CCH : Where \\\'Faltus\\\' are indispensable!

All concerned do know that nothing would get into or move out of the Chittagong port without the greasing the palms of a section of corrupt port and customs officials.
The direct victims of the evil practice, the exporters and importers, have never made a loud complaint, accepting it as fait accompli.
None knows for sure how much money the businesses are made to pay as bribe to the customs and port officials to get their jobs, genuine or otherwise, done.
The Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) has made a guesstimate of the speed money transacted daily at the Chittagong Customs House (CCH) and the Chittagong port at Tk. 4.7 million and Tk. 1.72 million respectively. 
However, the TIB might find itself in fresh trouble if the ministries concerned--- the ministry of finance and the ministry of shipping---take exception to its findings and ask it (TIB) to prove its allegations as has happened in the case of a TIB report on the private universities.
The education ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) jointly binned a recent TIB report on financial irregularities involving the private universities and asked the anti-graft body to prove its allegations.
It is unlikely that there would be any sort of protest from any quarters against the latest TIB revelation. The ministries concerned are aware of the rot that has gone deep into the two organisations that handle bulk of the country's external trade.
Interestingly, back in 1995 the process of automation of the CCH had started to ensure paperless official works. After about two decades, except for submission of bill of entries and location of files, all other works at the CCH are still being carried out manually. Any person receiving the services of the CCH is required to secure 11 to 16 signatures.
Allegations have it that the customs officials have deliberately kept the provisions for paper-based official works since the same help them seek speed money from the seekers of their services.
What is more disturbing is that the corrupt officials have made the operations of the CCH largely dependent on a group of outsiders, known as 'Faltus' (redundant people). The 'Faltus' are not regular employees of the CCH, yet they dominate the operations of the CCH.  
The 'Faltus' numbering between 60 and 70, in fact, act as the linkmen for the service-seekers and the service-providers at the CCH. They get all the papers signed in exchange for bribes collected on behalf of the officials concerned. It is alleged some 'Faltus' even know the passwords of a section of officials of the CCH.  
The 'Faltus' were reportedly driven out in 2007. But they got a fresh entry later since the officials found them 'indispensable' as far as operations of the CCH are concerned.
Whenever the issue of better tax administration comes under discussion, the need for automation is highlighted by all. The NBR high-ups do also put emphasis on the same. But what has been revealed by the TIB does indicate that a section of tax officials has been deliberately scuttling the automation move to continue with their evil practice of bribe-taking from the service-seekers.
If the current practice remains in place, it might take some more decades to fully automate the CCH and rid the port-users of the rigours of paper-based transactions.
Now, one might seek to raise a very pertinent question: Will the TIB revelation make any change in the situation on the ground? That remains a remote possibility.
The TIB had earlier made identical revelation involving many other public institutions. But that has not helped much. The contents of the TIB reports, no doubt, have made the public aware of the state of affairs with some state organisations. But irregularities, financial or otherwise, have been continuing in those organisations without any pause. It could be that the graft-taking in the organisations concerned has got further pace in the absence of any action on the part of the government or the anti-grant commission.  
The situation stands like this: the organisations like the TIB, on the one hand, would continue to press home their anti-graft campaign and the bribe takers without being bothered least by it would, on the other, continue to stick to their old path. In between there exists nothing.
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