The New Nation - Internet Edition

Kazi S.M. Khasrul Alam Quddusi

Only almighty knows how many more dramas remain to be unfolded in this land of nothing 'impossible'. In fact, more are in the pipeline if the contemporary happenings in our political scenario are any guide. It is now quite clear that the people that are entrusted with the rein of the country seem to invariably take it just as lightly that it is just a fun for them.

Some, however, can term it as adventurism or rather misadventure as well given the apparent capitulation of the current government, which despite starting their campaign with the hackneyed slogan of anti-corruption received unlimited applause from the otherwise naive intellectuals as well as all-time gullible masses of the land.

I, however, do not have the temerity to allude to smoothing like that they just amused the people as astute jokers. The ant-corruption campaign seems to have been shelved by the current government. However, the experiment extravaganza remains creating more of boredom among the citizenry.

I am more than convinced that the move to bring two most powerful woman leaders of the country to negotiating table is the latest of their futile experimentations. Though one wishes all the best to this move, we have every reason to be alarmed if we go back to the secretary-level 'circus' dialogue between two Abduls: Abdul Mannan and Abdul Jalil.

I have no intention to side with the propaganda that two women are at the crux of the problem facing the country. I rather think that this scenario has been brought to the fore quite intentionally so that people stop asking about the fate of the anti-corruption drive and forget about the more overriding problems such as political reforms, price-spiral, economic depression, law and order situation and so on.

This is not to mean that the government has failed miserably in these sectors, this is rather to remind of the fact that the government has remained half-hearted or misdirected in its initiatives for long. If we concentrate on the anti-corruption drive, it can be stated quite convincingly that the government has just let the prime suspects off the hook after being quite successful in netting them.

Truly, like other suspects, Tarique Rahman too had the right to proper treatment for his illness. Though the government claims to have released Tarique on humanitarian ground, Begum Khaleda Zia's statement regarding his long overseas-stay sends all the signals that the government has little interest even in pursuing the cases against him. The irony is, however, that Tarique's release is being termed as a victory of an uncompromising mother.

To be candid, however, this is the humiliating defeat of the true spirit of anti-corruption campaign in the country. After the much talked-about Tarique release, of course, most other suspects are also coming out in flying colors. Statements of Anti-corruption Chairman and Home adviser regarding the slowing down of anti-corruption cases are cogent proofs that the much- vaulted anti-corruption drive has already lost the steam and about to fizzle out.

What message can, then, the commoners draw? Are some influential people not indeed beyond the law of the land. Are laws in this country and cries for good governance not just for coxing the people and for fishing for compliments on occasions?

Though anti-corruption drive has already been dealt a severe blow, the people in the government seems to have no remorse whatsoever for this unwelcome surrender to the prime suspects.

The social cost of this anti-corruption fiasco might, however, be all the more awful. The fear is, then, not at all unfounded that an impression might become deep-rooted in the citizenry that none in the country is interested in arresting the wayward horse of corruption in the country.

Moreover, anti-corruption slogan is just a platitude only to dupe the common people thereby creating a disastrous craving for corrupt practices even among the people who have so far opted to remain aloof from corruption despite facing hardships and odds.Was then the so-called jihad against corruption not a great disservice to the nation?

Will the current anti-corruption failure not accentuate the feeling that corruption is quite appreciable in the country and to get rid of all sorts of corruption charges is just to use guiles and political pressure upon the ones who are still bent on fighting against this ill?

Admittedly, there is no escape from the iron cage of bureaucracy for running of state of affairs in a country. To many, thus, bureaucracy is a necessary evil. Does our current apparent anti-corruption fiasco, then, confirm the apprehension that corruption too has become a necessary evil in Bangladesh?

Whatever might be the outcome of the current anti-corruption debacle, majority people of the country have the guts to say no to corruption. The paradox is, however, that whoever took up the anti-corruption rein in the country just failed the nation and in so doing augmented social cost of corruption every time.

Despite the existing disappointment among the citizenry, I believe that the toiling masses of the country will succeed in pressing home the fact that corruption is not a necessary evil in Bangladesh and that they will not remain hostage to corrupt cartels forever in that this very malady is not theirs; rather it belongs to the rulers.