FE Today Logo

Learning from Osman Chaudhury

July 08, 2007 00:00:00


One Osman Chaudhury in New York- an expatriate Bangladeshi- has pushed the humbled head of this nation back to the erect position and high in the global community. This professional cab driver in New York, viewed as the capital of the world for being the host of the United Nations, has recently set a laudable record of personal honesty.
He found out a lady passenger who had mistakenly left out valuables worth half a million dollars including 31 diamond rings and a laptop inside a briefcase in his taxi. He has not only returned the valuables to the lady but also refused to take any reward from her for his act of absolute honesty. I have seen a friend in Dhaka shedding his tears on reading a story about Osman Chaudury and his interview in a local magazine.
Our kleptocrat politicians, who had earned for us the infamy of being the most corrupt nation of the world for consecutive five years in this decade, may please learn from fellow Osman. Unfortunately, the infamous distinction was created during the Awami League rule and piled up through the subsequent BNP administration whose end whipped up a bitter political acrimony requiring the imposition of the current emergency.
They should voluntarily return all their ill-gotten wealth to the state. The corrupt ones among our civil servants and businessmen ought to also do so to render the Anti-Corruption Commission redundant. Hail, Osman Chaudury, I salute you.
Arif Reza
North Road
Dhanmondi
Dhaka

Share if you like