Tackling corruption
To tackle corruption one has to have a clear understanding of the various dimensions of corruption. Corruption can be of various types with varying impacts on any given society. Material corruption like illegal acquisition of money and assets through the use of one's position and authority is perhaps easier to deal with than corruption having moral and ethical dimensions. As much as I am against corruption and those who deal in corrupt practices, I am of the opinion that material corruption and other types cannot be eradicated no matter what measures are adopted. A certain level of corruption is not only universal but also has been there since the dawn of history. On the other hand corruption is situation specific and its impact and relevance differs from country to country. Where as Bangladesh has been ranked as the most corrupt nation of the world it is also true that from a different premise the "corporate" corrupt practices in USA and other developed countries are of no less magnitude. But what makes corruption in Bangladesh acute and unique and of serious concern, is its spread like termites through the length and breadth of the society. Conversely, in neighboring India there is no dearth of highly corrupt politicians. From time to time its Government hauls up politicians with tons of illegal cash and gold kept hidden at their residences. But what makes the country move ahead is that these politicians knowingly or unknowingly did not allow its evil influence to spread through the various tiers of the society. On the other hand they indulge in corrupt practices not at the expense of national interests. More than most of them are "patriots". Here in Bangladesh corruption in varying degrees is rampant across the country. High profiled corrupt politicians and others indulge in illegal acquisition of money and assets as devils incarnated, taking it all without putting even 5 percent of the loot to the good of the country. Our high profiled corrupts are also inefficient, particularly in statecraft and state management. Both moral and ethical erosion of values combined with material corruption of some of the developed countries of the world would perhaps exceed what is now prevailing in Bangladesh. Yet, those countries have not plunged into such obsession and euphoria in dealing with corruption and corrupt people. It is important to understand that corruption, particularly during previous regimes right from the day we gained independence, continued to increase in leaps and bounds perpetuated by a multitude of factors like poor political leadership, absence of proper governance, the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor, lack of accountability on the part of successive governments combined with heightened individual greed. Here in Bangladesh, it is also important to understand that the level of corruption we see today is the cumulative effect of over 35 years and hence it would be too utopian a thinking to assume that by whatever method corruption in Bangladesh could be eliminated in the coming two years or for that matter in the coming twenty years. Therefore our crusade against corruption and corrupt people has to be two-pronged, tackling through the process of law and at the same time turning it into a social movement across the country. Although there has been much talk about it from time to time, there has been no organized effort in the direction of social movement to date. From the primary levels stretching up to the undergraduate courses should be there with the primary focus being on the moral and ethical aspect of corruption as a whole. As for the legal process it has to be totally fool proof. The process should not only be evenhanded and at the same time seen and perceived as impersonal by the entire nation. On the other hand provisions for punishment should be rational. The process should follow the basic rules of procedures already established. Bringing about too many drastic changes in laid down procedures may prove to be counterproductive in the long run and has the possibility of being overturned in the future, making way for possible eluding of justice and return to the rot once again. The passage of justice should ensure complete neutrality and should be free from any kind of bias on the part of the complainants, the accused and the judges alike. The entire process should be free from any form of hatred, religious bias, and anger. One also has to remember that the poor and the disadvantaged including people in the limited and fixed income groups should also come into focus in as far as their quest for day to day justice is concerned. Let us not forget that it is they who happen to be the majority of our population. As much as I wish well the present government of the country it is my belief that time has come for it to focus and contemplate on some of the issues raised above. Finally, I would like to conclude this short commentary with two invaluable quotes, the first one by the famous British Judge Charles Bowen (1723 - 1780) and the other by Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744). It is my strong belief that both the initiator and the dispenser of justice in dealing with or engaged in eradication of corruption and handing out justice to corrupt people would do well to remember these words of wisdom as they proceed with their crusade. "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer". "The hungry judges soon Sentence sign, And wretches hang that jury-men may dine". The author is a freelancer.
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