Triumph of the 'good' against the 'undesirables'?
Sunday, 5 August 2007
Dr. Habib Siddiqui
FOR years, the political arena in Bangladesh was more like a theater hall that featured monotonous plays where villains kill the good guys, taking control over all their material possessions. Like zombies, we got used to seeing such unpleasant dramas played over and over again. It was simply hopeless! Nothing good could come out of Bangladesh! You ask -- why? Is it not the same nation that produced the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement and the Liberation War of 1971? Is it not the same people that toppled the utterly corrupt government of (Jatiya Behaya) Ershad in 1990?
Yes, yes, yes. And yet, in the post-Ershad era (1991-2006), under the name of parliamentary democracy what we had settled for was a juxtaposition of political anarchy and unbridled corruption. Other than voting, rarely could people exercise their democratic rights. Instead of the true spirit of democracy, we saw its misuse in the form of tyranny of the majority (winners) over the minority (losers). There was no dialogue, no checks and balances, no accountability. For the party in power, it was our way or high way! Instead of genuine leadership, we settled for arrogant and short-sighted rulers, who won't listen to best advisors and would rather surround themselves with the 'undesirables'.
You wonder whatever had happened to the 'good' guys! Are they really dead or living as corpses? The truth is: the nasty party politics in Bangladesh did not allow these 'good' guys to feel desired; they chose to either live unnoticed as second- and third-class citizens (blaming often their fate) or leave the country (to maintain whatever was left of their sanity). With their departure and/or insensibility, it is not difficult to understand how the political arena was seized by the 'undesirables.' The latter group came with either muscle or ill-gotten money. They were fast learners in the art of solidifying their political gains, which would in turn secure their material gains. Usually, the muscle came first, then the money. The muscle secured its hold in the party politics, which led to unholy business alliances, permits/tenders/licenses and off-the-record deals/contracts/kick-backs that generated dirty money. Tons of money! Crores and crores of Taka!
The more corrupt the system had become, the more it attracted these 'undesirables' to grab and lock the system. And grabbed they did like the Krazy glue to be returned from their respective electoral precincts time and again. In elections, there was no place for intellectuals and honest men. With obvious power and no liability for their criminal actions, the 'undesirables' became ever more powerful and dangerous. Dangerous enough to kill, grab and torture. Greedy and corrupt enough to consider everything as their family property; truly, only the dust of earth could satiate their lust! So the 'poor' Bangladesh became the land of 'opportunity' for the gold-diggers like Falu, Tarek, and Koko et al. Successful 'entrepreneurship' did not call for ancestral wealth, good education, hard work and sound judgment. Instead, their success thrived on political connection with the winning party. It was no wonder that soon Bangladesh sealed its fate as the most corrupt nation where almost anything could be done with the right kind of connection.
One of the most vulnerable sectors within Bangladesh was the family members, esp. the aging parents, of Bangladeshi expatriates. Because of their wealth -- real or presumed -- they often became the easy targets of the Mafiosi crimes. In last few years, we heard horrendous stories of crimes -- from harassment, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and murder to land-grab -- at the hands of powerful syndicates. The very government institutions that were supposed to protect and secure people's life and property were either dysfunctional or often abused by the powerful, 'undesirable' politicians. There was nothing an expatriate could do to ease his/her sufferings.
It is worthwhile mentioning here that with corrupt officers in the Government Land-Records and Deeds Office and courts, land-grabbing is a small investment for the criminals, while the potential return on their investment is humongous. It is impossible for a law-abiding family to fight these criminal syndicates alone. The government and its Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must step in to stop victimisation of innocent people by going after the criminal land-grabbing syndicates and also all those government officers and clerks that are in cahoots with them, failing which, I am afraid there won't be any end to civil and criminal cases involving land. All those falsifying land deeds must be given harsh punishment so that this crime is stopped once and for all time.
However, as the post-1/11 events in Bangladesh would testify, miracles do happen, even when people least expect them. Some of the feared godfathers in Bangladesh have been put behind the bar. Some are absconding. It is good to see that the Caretaker Government (CTG) is going after big fish -- the real 'undesirables', responsible for draining Bangladesh dry. From the affidavits of those arrested, one simply wonders how the country has been moving forward in spite of such colossal corruption that has been eating away all the gains made in the private sector!
It is also obvious that the CTG is taking measures that would discourage the 'undesirables' to ever toy with the destiny of Bangladesh. It must, however, be extra cautious as it leads our nation into a new path. Those who are genuinely corrupt and have soiled their hands with crimes need to do the time in prison. But those who are innocent ought not to be harassed, and, if already arrested, need to be released and treated fairly.
But then we also hear rumours about the CTG making back-door deals to overlook charges of crimes, embezzlement and laundering money abroad against some big, dirty, ugly fish. If these rumours are true: I smell rotten, dead rats all over again. When crimes committed by the most powerful within a society are overlooked and forgotten, that is the end of that society: it is on a very slippery downward fall, almost impossible to stop!
Is it possible that those who had the courage and wisdom to step in during the recent national crisis that had brought the nation to a standstill now smells 'power': the same power that has transformed apparently honourable folks with the 'right' intention to do the 'right' thing into despots, tyrants and dictators? So, rather than cleansing the soil of Bangladesh from the vices of big corruption, do they dream of becoming Ayub Khans of the Pakistan era? If true, that would be the saddest saga for Bangladesh - dashing all hopes and aspirations of our tens of millions of people who wanted to believe otherwise -- hoping to see Bangladesh free from the deadly embrace of the 'undesirables'. It would solidify the age-old maxim: whoever goes to the Lanka becomes a Ravana. I hope these rumours are all false and the CTG and its backers are sincere in delivery of their promises to the nation.
All these events within the last six months have been a mix bag of welcome news and puzzles. Many of us never dreamed of seeing white collar criminals arrested and found guilty for their crimes against the society. Such bold moves against the 'undesirables' force us to dream big and hope against all odds. Probably not everything is lost in Bangladesh! Things could be fixed! We still have many competent and incorruptible good guys waiting to serve the nation! They know what needs mending and what needs uprooting! They are the 'good' guys with a mission to defeat our demons - the social misfits, the 'undesirables'! They care! And they are determined to do what is right and just!
Who knows one day Bangladesh's expatriates may return home and do what their talented counterparts had done for India and the Pacific Rim!
The writer can be reached at
e-mail: saeva@aol.com
FOR years, the political arena in Bangladesh was more like a theater hall that featured monotonous plays where villains kill the good guys, taking control over all their material possessions. Like zombies, we got used to seeing such unpleasant dramas played over and over again. It was simply hopeless! Nothing good could come out of Bangladesh! You ask -- why? Is it not the same nation that produced the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement and the Liberation War of 1971? Is it not the same people that toppled the utterly corrupt government of (Jatiya Behaya) Ershad in 1990?
Yes, yes, yes. And yet, in the post-Ershad era (1991-2006), under the name of parliamentary democracy what we had settled for was a juxtaposition of political anarchy and unbridled corruption. Other than voting, rarely could people exercise their democratic rights. Instead of the true spirit of democracy, we saw its misuse in the form of tyranny of the majority (winners) over the minority (losers). There was no dialogue, no checks and balances, no accountability. For the party in power, it was our way or high way! Instead of genuine leadership, we settled for arrogant and short-sighted rulers, who won't listen to best advisors and would rather surround themselves with the 'undesirables'.
You wonder whatever had happened to the 'good' guys! Are they really dead or living as corpses? The truth is: the nasty party politics in Bangladesh did not allow these 'good' guys to feel desired; they chose to either live unnoticed as second- and third-class citizens (blaming often their fate) or leave the country (to maintain whatever was left of their sanity). With their departure and/or insensibility, it is not difficult to understand how the political arena was seized by the 'undesirables.' The latter group came with either muscle or ill-gotten money. They were fast learners in the art of solidifying their political gains, which would in turn secure their material gains. Usually, the muscle came first, then the money. The muscle secured its hold in the party politics, which led to unholy business alliances, permits/tenders/licenses and off-the-record deals/contracts/kick-backs that generated dirty money. Tons of money! Crores and crores of Taka!
The more corrupt the system had become, the more it attracted these 'undesirables' to grab and lock the system. And grabbed they did like the Krazy glue to be returned from their respective electoral precincts time and again. In elections, there was no place for intellectuals and honest men. With obvious power and no liability for their criminal actions, the 'undesirables' became ever more powerful and dangerous. Dangerous enough to kill, grab and torture. Greedy and corrupt enough to consider everything as their family property; truly, only the dust of earth could satiate their lust! So the 'poor' Bangladesh became the land of 'opportunity' for the gold-diggers like Falu, Tarek, and Koko et al. Successful 'entrepreneurship' did not call for ancestral wealth, good education, hard work and sound judgment. Instead, their success thrived on political connection with the winning party. It was no wonder that soon Bangladesh sealed its fate as the most corrupt nation where almost anything could be done with the right kind of connection.
One of the most vulnerable sectors within Bangladesh was the family members, esp. the aging parents, of Bangladeshi expatriates. Because of their wealth -- real or presumed -- they often became the easy targets of the Mafiosi crimes. In last few years, we heard horrendous stories of crimes -- from harassment, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and murder to land-grab -- at the hands of powerful syndicates. The very government institutions that were supposed to protect and secure people's life and property were either dysfunctional or often abused by the powerful, 'undesirable' politicians. There was nothing an expatriate could do to ease his/her sufferings.
It is worthwhile mentioning here that with corrupt officers in the Government Land-Records and Deeds Office and courts, land-grabbing is a small investment for the criminals, while the potential return on their investment is humongous. It is impossible for a law-abiding family to fight these criminal syndicates alone. The government and its Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must step in to stop victimisation of innocent people by going after the criminal land-grabbing syndicates and also all those government officers and clerks that are in cahoots with them, failing which, I am afraid there won't be any end to civil and criminal cases involving land. All those falsifying land deeds must be given harsh punishment so that this crime is stopped once and for all time.
However, as the post-1/11 events in Bangladesh would testify, miracles do happen, even when people least expect them. Some of the feared godfathers in Bangladesh have been put behind the bar. Some are absconding. It is good to see that the Caretaker Government (CTG) is going after big fish -- the real 'undesirables', responsible for draining Bangladesh dry. From the affidavits of those arrested, one simply wonders how the country has been moving forward in spite of such colossal corruption that has been eating away all the gains made in the private sector!
It is also obvious that the CTG is taking measures that would discourage the 'undesirables' to ever toy with the destiny of Bangladesh. It must, however, be extra cautious as it leads our nation into a new path. Those who are genuinely corrupt and have soiled their hands with crimes need to do the time in prison. But those who are innocent ought not to be harassed, and, if already arrested, need to be released and treated fairly.
But then we also hear rumours about the CTG making back-door deals to overlook charges of crimes, embezzlement and laundering money abroad against some big, dirty, ugly fish. If these rumours are true: I smell rotten, dead rats all over again. When crimes committed by the most powerful within a society are overlooked and forgotten, that is the end of that society: it is on a very slippery downward fall, almost impossible to stop!
Is it possible that those who had the courage and wisdom to step in during the recent national crisis that had brought the nation to a standstill now smells 'power': the same power that has transformed apparently honourable folks with the 'right' intention to do the 'right' thing into despots, tyrants and dictators? So, rather than cleansing the soil of Bangladesh from the vices of big corruption, do they dream of becoming Ayub Khans of the Pakistan era? If true, that would be the saddest saga for Bangladesh - dashing all hopes and aspirations of our tens of millions of people who wanted to believe otherwise -- hoping to see Bangladesh free from the deadly embrace of the 'undesirables'. It would solidify the age-old maxim: whoever goes to the Lanka becomes a Ravana. I hope these rumours are all false and the CTG and its backers are sincere in delivery of their promises to the nation.
All these events within the last six months have been a mix bag of welcome news and puzzles. Many of us never dreamed of seeing white collar criminals arrested and found guilty for their crimes against the society. Such bold moves against the 'undesirables' force us to dream big and hope against all odds. Probably not everything is lost in Bangladesh! Things could be fixed! We still have many competent and incorruptible good guys waiting to serve the nation! They know what needs mending and what needs uprooting! They are the 'good' guys with a mission to defeat our demons - the social misfits, the 'undesirables'! They care! And they are determined to do what is right and just!
Who knows one day Bangladesh's expatriates may return home and do what their talented counterparts had done for India and the Pacific Rim!
The writer can be reached at
e-mail: saeva@aol.com