The rats are emerging

Following on from the government's stated zero tolerance on corruption there has been a spate of individuals being hauled up by the Anti Corruption Commission mostly based on tip-offs. The drive isn't an easy one in a country where the malady has seeped through almost all sections of society. This is in spite of a continuous review and increase in salary and perks especially among government employees. Unfortunately the lure of astonishing sums of easy money and the relative ease with which such money can be stored or invested complicates the investigation process. It would appear those that are careless are being brought to book.

Yet, there haven't been efforts to check bank accounts of individuals whose lifestyle far exceeds what their visible income can provide for. From a typist using a government car to a senior revenue officials with assets and property well beyond his earning means, small numbers of investigations are continuing. In the midst of this there is the famous case of DIG of Police caught red handed trying to bribe an ACC official. This makes it all the more important for persons in such positions to be thoroughly vetted and monitored. The allegations against the police and revenue officials is nothing new. Repeated surveys have revealed a public perception that unfortunately has become a way of life in acceptability. There are allegations that corruption  takes place in plumb postings for the police. Much of these moneys are siphoned out of the country and that's where the consular services in our foreign missions can do some digging. No less a person than the former Chief Justice is accused of having invested in buying a home in the US. There are allegations against others in a mad frenzy that has been allowed to grow through sheer negligence on the part of the hawks.

We are now seeing reports of Chhatra League leadership demanding graft from the development budget for Jahangirnagar University, an allegation that has been raised with the Prime Minister herself. This comes on the tail of news reporting that a huge sum of money was earmarked from the funds to the central budget of the Chhatra League. The leaders have denied the allegations.

The reality of the situation is stark and worrisome. There has been much debate on the bad debt of banks and a suggestion has arisen to cap the industrial loans that banks should disburse. In its place the idea is to raise the money from the capital market. But the wobbly nature of the stock exchange suggests that in absence of basics, the penchant towards making quick money is allowing the powers that be to manipulate the market leaving small investors literally bankrupt overnight. And yet the government exudes confidence in the stock market.

One of the deterrents in capital flight is a mechanism in China whereby defaulters have their passports seized and are questioned over purchase of expensive vehicles. The National Board of Revenue has instructed officials to probe purchase of luxury cars against submitted tax returns and that's a step in the right direction. However, down the line the relatively small versions of corruption are becoming increasingly difficult to bear down on. Part of it is due to political pressure and part of it is due to a system that resembles syndicates. Nothing is expected to happen overnight but getting the right people duly empowered for the job is one way forward. The Prime Minister has taken the lead but she can't do it alone.