THE government鈥檚 anti-corruption pledges have unfortunately remained rhetorical. The prime minister once again said in the parliament on June 29 that the government had started its drive against corruption and would spare none. Such a statement, made plenty of times earlier, hardly reflects the government鈥檚 position on corruption as it has largely failed to go tough on the corrupt who enjoy political clout. A number of ruling Awami League members of parliament have, meanwhile, continued to try to save the party image, saying that the media revelation of corrupt practices and illegal wealth of public officials, mostly close to the ruling party, was a conspiracy and that the corrupt officials had no relation to the Awami League. The remarks are ridiculous and do not absolve the Awami League of responsibilities for the corruption that pervades all sectors. It is true that the government and its anti-corruption agency have investigated and, in a few cases, held some corrupt people to justice, but most of such incidents were results of media revelations of corruption and people鈥檚 criticism. The Anti-Corruption Commission has not largely taken any action on its own against, for example, a former inspector general of police or a former National Board of Revenue officer.
The media detected the corrupt practices of the two who amassed illegal wealth. The Anti-Corruption Commission took cognisance of the allegations after the agency had been pushed to a position where it risked its integrity. There is a public perception that the commission does not investigate corruption allegations against people with political or financial clout unless there is popular pressure. The pervasive corruption is reflective of the lack of commitment of the authorities and corrupt practices in all public sectors that continue unabated because of a culture of impunity and the failure of the government and the commission to end such practices. The widespread corruption occurs largely through collusion during project implementation through a nexus of political influence, business entities and the administration. The level of corruption can be understood by the facts that ultra-wealthy people increased faster than in any other country and Bangladesh鈥檚 exposure to illicit financial flows is very high among least developed countries. Service sector corruption has, meanwhile, continued so much as bribery appears to have been institutionalised in all public services. A Transparency International Bangladesh survey in 2022 showed that almost 74 per cent of households had to face corruption in getting services.
The government should not forget that widespread corruption indicates a distance between the state and society and corruption is antithetical to economic growth, equality and democracy. The government must, therefore, show the commitment to contain corruption. The government must also ensure that anti-corruption laws are stringently enforced and perpetrators are brought to justice.