Strengthening the fight against corruption
Friday, 19 March 2010
M. A. Quader
Bangladesh is reported to have otherwise made some progress in combating corruption. The latest ranking by the Berlin-based global anti-graft watchdog, Transparency International (TI) puts Bangladesh in the 13th position among the most corrupt countries. This marks some improvements from its earlier position. This upward progression of the country under the global corruption perception index, is apparently a matter for taking some satisfaction. For long, Bangladesh had suffered the worst image problem in this regard.
The strong anti-corruption moves during the two years of the caretaker government have had an impact in seemingly improving this corruption perception of the country. However, there are not yet reasons enough to read too much into this improvement in the corruption ranking. Bangladesh's position from an international perspective is still not so significant. The country has to move up a lot more higher in the ranking as a testimony to major successes.
The latest development concerning the institutional powers of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) gives here a mixed signal. Some quarters do suggest with a good deal of logic that even the recent attainments in this area might not be sustainable if the incumbent government allows the zeal in the fight against corruption to slacken from its lack of vigorous support of the same.
All concerned do need to bear in mind that people here did not like the excesses committed in the name of fighting corruption by the immediate past caretaker government. But they were all for starting and maintaining the crusade against corruption in a correct manner, avoiding arbitrary and unlawful actions in the process.
At its initial stage, the caretaker government did enjoy strong support from the people mainly for its resolute stand against corruption. But that support declined later as people witnessed that the anti-corruption drive was not being conducted successfully and was also causing oppression of some individuals. What the people, therefore, expect from the government now in power is that it should learn from the mistakes and failures of the immediate past government and maintain the struggle against corruption 'expertly' without inviting criticisms of inept handling, malicious or grossly unfair activities.
In this backdrop, some recent reports in the media about clipping the powers of the ACC that were much expanded under the caretaker government, are disconcerting. Such reports indicated moves that it would require the ACC to get prior approval from the government before starting cases against bigwigs in the government itself or in other sectors. Such moves, if they really become effective, may, what some people fear rightly or wrongly, lead to disempowering of the ACC. One would like to hope that there would be a rethink on the part of the government to ensure that this possibility is nullified.
Then, there are also other areas where the government should express its commitment towards maintaining the gauntlet against corruption by building capacities to that end. It was evident that the ACC, under the caretakers, was taking on more than it could chew. But this state of affairs in the pivotal anti-corruption body was also due to its insufficient number of investigators and also from the lack of competence on the part of many of them. Therefore, the government will have to take steps sincerely to build up the ACC to realise its full strengths and potentials. It should be strengthened properly to do its job with full professionalism and flair. The government's resolve will, of course, be tested in the coming months about whether it really wants to maintain an effective stand against corruption.
Bangladesh is reported to have otherwise made some progress in combating corruption. The latest ranking by the Berlin-based global anti-graft watchdog, Transparency International (TI) puts Bangladesh in the 13th position among the most corrupt countries. This marks some improvements from its earlier position. This upward progression of the country under the global corruption perception index, is apparently a matter for taking some satisfaction. For long, Bangladesh had suffered the worst image problem in this regard.
The strong anti-corruption moves during the two years of the caretaker government have had an impact in seemingly improving this corruption perception of the country. However, there are not yet reasons enough to read too much into this improvement in the corruption ranking. Bangladesh's position from an international perspective is still not so significant. The country has to move up a lot more higher in the ranking as a testimony to major successes.
The latest development concerning the institutional powers of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) gives here a mixed signal. Some quarters do suggest with a good deal of logic that even the recent attainments in this area might not be sustainable if the incumbent government allows the zeal in the fight against corruption to slacken from its lack of vigorous support of the same.
All concerned do need to bear in mind that people here did not like the excesses committed in the name of fighting corruption by the immediate past caretaker government. But they were all for starting and maintaining the crusade against corruption in a correct manner, avoiding arbitrary and unlawful actions in the process.
At its initial stage, the caretaker government did enjoy strong support from the people mainly for its resolute stand against corruption. But that support declined later as people witnessed that the anti-corruption drive was not being conducted successfully and was also causing oppression of some individuals. What the people, therefore, expect from the government now in power is that it should learn from the mistakes and failures of the immediate past government and maintain the struggle against corruption 'expertly' without inviting criticisms of inept handling, malicious or grossly unfair activities.
In this backdrop, some recent reports in the media about clipping the powers of the ACC that were much expanded under the caretaker government, are disconcerting. Such reports indicated moves that it would require the ACC to get prior approval from the government before starting cases against bigwigs in the government itself or in other sectors. Such moves, if they really become effective, may, what some people fear rightly or wrongly, lead to disempowering of the ACC. One would like to hope that there would be a rethink on the part of the government to ensure that this possibility is nullified.
Then, there are also other areas where the government should express its commitment towards maintaining the gauntlet against corruption by building capacities to that end. It was evident that the ACC, under the caretakers, was taking on more than it could chew. But this state of affairs in the pivotal anti-corruption body was also due to its insufficient number of investigators and also from the lack of competence on the part of many of them. Therefore, the government will have to take steps sincerely to build up the ACC to realise its full strengths and potentials. It should be strengthened properly to do its job with full professionalism and flair. The government's resolve will, of course, be tested in the coming months about whether it really wants to maintain an effective stand against corruption.