Corruption is the biggest threat to people in the country. We must fight it with all our might, but the major onus lies with the political party now in power. Forms of corruption vary but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement. Corruption may facilitate criminal enterprises, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, though it is not restricted to these activities only.
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Unlawful political parties, which were born in the military bivouac on 1 September 1978 and on 1 January 1986 by profaned military dictators using government spy agencies illegitimately and spending vast amounts from the government exchequer, are also grievous examples of political corruption in Bangladesh.
The media outlets in the country have recently exposed many corrupt individuals. Now, people want to see severe punishment for those involved. “Let corruption not be an obstacle to our path of development, let not corruption ruin all of our achievements. So, it’s our responsibility to contain corruption,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly stated. She further emphasized that it is her government’s responsibility to combat corruption to safeguard all development programs. However, these commitments must translate into action, as people want to see tangible results from the government’s promises. Everyone in the country is disgusted by the rampant corruption currently afflicting the nation. Internationally, Bangladesh has also plunged into a severe image crisis.
Having worked with private business firms for more than 49 years, I face extremely corrupt government officials daily. These officials brazenly demand substantial kickbacks in a very short time. If we fail to comply, they penalize us with hefty fines and hold the power to continue or discontinue our business operations.
Every job for us is a dire emergency needed to execute our work in a faster stride to satisfy our overseas customers get more business and get payment in foreign currency from them on the same scale. Citing an example: our group of companies shall have to deal with 30 plus government offices on a regular basis. The private sector business entities are the largest platform to provide jobs for innumerable jobless persons.
From my long-standing years of handling government offices, I wish to write down truthfully my unsound experiences with them:
- The vast majority of offices are not fitfully equipped with the requisite manpower and minimum IT-related office equipment;
- The work process is very lengthy and time-consuming;
- Most of the officials from top to bottom including lower grade workers and security guards are intensely bribee;
- Even if all of our compliance is maintained, kickback in the fatso cashbox is mandatory for them;
- All government officials are public servants, their behavior must be genteel, but in fact, they are very rude; they are public servants;
- The atmosphere in all those offices is not business supportive; rather very unfavorable; and
The officials in those offices have made a culture of calling them as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ by service takers, whereas they are public servants.
The country’s business leaders have also raised allegations of rampant bribery and irregularities in government offices which is impeding businesses and fresh investments.
How to win a victory over all these wrongdoings:
a) Government offices shall have to be filled up with requisite manpower and minimum IT-related office equipment;
b) One-stop simple work process with faster services;
c) The government must issue a stern office order to all offices for not taking any bribe from anybody and a strong campaign shall be carried on through media and public meetings by the government leaders;
d) If any non-compliance is found against any official, immediate action shall have to be taken against him or her. If need be, new appropriate law (s) shall have to be adopted to punish those corrupt officials; and
e) Since the government officials are public servants, they must address the visitors or service receivers to their offices as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ whichever is applicable.
The government should take a vow to root out existing corruption and further the development of anti-corruption initiatives. The country has a robust anti-corruption framework, but laws are inadequately enforced and accountability in all public sectors remains low.
While performing work for a government or as a representative, it is unethical to accept a gift. Any gift could be construed as a scheme to lure the recipient towards some biases. In most cases, the gift is seen as an intention to seek certain favors, such as work promotion, tipping to win a contract, job or exemption from certain tasks in the case of a junior employee giving the gift to a senior employee who can be key in winning the favor.
In politics, corruption undermines democracy and good governance by flouting or even subverting formal processes. Corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government if procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold. Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance.
Corruption can also impact the government’s provision of goods and services. It increases the costs of goods and services which causes efficiency loss. In the absence of corruption, governmental projects might be cost-effective at their true costs, however, once corruption costs are included projects may not be cost-effective so they are not executed distorting the provision of goods and services.
Corruption also generates economic distortion in the public sector by diverting public investment into capital projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful. Corruption also lowers compliance with construction, environmental, or other regulations, reduces the quality of government services and infrastructure, and increases budgetary pressures on the government.
Corruption facilitates environmental destruction. While corrupt societies may have formal legislation to protect the environment, it cannot be enforced if officials can easily be bribed. The same applies to social rights worker protection, unionization prevention, and child labor. Violation of these laws and rights enables corrupt countries to gain an illegitimate economic advantage in the international market.
In construction and shelter, there are numerous opportunities for diversion and profit through substandard workmanship, kickbacks for contracts, and favoritism in the provision of valuable shelter material. Thus, while humanitarian aid agencies are usually most concerned about aid being diverted by including too many; recipients themselves are most concerned about exclusion.
Corruption plays a huge role in the healthcare system starting from the hospital, to the government and lifting to the other institutions that promote quality and affordable healthcare to the people. The efficiency of health care delivery in any country is heavily dependent on accountable and transparent systems, proper management of both financial and human resources, and timely supply of services to the vulnerable populace of the nation.
At the basic level, greed skyrockets corruption. When the structure of the health care system is not adequately addressed beginning from oversight in healthcare delivery and supply of drugs and tendering process, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds will always be observed. Corruption also can undermine health care service delivery which in turn disorients the lives of the poor.
Corruption leads to violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms as people supposed to benefit from the basic health care from the governments are denied due to unscrupulous processes driven by greed. Therefore, for a country to keep citizens healthy there must be efficient systems and proper resources that can tame the evils like corruption that underpin it.
Academic promotions in higher educational institutions have been disabled by unlimited corruption. Presently, promotion is based on personal connections rather than professional achievements. This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of professors and exhibits their rapid status loss. Utmost the flawed processes in the academic institutions have led to unbaked graduates who are not well fit to the job market.
Corruption is the enemy of development and good governance. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective.
For wiping out corruption from the country, a strong-boned war is a dire emergency needed by the government under the able and dynamic stewardship of Bangabandhu Mujib’s gracious daughter PM Sheikh Hasina.
