THE investigation teams of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have got evidence about large-scale financial corruptions in 10 government organizations where the Roads and Highways Department topped the list. Second and third positions have been acquired by education and health sectors consecutively. Others are Land, Public Works Department, Chattogram Port Authority, Land Port Authority and Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Against this backdrop, the ACC sent 90-point recommendation to the Cabinet Division to stop unbridled corruption in these organizations. Last year, the ACC had constituted 25 teams led by its Directors and Deputy Directors to investigate the corruption in 23 government organizations and departments, according to newspaper report.
There is no doubt that corruption has been a continuing problem in our country. It can’t be a matter of pride that Bangladesh routinely finds itself among the most corrupt countries in the world. The Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perception Index ranked Bangladesh 143rd place out of 180 countries where the public sectors conducted by the government were marked as the most corrupted sectors.
With the findings of ACC investigation teams, we get a clear picture of “organizational corruption”. In fact, the culture of looting has been introduced in most of the government organizations, directorates, department and offices with the patronization of ruling party men. The officials and employees do not care to get involve in corruption due to culture of impunity. These large-scale corruptions are destabilizing basic foundation of our economy. The country has recently graduated a developing country. But corruption is everywhere. The lack of good governance and the culture of impunity shroud the real extent of corruption. We are surprised why the government ignores the burning issue by turning a blind eye to the corrupt practices by their cronies, friends, and party men.
We see that politically well-connected persons just get mild slaps on the wrist for mega crimes. These looters get away with plundering billions of taka through the share market, development projects such as — bridges, flyovers, roads, and grabbing land. Presently, most of the private banks are facing liquidity crisis.
There is no other way but to stop the organizational corruption immediately by establishing accountability and transparency in every sector. Otherwise, the corruption will swallow the economic development, and the time is not far away.
