Corruption

The level of corruption has reached the optimum and it is advisable for the government to take some serious action to root out this menace from society

According to a report published in this newspaper yesterday the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmood has said the conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 per cent in 2017, claiming that the commission is trying its best to improve the quality of its probes to bring graft suspects to justice. While the conviction rate sounds quite impressive empirical evidence suggest corruption in this country is still a serious problem.

Corruption is an evil, which has played havoc with the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. Corruption is a curse and a major hurdle to the progress of the country. The major cause of corruption in Bangladesh is lack of accountability. Institutions like ACC are not fully independent. These institutions have been influenced and used by successive governments for personal gains or political victimisation of the opponents.

It is true that no country has ever been able to eliminate corruption. It exists even in the most developed nations. US economist Alan Greenspan noted that it is regrettably the way human nature functions, whether we like it or not. What successful societies do is keep it to a minimum. Unfortunately we haven't been able to do that. Despite having an extraordinary development story, Bangladesh ranks 13th among the most corrupt countries in the world, Transparency International has said in its Corruption Perception Index. The TIB National Household Survey reveals that corruption hounds passport, law enforcement, transport, land administration, judiciary, health, local government, power, agriculture, taxation, gas, insurance, banking and NGOs. The central problem with the anti-corruption agency in many developing countries is its lack of effectiveness. In Bangladesh, the problem is so acute that a hapless former chief of the commission once described the agency as a   "toothless tiger".

Reasons behind all of above types of corruption are casual attitude, lack of commitment, non clarity of good values, laziness, personal inability, avoiding hard work, discontentment, much desires and accordingly strong urge for accomplishing or achieving those wishes, jealousy and like more. Someone rightly said that behind every great fortune there is crime. Unfortunately everyone wants great fortune and are least bothered about the part i.e. crime.

Corruption causes inequity in society and the gap between the rich and the poor increases. It is also regarded as the murder of merit. Corrupt people bypass deserving people and appoint their relatives or supporters to lucrative posts. The level of corruption has reached the optimum and it is advisable for the government to take some serious action to root out this menace from society.

Corruption

The level of corruption has reached the optimum and it is advisable for the government to take some serious action to root out this menace from society

According to a report published in this newspaper yesterday the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmood has said the conviction rate in graft cases increased to 69 per cent in 2017, claiming that the commission is trying its best to improve the quality of its probes to bring graft suspects to justice. While the conviction rate sounds quite impressive empirical evidence suggest corruption in this country is still a serious problem. Corruption is an evil, which has played havoc with the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. Corruption is a curse and a major hurdle to the progress of the country. The major cause of corruption in Bangladesh is lack of accountability. Institutions like ACC are not fully independent. These institutions have been influenced and used by successive governments for personal gains or political victimisation of the opponents. It is true that no country has ever been able to eliminate corruption. It exists even in the most developed nations. US economist Alan Greenspan noted that it is regrettably the way human nature functions, whether we like it or not. What successful societies do is keep it to a minimum. Unfortunately we havent been able to do that. Despite having an extraordinary development story, Bangladesh ranks 13th among the most corrupt countries in the world, Transparency International has said in its Corruption Perception Index. The TIB National Household Survey reveals that corruption hounds passport, law enforcement, transport, land administration, judiciary, health, local government, power, agriculture, taxation, gas, insurance, banking and NGOs. The central problem with the anti-corruption agency in many developing countries is its lack of effectiveness. In Bangladesh, the problem is so acute that a hapless former chief of the commission once described the agency as a toothless tiger. Reasons behind all of above types of corruption are casual attitude, lack of commitment, non clarity of good values, laziness, personal inability, avoiding hard work, discontentment, much desires and accordingly strong urge for accomplishing or achieving those wishes, jealousy and like more. Someone rightly said that behind every great fortune there is crime. Unfortunately everyone wants great fortune and are least bothered about the part i.e. crime. Corruption causes inequity in society and the gap between the rich and the poor increases. It is also regarded as the murder of merit. Corrupt people bypass deserving people and appoint their relatives or supporters to lucrative posts. The level of corruption has reached the optimum and it is advisable for the government to take some serious action to root out this menace from society.