The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. M. S. Haq

The methods and practices of corruption (used in a wider sense) in Bangladesh have apparently been undergoing changes in qualitative, quantitative and other terms besides, the continuation of old methods and practices - where feasible - relative to time space and other variables. The questions now are: Are those developments in the domain of corruption being triggered and guided by the doctrine of necessity or the principal of survival of the fittest (in a sense) or a change in the phase of corruption cycle or otherwise - under the present day changed circumstances? Will those developments lead to eventual repositioning of corruption - as a modified product with a new look - in the market of Bangladesh and elsewhere? What will be the future of corruption and anti-corruption in Bangladesh, per se?

For dealing with above and other related questions, there is a perceived need for all concerned to accelerate and sustain - on a continuous basis - research and monitoring in pertinent areas and implementing anti-corruption measures, as required, as the part of a grand strategy for containing corruption in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

At this point in time, I am not aware of any comprehensive grand strategy on anti-corruption in the country.

There are, at present - things - in the air and on the ground as to for example, the cause of present day corruption. A few of them are presented below, relative to time, space and other variables:

1. the entry of new actors into the country's corruption markets is being increasingly felt. They - representing various sections of the society (used in a wider sense) - are apparently deriving their power from the present day changed circumstances, for example. One of the underlying assumptions here is - those new actors are probably filling up gaps of some of the old ones who are at present behind bars;

2. old practices are also in vogue such as, the collection of 70 taka per working day from road side coconut sellers - I wrote about it in one of my previous articles in the national dailies;

3. government employees or officials or both who deal with say, pay and audit matters of employees or officials or both of the present day powerful government organizations are perhaps engaged in using their official connections with staff members of those powerful organizations in pursuits of for example, protecting their relations - whether or not blood relations - and others from corruption related consequences or hiding corruption related ramifications from the public scrutiny, per se;

4. apparent gaps between say, monthly incomes and monthly expenditures of for example, government servants (to whom it may concern) owning or renting or both private residential accommodations of, what I would call, incompatible standards - I mean, income-apartment rental related disparities or income-apartment price related disparities or income-standard of living related disparities; and

5. efforts of black money holders towards legitimization of black monies through a somewhat new method of investing black monies in small businesses with the help of sizeable number of low income earning and trusted people.

One of the purposes of presenting the list is to advise all concerned about the need for scaling up the pace and effectiveness of say, investigations in above and related areas in pursuits of inter alia: building, sustaining and promoting solid knowledge, understandings and databases about changing trends and developments in the domain of corruption in Bangladesh and elsewhere; tracking changing trends and developments in the number and profile of say, beneficiaries of corruption; and getting all concerned prepared for meeting challenges and opportunities of for example, new generation corruption in the overall interest of Bangladesh and the world at large - all in a more efficient, effective and result-oriented fashion than those at present, per se.

I believe one of the vital candidates for the present day anti-corruption drive is the country's bureaucracies - civilian and military, more particularly - judiciary, law enforcement, accounts and audits, and certain resource creating and resource handling entities. I also believe an aggressive and meaningful anti-corruption presence in the area will be needed now because a clean, refreshed, dynamic, effective, accountable and motivated bureaucracy will be inter alia critical to better governance in Bangladesh and a corruption free (at least to a tolerable extent) Bangladesh, among other things - with the help and assistance of corruption free media (print, electronic, etc.), though.

Factors such as: the dispensation of right justice to the right person at the right time and cost at judicial and other levels; the lawful and result-oriented performance of law enforcers and other government servants; a drastic change in the state power related perceptions of bureaucracies - friends not masters; a real time, real term and sustainable subordination of state bureaucracies to people's power and institutions - save and except extreme situations that could demand otherwise for quick impacts in relevant areas, per se; and a more competitive, development-oriented and reliable media (print, electronic); could assist Bangladesh, friends of Bangladesh (including inter alia the US), neighbors of Bangladesh (India and Pakistan) and others (including inter alia WB and EU) in the effort towards promoting and sustaining a corruption free Bangladesh and a corruption free world at large.

The last word: let us intensify and sustain anti-corruption drives in areas say, income-expenditure profile of government servants; pay them (I mean, the government servants) wages and salaries on the bases of inter alia their respective job worth to be determined via a proper job evaluation exercise, market competitions and inflations, and a standard size family requirement; position their career expectations, career developments, career paths on a more solid, fair, legitimate, competitive and result-oriented ground; and enhance internal resources through elimination of wastage via anti corruption and other means and methods.