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Bangladesh: Let the Spirit Be A Reality
Published on April 01, 2006
Bangladesh, the third largest Muslim
majority country that was created in 1971 from a spirit of
emancipation---to end exploitation, to establish multiparty
democracy and rule of law, and to achieve economic prosperity,
opportunity and wellbeing for all is now facing systematic
deprivation as �rule of the few, democracy of the rich, and
exploitation of the corrupts� is being established in the country.
It is one of the poorest nations of the world whose per capita
income a day is barely a dollar ($1.20). In 1971, it had 75 million
people and its per capita annual income was $100 and now that has
increased to $440 in 35 years� time, an average annual growth rate
of 4.4 per cent [since 1991 when multi-party democracy reestablished
in
Such could easily be sold to the
millions of uneducated and illiterate Bangladeshi commoners whose
number is ever increasing from 60 million in 1975 to over 90 million
now, more so as it has some truth. In fact, in the area of
agriculture, women empowerment and garment exports
Political Leaders: Are They Better
Manager?
However, important element is; are we
better off vis-�-vis others, at least our immediate neighbors? In
this world of competitiveness, each nation is in a mad race to
provide better living standards and opportunities to its nationals.
Forget about
Secondly, what these statistics mean?
It means in the world of competition while we secured barely a grade
of F or D- during our bureaucratic rule (1975-90), we secured a B or
B+ during 1st ten years of political rule (1990-2000)
that gave us lot of hope and aspirations. Nevertheless, now owing to
widespread corruption, rise of terrorism, near failed governance,
family cartels, and the accompanying misrule, we have started
failing even to maintain our past achievements. In fact, per capita
income growth rate during 2000-2005 barely maintained an average of
3.1% per annum much below to that of 7.1% of 1990-2000.
Prime Minister Zia Claims Satisfaction
While our competitors obtained a grade
of B or above, the BNP-Jamath coalition government presented us a
failing grade [Khaleda�s 1st term (1991-96) was much
better]. Unfortunately, by ignoring the reality, the Bangladesh
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia repeatedly claimed that �she is proud of
her achievements�. Does it mean that she is proud of her failing
grade? Does it mean that she is proud that the purchasing capacity
and standard of living of her nationals did not increase as much as
that of the others? Does it mean that the Bangladeshi leaderships
not only failed to achieve nation�s potentials they even failed to
realize their own shortcomings and failures? Albert Einstein once
remarked that if you know your problem, half the battle is won.
One political analyst joked and said
�Prime Minister is right�. She is right as she might be talking only
of her family and friends that achieved miracles----an economic
growth rate beyond imaginations. In 1981 when her husband, General
Ziaur Rahman was assassinated, she and her family were basically
penniless. Her husband was a military officer earning less than $100
a month when founder President of
In
In any case, Bangladeshi nationals are
hopeful that prior to her next election Mrs. Zia may surprise the
nation by returning public properties under her custody with
accumulated rents and expenses and thus she will leave a personal
example that a leader of a Muslim country who has performed Hajj
many times at public expense is no less patriot than a non-Muslim
leader like Mrs. Indira Gandhi!
Although ethnically Bangladeshis are
basically similar, it is a divided nation now. There are two groups�
one group is rich and powerful and they live on �illegal income� and
�public fund� like that of Mrs. Zia and her family. This group
composes of urban businessmen, government bureaucrats, political
leaders and the like. Their number is small-- may be 100,000 or so
in a land of 145 million. Their legal income could be between $300
and $1,000 a month but their illegal income ranges between $2,000
and $100,000 a month. The other group is the vast mass of people
that live hand to mouth, less than a dollar a day. They are the ones
in the name of whom all foreign aid and assistance are being
received by Bangladesh government basically to be looted out by the
mighty group known is �lootera�. No wonder, as per
Bangladeshi economists, out of $37 billion worth of foreign aid and
assistance that it received since its independence nearly 75% have
either been looted or misused. No wonder,
Economically, the nation is sharply
divided into two. It is also politically highly polarized. There are
two parties, the government and the opposition and they hate each
other. Those in the government are up to grab as much as they can,
and as fast as they can. Those in the opposition are destined to
destroy the government. In the process, the Bangladeshi nationals
continue to suffer. They have no jobs-- youth unemployment rate is
hovering around 40 per cent close to that of
For ordinary people life is a constant
struggle�.high inflation rate, scarcity of electricity, scarcity of
drinking water and in fact, scarcity of almost all essentials of
life. Such scarcity however does not affect the rich and the
powerful that much. They have their own generators, and they have
their own supplies of essentials from abroad. For them,
Corruption is Good for The Country?
It is interesting that a group of such
businessmen and professionals, staunch supporters of the present
government argue that �corruption is good for the country� because
it transfers �public fund� to �private hands�. Since private
businessmen are investors and efficient vis-�-vis government, such
transfer is beneficial for the country, they argue. They justify it
as follows: let our importer �A� imports $100 million worth of
merchandise. To avoid import duties, our importer A instead of
declaring $100m import, declares only of $50 million. If he would
have declared $100m, then he would have to pay, say, $300m as
duties. By declaring $50m, he pays only half i.e. $150m as duties.
Thus he saves $150m. Now out of this saved $150m, he pays, say $10m
to the Board of Revenue and Custom officials as bribe and grease
money. Therefore, he has net saving of $140m. Our importer A uses
this saved funds first, (1) to import more of the same products that
in the process reduces scarcity of that product in the country and
ensures moderate market price and secondly, (2) with the accumulated
funds, our importer A establishes few garment factories that employ
few thousand laborers. Therefore, they argue that cheating of $150m
is beneficial for the country. Moreover, the public officials that
received $10m as bribe use the same to build apartment buildings or
flats that expatriate Bangladeshis joyfully buy. Alternatively, if
our importer A was honest and our Custom officials were not corrupt,
public exchequer would have received $300m. What would they do with
this fund? A few mighty bureaucrats and leaders would have looted it
or spent it by buying more government autos for their families, for
their official trips, for sending their kids abroad for education,
for medical treatments abroad, for government parties and the like.
They argue that except a few like Tariq Zia, for example, there is
very little external leakage. Therefore, they are convinced that
corruption is good for the country as it transfers funds from public
sector to private investors.
They further argue that such argument
bears close to that of extra judicial killing by the RAB, a special
security force. This force generally kills �reputed criminals� after
arrest. Since no one dares to testify against �reputed criminals�
owing to fear of reprisals, they justify �extra-judicial killings�.
Basically, as rule of law failed, they argue, extrajudicial killing
is welcome and beneficial to the nation. They agree that out 1,200
or so people that have been killed extra judiciously either under
the �Operations Clean Heart� in the name of �heart attack� or �cross
fire death� under the RAB, 1% or 2% could be �innocent� victims.
Given such possibility, they still argue that �extrajudicial
killing� that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has started is really good
for the country. Similarly, they argue, given state of the nature,
corruption is also good for the country.
The common people refuse to buy such
arguments. They still believe that �corruption is bad for the
country� just like human rights activists that believe that �extra
judicial killing is bad for the nation�. Therefore, we have two
groups, the rich and the powerful that favors corruption and the
commoners that opposes it. The 1st group is pleased with
the achievements while the 2nd is still struggling to survive. No
wonder, while the Prime Minister�s claims appear accurate to the 1st
group, they are simply �lies and disinformation� to the second
group.
Faith in the Government Shattered
Faith in the government is being
shattered and common people started believing that �privatization�
is good for the country. They argue that all the social
developments, for example, women empowerment, micro-credit
financing, adult education, family planning, availability of safe
drinking water and sanitation for which Bangladeshi governments take
great credit and pride were the products of non-government
organizations (NGOs) and private groups. They argue that garment
export boom or the agricultural self sufficiency were the result of
indigenous private entrepreneurs and poor farmers. When the monopoly
of the mobile phone business was under Morshed Khan, Bangladesh
Foreign Minister, it did not work as each one had to pay over $3,500
for service connection plus other �transaction costs�. Therefore,
only the rich could afford it.
When the Awami League party formed
government in 1996, it broke down the mobile monopoly and opened up
the sector to a number of private companies including the Grameen
phone. Garmeen soon started to provide service at $125 or below, a
sharp contrast to that of Morshed Khan�s $3,500. Such facility
created Mobile Village Lady and it earned fame for the nation. It
once again proved that �least government� and minimum control is
good for the nation. Unfortunately, Khaleda Zia has a tendency to
increase both her Cabinet members and the bureaucracy. She over
extended both of them and as a result, the government is not
functioning at all in Bangladesh now and it will continue to
deteriorate as long as there is no transparency, as long as each
official is not entrusted with responsibility and accountability. No
wonder that common people are now demanding more of
privatization---privatization of Railway, Postal, Airlines,
Airports, Ports, Gas and Electricity, Fertilizer distribution, Rajuk
and such other services.
The main cause is, they are fed up
with government offices. In today�s
Innovation: Road to Improved
Management
The major resources of
Except few Ministries like Defense,
Law, Foreign and Economic Relations, the responsibilities of the
most of the central Ministries should be delegated to the District
Governor�s Office and any one that would be considered for senior
appointments like Secretaries, Judges, Ambassadors and the like has
to go through a rigorous process of public hearing as is practiced
in the U. S. Under such a system, corrupt and immoral officials or
individuals will fail to get appointed in strategic positions.
Corrupt ones may voluntarily distance themselves from being
nominated out fear of public disgrace. I am basically arguing to
eliminate 20-25 central Ministries and either reorganize or delegate
their functions and responsibilities to the DG. Under such set up,
the elected MPs will be basically lawmakers and guardians to oversee
any wrong doing while the locally elected Governor and his/her
Cabinet will decide what to do and how to do within its district.
Under such set up, the monstrous rule of central bureaucracy will be
reduced and public participation at grass-root levels will increase.
Unless public participation in decision making process is ensured
and made transparent, neither corruption nor misallocation of
resources could be minimized. Moreover, no one has to crowd in
DGS: An Innovative Framework for
Competitiveness
Under the proposed set up, individual
initiatives, creativity and competitiveness will be enhanced. For
example, say a condition is set so that the District Police Officer
(DPO) or SP would get a full allocation only if it achieves 100%
crime free environment. If it fails, allocation would be
proportionately lower. Since the disbursement of funds can be made
conditional to the degree of achievement, it would create
competition within the districts and the officers. Under the
proposed set up, the DPO/SP is under the District Governor (DG). The
DG office can increase his/her salary and benefits for effective
discharge of duties, or even terminate him/her for poor performance.
If DPO does a good job and he/she earns a reputation, other DGs
might entice him/her with better pay and benefits to join them and
in the process, an environment of competitiveness will augment
throughout the country. Such competitiveness will soon spread in
other sectors too. Therefore, such set up will create an environment
of politics of achievements and competitiveness rather than tall
talks. Under the proposed structure, the current problems, for
example, ill governance, poor law and order situation, widespread
exploitative corruption, insensitivity to public needs, rise of
terrorism, fear of unfair election and the like is likely to be
reduced as powers will be devolved and segregated. Fear of
usurpation of powers by non-political elements will also reduce.
Above all, the leadership can provide hopes against despair, dream
of creativity and active participation against inactivity and gossip
mongering, and an environment of competitiveness against sycophancy
and boot licking. Let us hope that the leadership instead of
misguiding the people with falsehood and tall talks, will place
action programs for the good of the country and the people to
achieve the promised land of Sonar Bangla for which millions
have sacrificed their lives and belongings. Unless that is done, the
nation will remain divided and ever increasing enmity and
lawlessness will cripple its economy leading to economic deprivation
and chaos. Therefore, it is imperative to review and reflect and of
course, take a bold step though nationwide dialogue and discussion.
Let us vow to establish DGS, a technology-based management system
with a view to fully utilize the national resources for accelerated
growth and development of ___________ * Dr. Abdul Momen is a professor of Economics and Business Management in Boston. |
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