Keep a tab on public servants' wealth

FE Team | Published: July 02, 2024 20:41:29

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised the government to take annual wealth statements from public servants and update them regularly to reduce corruption. However, the effectiveness of this advice is in doubt. There are currently 1.5 million government employees in the country, but only a few report their wealth. Despite being in power for 15 and a half years, the government did not take effective measures to hold government officials and politicians accountable for the unusual rise in their wealth.
Reportedly, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) currently has 2,215 files under investigation. Among these, files for about 50 bureaucrats and at least 20 former and current police officers have been stuck for a long time. When major incidents occur, the ACC seems a bit shaken, but things eventually return to normal. Corrupt individuals like Matiur Rahman have received 'clean' certificates from the ACC four times. If there were a proper rule of law, corruption would not have spread within the administration.
Politicians are also accused of making bureaucracy more corrupt. Despite the government's claims of zero tolerance against corruption, their words hardly translate into action. The government has been alerted repeatedly about widespread corruption in government offices, we are yet to see any determined drive against corruption. If the government takes the IMF's advice of keeping a tab on public servants' wealth accumulation, the scourge of corruption can be tackled to some extent in public offices.
Ashikujaman Syed
Marketing Research Associate
Hebei Huanji Metal Wire Mesh Co. Ltd
Shijiazhuang, China
syedashikujaman@yahoo.com