Bangladesh has improved its ranking on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) as introduced by the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) by just one point compared to last year. It has been placed in the 136th position this time. Among 177 countries covered by the TI, Bangladesh finds itself in the 16th slot from the bottom bracketed with Ivory Coast, Guyana and Kenya. That explains why it is just one notch above last year's from the bottom. Chairperson of the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) trustee board, Sultana Kamal has naturally observed that the slight change in the country's position is insignificant. Anyone can see that the country is lying very low in terms of its corruption record. Bangladesh scores second lowest points only above Afghanistan in south Asia.
A comparison between and among positions of the countries in the South Asian region is likely to be revealing. Among all the South Asian nations, Bhutan with a score of 63 ranks 31st on the CPI, which is far above its nearest regional neighbour Sri Lanka placed at number 91. India follows Sri Lanka to be placed in 94th position. Even Pakistan has a higher score at 28 as against Bangladesh's 27. Certainly, the comparison is not the country's comfort zone. It is distressing, but not distressing enough if the Padma Bridge scandal, the share market, Hallmark and Sonali Bank scams are kept in the background. Because it is a measure of the perceived corruption as against the actual corruption, such financial scams play a decisive role in shaping the corruption indicator.
The extent of corruption prevalent in a country is dependent primarily on the lack of good governance. And surprisingly no country in the world could score 100 out of 100 on a scale of 0-100. This year Denmark and New Zealand jointly score the highest 91 to grab the number one slot. From Asia, Singapore occupies the 5th place with a score of 86. Sure enough, the Nordic countries have always a better ranking to their credit and New Zealand and Canada too have not lagged far behind. Noticeable here is the fact that the countries with higher scores have sparse populations of their own and have achieved higher rating on living standard and health index.
When the only superpower of the world today languishes at number 19 with a score of 73, the prevalence of corruption does not quite go by the advancement made by a country on the economic, scientific and technological fronts. There are more to the apparent socio-economic progress that the eye does not always meet. Corruption here refers to the misuse of public money, property and power. In societies where honest labour is rewarded and people are quite aware of their rights and privileges to the point of defending those collectively, corruption cannot breed corruption. Education, though necessary to be aware of one's rights, is not a prerequisite for saying no to corruption. Had it been the case, the privileged, educated and powerful could not indulge themselves in corruption. In all societies, the humble soul on the street is hardly prone to corruption; rather it is the educated -often the highly educated who give in to the temptation of unearned graft money.
Clearly, there is something wrong with the system of education pursued the world over. Rejection of bribe money at all levels is desirable but when high places in any country prove vulnerable to the lure of lucre, the rot begins right from the head, as they say, of the fish. It tends to escalate the corruption regime down the ranks and files of the administration until the irresistible greed consumes each and everything in its vortex. It is such a condition that once relegated Bangladesh to the number one corrupt country for five consecutive years since 2001. The country's majority people however are not corrupt. The powerful quarter that is corrupt forces other to indulge in corruption by pending decisions or holding files. It is exactly here people have a role to play -one that can be decisive in rooting out corruption.
There is no point fearing the corrupt. It is better to bravely face those who have made it a rule to perform their duties in exchange for graft. The country belongs to its citizens, not to the bribe-takers and the corrupt who use their positions and power in lining their pockets. When educated people undermine their position by indulging themselves in corruption, the system surely needs overhauling. But before this, the meaning of education must be made clear to all. Education in its truest sense of the term cannot allow one to get involved in corrupt practices. It is education that must check avarice not to get the better of prudence, scruple and honesty. In a consumer society, this is a daunting task but in a land where poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy make headlines, the appeal ought to be direct to conscience. And education alone can transform the situation provided great teachers take upon themselves the task of reforming the education system effectively enough.
nilrtatanhalder2000@yahoo.com
Bangladesh\\\'s CPI ranking improves but only slightly
Nilratan Halder | Published: December 06, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
Share if you like