In Bangladesh, political leaders do not care the law. The Govt. should take effective action to change this situation
Bangladesh is a corrupt country. Corruption is seen every sector in Bangladesh. I think political leaders involve in corruption most. Because they think they have enough power to nobody cannot touch their hair. This situation arises because of poor use of our law. Election is a process of choosing a political party and a government, but it never guarantees that a democratically elected government will remain democratic in its outlook or action. Especially when a political party captures more than majority seats in the parlament,It tends to degenerate into autocracy or any other bad form of government. The situation will be worse when the attention of the govt. focused on the realization of selfish ends. They make huge amount of money during their government period. Political corruption is in fact a matter of debate all over the world. In Bangladesh, the debate and discussion on political corruption is not anything new. Now a day’s politician takes politics as a profession. In the past, the brilliant people involve in politics but now only a very few people are found who involve in politics in the objective of developing our country. Before the national election political leaders go to their district or village and made lot of commitment to local people but when they elected they just forget their commitment and starts corruption, supports terrorism and many illegal things to make lot of money without care the law.
Political corruption is the misuse or inefficient handling of power by any person holding a public office, with a view of obtaining any illegal or extra legal gain and people of their rightful gain be it financial or otherwise. According to former chief justice Habibur Rahman,People today are seriously worried about irregularities and partisanship in the process of admission recruitment, and tender. How political leaders use their power is given below:[1]
1. Taking financial or other benefits against award of project, contracts for self or party fund.
2. Awarding projects to party men in exchange for favor during, before or after election.
3. Depriving lowest, experienced or efficient bidders from award of tender due to their political background, link or perceived link.
4. Changing project profile to suit own political requirements thus causing losses to public fund.
5. Harassing genuine bidders with state machineries, such as police, NBR for not listening to unlawful demands.
Lets consider some recent incident that prove political leaders do not care the law.
In 9th Oct at Natore, Awami league supporters attack BNP prosation and killed upazilla chairman and hurt forty people. They also misbehave to four journalists. For this reason BNP call hortal at Natore on 10th oct.Awami league declared that they take action against the terrorist of their party but we know that there will be no action taken against those terrorist.
More than 100 juboleage and chattro leage activitists on September 17 attackted two examination centers during a recruitment test class-3 govt. employees, and the DC refused to entertain various demand of AL MP’s. The attackers assaulted a number of Govt. officer including two additional deputy commissioners and a female magistrate and vandalized a number of officers vehicles during that time.A section of Pabna Al lay seize to the DC office at an emergency meeting of Al’s Pabna municipality unit to press home [2]their demand to withdraw AFM Monjur Kadir, The DC of Pabna.
The visiting investigation team of international crime tribunal found some evidence of jamaat-e-Islami central executive committee member Mir Qasem Ali’s involvement in crimes committed during the liberation war in Chittagong city. The witness says to this team that Mir quasem is the coordinator of the torture cell. The team visited different crime scenes In Raozan upazilla of chittagong and BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Quader chowdhury name came up during enquiry into crime against humanity committed in 1971.Witness and family members of martyr Natun Chandra singha,founder of herbal medicine Kundeshwari,said the saka chowdhury was involve in the killing of Natun during the liberation war 1971.
Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir is another corrupted person and is use his political power to make huge illegal property. He is a current member of parlament and he is elected from chandpur-1.It is a good sign that election commission take action against him and he is going to lost his seat.[bangladesh protidin]
Tarique Rahman, is a Bangladeshi politician. He is Senior Joint Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). His mother is Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the Chairperson of BNP. Tareq Rahman’s father is the late President Ziaur Rahman. His principal responsibility was in the Party is to reorganize the Party to meet the challenges of the 21st century. But he forgot his duty and involve corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Commission 9th august pressed money-laundering charges against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun on charge of laundering taka 20.41 crore to Singapore. A Dhaka Court fixed August 10 to decide whether money-laundering charges against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his business partner Giasuddin al Mamun would be taken into cognizance.
Another case is running against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others in connection with Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
But BNP think that the government has pressed charges against Tarique Rahman in a ‘false case’ to keep him off politics, a senior BNP leader and party spokesman said. They treat Tarique Rahman as “a piece of diamond” and the BNP leaders think the country is now eagerly waiting for him.
Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed has warned the government of an “explosive situation” if his party leaders and workers are roped in on imaginary charges, reports UNB.The warning came in the wake of wide speculations that Jamaat leaders would soon be brought to the dock on charge of war crimes.Meanwhile, Jamaat leaders said the government move to try war criminals does not have “any legal base” as 195 identified war criminals were freed under the Shimla treaty. They warned the government of “dire consequences” for such a move.Jamaat claimed that the government is trying to hide its failure by terrifying people in the name of trial. The Jamaat leader said the government revived the issue of war crimes that had been settled 39 years back.
Mojaheed said, “Jamaat is not a party swept here by waves. It has its roots among the people. It will be mistaken if anyone thinks Jamaat can be wiped out.” Mojaheed called for unity of the nationalist forces to undo the expansionist design of dividing the nation. Depicting a grim situation prevailing in the country he said the ruling party is playing in the hands of expansionist forces who have decided to reduce Bangladesh to their market.
But everyone know that in 1971 jamaat worked against our country people. They involve in war crime and they are liable for many deaths during that time. For this reason they must be punished but not all jamaat e islami supporters and leaders are not war criminal.Govt. nust make sure that only the guilty person get punishment.
During the rule of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Mujib) that lasted little over three-and-a-half years (1972-1975) corruption became a major issue in public discussion. Mujib’s tendency to grant political and financial benefit to his close relatives and associates is well-known. Awami League (AL) activists received jobs in nationalized industries, grew rich as smugglers, appropriated Pakistani houses and sold off government permits and licenses to the highest bidders (Kochanek, 1993). Sheikh Abu Naser, Mujib’s only brother, and four sisters were believed to have benefited excessively from their ties of kinship with Mujib (Franda, 1982).Election-related corruption was prominent during Mujib’s rule.
Though General Ziaur Rahman (Zia) was not personally involved in corruption, he is credited with institutionalizing corrupt activities (Franda, 1982).
Corruption is a universal phenomenon. It is not something new . Corruption in one form or another existed since time immemorial.” If corruption has been an age-old phenomenon, deep-rooted evil and an universal malady afflicting each and every society in one form or another at one time or another” (Padhay 1986:1), then why there is so much concern at the present time with corruption. The reasons are obvious. Corruption is a phenomenon that takes place due to the presence of a number of factors. Government must identify that factor and should take effective action to change this situation.
’’Checking corruption is no easy task. Still no one denies the need to check corruption effectively. It may not be possible to eradicate corruption completely but then vigorous and determined actions will go a long way to minimize it. The measures suggested are too many and defy any easy characterization. To contain and minimize corruption a number of measures have been recommended. These include: driving out corruption by means of usually one-off purges or campaigns, setting up of anti-corruption boards, commissions and the like, campaign for moral regeneration or moral re-armament, strengthening of checks on abuse of power and the enhancement of accountability of the powerful as well as public officials, ensuring transparency and openness in governmental activities, develop positive social attitudes, enforcing a code of public ethics, supporting the role of media, improving educational procedures (Theobald, 1990; UN, 1990).
To reduce corruption drastically, a number of fundamental changes must be brought about. These include: reducing the opportunities for corrupt Trans state’s activities; emergence of new centers of power outside the bureaucracy; development of competitive party politics; ascendance of universalistic norms; effectuation of far-reaching administrative reform measures affecting policy, institutional and process levels; strengthening of preventive structures and tightening of prosecuting.
Continuance of corruption in a country leads to economic malaise and squandering of public resources lowers governmental performance, adversely affects general morale in the public service.
The root of corruption in Bangladesh runs deep in history. The existence of a patron-client relationship reinforces corrupt practices in all spheres of public dealing. Almost all political regimes in Bangladesh have been corrupt. Only the nature and extent of corruption varied depending on the nature of the regime, its key leader and his popular power base.We need a set of honest politician who works for countries well. this is the proper time to change this situation. I think, if govt.wants to change this situation cordially they can.
1.Political and administrative corruption-concepts, Comparative experience and Bangladesh case.-prepared for transparency international by mohammad khan,professor,department of public administration.university of Dhaka.
2.The Daily Star –website.
Bibliography
1.The Daily Star.
2.Prothom Alo.
3.The New Nation BD.
4.Bangladesh Protidin.
5.Political and Administrative corruption written by Mohammed khan.
6.Bangladesh News.net.
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[1] Prothom Alo-7th oct.2010.[1st page and editorial]
2 The daily star-7th oct,2010.[1st page]
1 The Daily Star -25th sep,2010 [website]
2 Prothom Alo -25th sep,2010[1st page]
3 Bangladesh Protidin-[1st page]
4 The Daily Star -25th sep,[front page]
1 The New Nation BD.-10th august,2010.
2Bangladesh news.Net-29th june,2010.
3 The daily star -16th October,2010.
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