as using technologies, automation and digitalization in various areas of functioning of the government for instance, as more effective check valves against corruption.
