Nexus between business and politics

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Abdullah A Dewan
Many of the crime mongers and criminals in today's Bangladesh - some of whom are alleged to be low level political party activists- may not be aware of the Sicilian crime syndicate "Mafia" that evolved in the 1800s and infiltrated the social and economic fabric of Italy and then spread around the world to the serious detriment of business communities and of course, law and order.
Mafia's goal is to make money by resorting to whatever illegal means they could conceive of. One of the most common is also one of the simplest - extortion -- which involves forcing people to pay ransom under threats and intimidations. They ask shop owners to pay some fixed amount of money a week against protecting their business from criminals who might demolish the shop or hurt his family. In all cases, the Mafia members themselves are these criminals.
Many of the crimes that were committed in Bangladesh over the years - mostly under different governments -- and are being allegedly committed now are similar to those of the Mafia-types underscored above.
Mafia crime syndicate specializes in drug trafficking, political corruption, military arms trafficking, extortion, toll collection, kidnapping, killing journalists and whistle blowers of crime and corruption, - and is also known to engage in arson, frauds, counterfeiting, and other racketeering crimes. Can anyone repudiate that these crimes - at least in some form-- haven't been and aren't being committed - if not by any crime syndicate - by splinter groups of criminals on a daily basis in Bangladesh?
Who murdered TV reporters Sagar-Runi? Who kidnapped and made former MP Elias Ali's vanish? Will these cases ever be solved and the criminals are punished? No -- if they were even remotely politically motivated executions.
Last year's stock market scam was an open act of racketeering. The criminals were identified with political connections. If they were to punish, it would establish the racketeering activities of some members of the present political establishment - thus sullying its image.
Instead of keep citing examples of all other Mafia-type crimes being committed in Bangladesh, I choose to highlight some recent allegations of Mafia extortion and toll collections from businesses by politicians and political activists. Although this has been an ongoing practice of those wielding power, political or otherwise, for a long time, it wasn't discussed in a public forum until April 27 last when AK Azad, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and other business leaders expressed their frustrations at a seminar titled, "Entrepreneurship: What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur" at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Seeking contributions to political party coffers is common in all democracies on a voluntary spirit - not by coercion. But what has tended to become the practice in Bangladesh in the guise of political contributions is collecting "ransom" characterized as "political extortion" - pure and simple. Thanks to FBCCI executives for exposing this "political extortions" in the entrepreneurship seminar.
AK Azad, president of the FBCCI told the audience that, "Most politicians feed on our money. We pay this money for our existence. We don't give it willingly." If anyone was shocked to hear his helplessness, it was because he showed the audacity to speak out publicly about "political extortion."
Azad claimed that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth would have increased by 2.0 per cent if the politicians were honest. Echoing the same views, former FBCCI President, Annisul Huq said that the society has degenerated to such a low point where the business community has to "buy their own protection". "You've to pay ransom to the influential people if you want to be an influential person. This is an open secret now," said Annisul. Both business leaders challenged the young generation to come forward to cleanse the society from the evils of extortions.
Addressing on a similar ignominious issue involving the media, Azad told the audience that there're two groups steering the country's media. He said that while one group is raising the voices against the sufferings of the masses, the other group is amassing land and wealth in concert with the state machineries. Among other business leaders who spoke at the seminar included Geeteara Safiya Choudhury, chairman of Adcomm Ltd, and Salahuddin Kasem Khan, managing director of AK Khan & Company Ltd.
Did our top political leaders call the FBCCI executives to hear their grievances face to face? You must be kidding if you think they are not aware of it. What's the recourse then? Probably closure of honest businesses or an uprising patterned after the March 17 Karachi (Pakistan) episode.
A largely peaceful strike called by traders against the extortion mafia and backed by various political parties that crippled the business and social life in the city of Karachi in Pakistan on March 17 last. All business centres, shops, roadside cabins, eateries and industries remained closed. Public transporters also kept their vehicles off the roads. Situations settled down once the Interior Minister Rehman Malik's assured the business community that across-the-board action would be taken against criminals and extortionists in the next five days.
Our suggestion would be for the FBCCI is to seek a meeting with the political leaderships at the top and apprise them about the deteriorating hostile business environment that is fast crippling their spirit and entrepreneurship. Tell them what happened on March 17 in Karachi and ask for their intervention to stop all forms of political extortions. We have to believe that they love the country a little more than their party.
The writer, formerly a Physicist and Nuclear Engineer, is a Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University, USA. adewan@emich.edu