Martial law or civil law, share market thieves are above all laws

Afsan Chowdhury
Published : 24 April 2011, 12:41 PM
Updated : 24 April 2011, 12:41 PM

How long did it take to cast aside the much awaited share market probe report and focus all attention on whether its author Ibrahim Khaled wanted martial law and why? It was a stroke of luck or brilliance on the part of the scammers to turn the tables and let everyone argue about something quite irrelevant forgetting the report. Not that it says much.

But what does a report matter when the scammers are above all laws, civil or military and in 40 years of Bangladesh have never even once been in serious trouble. What martial law? What civil law? They are a law unto themselves. Let us bow our heads and praise such great men.

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Stock market rip-off or any scandal followed by reports which have no value is common in Bangladesh like all other probe reports. The purpose of such reports is not to clear the air but create an impression that something is being done. Public attention is focused on what the report will say which is always very little and soon something else will happen and everyone will pay attention elsewhere till the next crash. If reports had any intent, there should be one on the last share market scam and action taken. Everyone is safe and will be till the next scam, the next report and the next batch of idiots thinking the authorities do want to do something.

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Theft, corruption, economic crimes, etc. do not happen in isolation or without history. They are deeply rooted in us in our tradition. The Mughal bureaucracy was institutionally corrupt and its members were expected to make money through payment by people who came to them to be served. During the Pakistan era this practice was hugely strengthened and became socially acceptable.

After liberation, the loot of Pakistani homes and goods, taking over abandoned industries through government order or occupying houses in Mohammadpur and Mirpur played a foundational role in extralegal wealth making. But the greater corruption was not prosecuting the economic criminals. By not doing so, the much more stable tradition of impunity for corruption by the ruling class was established. That goes on.

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Of course the ruling class considers us stupid. In fact that is the other tradition. Since 1972, corruption has been a general trend in every regime. After 1975, Zia used corruption to buy support and stack the anti-AL barricade with friends. The use of aid money and financial institutions were key elements of that BNP regime and what was built in the Mujib era flourished under Zia. Under Ershad era… ahem… followed by ahem and then by another ahem…

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It is interesting that in the latest editions, the Awami League seems to have chosen share market scams to distribute favours to followers. In the present edition of the same with largely the same players, it is obvious that share market scamming is the Awami method of quick- money-making-for-friends scheme. A share scam each time they come to power cannot be a coincidence. The same sounds were made earlier, the same reporting, the same lack of action. It is probably this sense of helplessness that made Ibrahim Khaled make that statement that martial law alone can try such criminals.

Excuse me, but we have had three martial law editions and haven't seen any difference. Has anyone?

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BNP dominantly follows the Tarique Zia model which was displayed the last time it was in power, events describing which has kept many journalists happily employed for long. It is more crude but equally effective. Not that they don't do other corruptions which are the standard in Bangladesh but it is like both their parties. How does one know which one is which and what is that? Nevertheless credit where due must be given.

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It is impossible to charge, let alone try economic criminals because they have been produced by the same system by which we are governed. To try them is to threaten the state structure. If one looks at the list of the people who steal and cheat and have done so over time, one will find that they are the most significant part of the ruling class. There is no embarrassment about theft in that class. If they were to be done away with, the ruling class would crumble and without them, who would rule us?

Here is an exercise for the curious. Make a list of the top rich or the top powerful, either will do and see how many have corruption allegations and how many have been tried, cases dismissed, withdrawn, rejected, etc, etc.

There is such a thing as the ruling class and our politicians and our money makers belong to the same structure. It is not a question of will but a question of necessity in terms of sustaining control over the state. Why should the parties in power interfere with corruption in which almost all participate in, when it doesn't interfere with power including vote power?

How many have not voted for Awami League because of share market scams in its last innings? How many won't vote for the BNP because Tarique and his crony's shenanigans?

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If Bangladeshi people are willing to vote for the people they accuse of theft, corruption, murder and every other crime so regularly, what is the ruling class to do? It is not their fault that the people want them despite everything?

If people are encouraging them to carry on whatever they do because of tribal loyalty why should tribe leaders behave otherwise?

Is it possible to suggest that by continuing to support the ruling class, the voters are in effect a party to the crimes they complain so much about?

Those who steal money, one way or other have been produced by Bangladesh itself. The loan defaulter example is very apt to explain this. Banks could not act against them because the loans were so big that it couldn't take any punitive action. Bangladesh is a large bank and those who steal also own the bank. To attack one is to attack the other.

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So thank you Mr. Khaled for your report but more for the remark which you claim you never made. You provided some amusement which we needed after our World Cup departure and thumping by Australia. You have made some fame and have kept us hacks busy for a while. We shall contact you in future for comments on many matters whether you like it or not. What more could we ask for? Thanks everyone, scammer, report writer, media and the adoring public.
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Afsan Chowdhury is a journalist and researcher.