People often wonder about the ways out of the widespread corruption in Bangladesh society. They often argue for strict law and order enforcement. But this kind of argument invites another problem. It concerns the enforcement of strict law and order in the social order here.
To argue that strong law and order is needed to prevent corruption, first we have to derive answer for the above question. However, answer to this question doesn't even solve the problem. At the same time, we need to understand the information problem inherent in corruption. It is important to know who practises corruption. Obviously, some people in society are to blame. If this is the case, then prevalence of widespread corruption presents a moral dilemma for all in society. The moral dilemma is that people in general know very well who are involved in corruption, yet the former are silent and reluctant to speak against them. A father is involved in corruption and a son is aware of his father's ways; his wife is aware of her husband's misdeeds; his relatives and neighbours too are aware of his corruption. When the information is so easily available, why cannot corruption be made a thing of the past?
Widespread corruption indicates that many people are involved in corrupt practices. If so, then there should be no dearth of information. But, in reality, the majority are the victim of information asymmetry. The persons who know best about corruption of a father are his family members such as his son, his wife, his daughter and so on. But these people don't speak against his corruption. Instead of protesting against his father's corruption, a son often squanders his wealth; a wife often warmly welcomes her husband's ill-gotten wealth; and a relative boasts of his corrupt relative because he is a rich and powerful person in society.
These facts present a dilemma and trap us in a circle with no solution. In this kind of social set-up, law and order enforcement is quite unlikely. The law enforcement authority is made up of people of society. They are not aliens. If a son has not the gut to speak against his father's corruption, then how can one expect that a person involved in law and order protection will work sincerely to prevent corruption? Where everybody is spoiled, nobody remains unsoiled. In this kind of society, prevention of corruption by strict enforcement of law and order is a dream that will not materialise even in the distant future. To understand the dilemma, there is a need to understand the knowledge gap and its influence on corruption.
Now it is apparent that prevention of corruption does not solely rest with the law and order enforcing authority. To prevent corruption from society, it is important to know what kind of instruments are required to eliminate the evil. One very simple and very powerful approach can be bringing a moral awakening in society. Now the question is how to bring that awakening. It cannot be brought with one broad swipe. It is a gradual process that incorporates dissemination of knowledge and reduction of knowledge gap among masses regarding effectiveness of different instruments that they can use to prevent corruption. One such instrument can be a son's protest against his father's corrupt ways; a daughter's protest against her father's corruption; a husband's protest against his wife's corruption and so on. A son's or a daughter's protest against his/her father's corruption can be termed a moral revolution.
One of the most effective ways to prevent corruption from society is to raise moral awareness among the people at the family level and encourage them to engage in corruption prevention practices. To achieve this, there is a need for a completely neutral approach. A son should treat his corrupt father as a criminal ignoring the blood relation and a brother should treat his corrupt brother alike as a criminal forgetting the blood ties in seeking and establishing justice. But in reality, a corrupt father is sheltered by his son. His son is quite reluctant to divulge information to the law enforcing agency that his father is engaged in corruption such as bribe taking. Instead of seeking punishment, the son defends his corrupt father and provides every kind of support. But justice doesn't know any blood relation. If a father is found guilty, a son or daughter should try to help the law enforcing agencies to ensure appropriate action against his/her father. People just need to understand this moral dilemma and need to come out of the trap of societal bonding for the sake of justice.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
