The year of the thieves, the moment of despair

Afsan Chowdhury
Published : 11 Sept 2012, 01:48 PM
Updated : 11 Sept 2012, 01:48 PM

My friend the journalist/Editor, who is very well known for his many exploits, probably had it right when he said that, "corruption doesn't matter in Bangladesh. As long as things can be done, it will be acceptable."

It is no small achievement for a country that had once ridden into the fields of history on the steed of idealism to reach this point. Yet it is theft and corruption that have consumed most of our attention for the last year or so and is threatening to overtake all our debates. We are no longer known as the people who fought to establish their own state at a great sacrifice but a people who are such thieves that we don't even know whether we should be embarrassed about it or not. It is the best thank-you possible to the poor idiots called Shaheeds who gave their lives so that thieves could rule Bangladesh.

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Three cases have dominated the mental landscape of Bangladesh that is corruption related. The Yunus-GB case, the Abul Hosain-Padma Bridge case and the Hallmark-Sonali Bank/Abul Muhith case. In their own different ways, they are defining our times. In the first case, we have had national turmoil and more ink and electronic time have been spent on Yunus and Grameen Bank than any other case in the history of Bangladesh. A year after the affair began, we have not yet seen any charge filed, no concrete allegations made but vilifying Yunus has become a national activity fully supported by the government. If Yunus has stolen money we should be told how much and how and whether that is the 'siphoning' kind of theft or real theft.

But will that happen because as a senior Editor said, "Catching Yunus is of national importance." Obviously, it is not the corruption; it is the politics that matters. But going after Yunus has meant not going after others too. The government has tried to portray Yunus as the most corrupt person in Bangladesh and the discussion is centred on him in media. Catch him if he has stolen money but catch others too. Nothing has looked as bad as the entire state machinery chasing Yunus while others merrily steal and loot. Is catching Yunus the main priority or catching thieves? Or is this ploy deliberate to draw attention away from thieves?

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If there is one man who is nearly as famous as Yunus, it is Abul Hossain 'the minister-in-charge of preventing' the Padma Bridge loan. A political sprint specialist he was removed in the previous AL innings for his air dash to Singapore to look after his private business even while serving as a state minister. But he is so close to the powers that be that it seems no ministry formation is possible without his inclusion. He is part of popular legends and the Padma Bridge fiasco was a natural product of the corruption culture that has prevailed in our time.

Other names have also emerged in the Padma bridge show including that of the financial advisor Mashiur Rahman, an ex-bureaucrat and other serving officers. Businessmen are of course named as expected and the political connections are openly talked about. So what? When was corruption ever punished in this country especially belonging to the political world? How can one punish corruption when that is what makes the country move?

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The Anti Corruption Commission is like the Press Council. They exist people know but have never seen them act. Has any sitting minister, official or for that matter any bigwig ever been convicted of corruption? It is primarily a tool to bully people and could only exist in Bangladesh to make sure that no undue pressure is put on the corrupt by acting as a gatekeeper of investigations. So the news that the ACC is inquiring into the Hallmark scandal does better as a joke than public assurance.

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The Hallmark Group scandal is not serious as a scam as there have been so many in the past and more will happen in the future but it is the relaxed and almost dismissive attitude of the authorities towards it that has made it so special. Finance minister Muhith sadly is going to remain in history as the man who famously said, that "Tk 400 billion is nothing". Apparently 2% of the GDP is a small change to him even if it disappears down the gullet of a scamster. But is it possible that Muhith is not disturbed because he actually knows how large the size of the corruption pie is? If 1/3 of the GDP goes into private pockets as some claim, Hallmark is really taking small change.

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Nobody is sure how big the damage is to the banking system and nobody really cares because nobody can do anything about it. This is really the largest criminal racket that ever was invented and Muhith has daringly declared that it is not just Sonali Bank which is involved but many more. Thank you finance minister for the information! Not only are frauds as common as cow dung here but everyone is a fraud. The swiftness with which all bank directors were reconfirmed sends exactly the signal that the government wanted to send: everything is fine and please carry on what you have been doing for so long without fear.

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The national anthem "Amar Sonar Bangla, ami tomai bhalobashi" has such deep resonance to those who sing it. I know of this ragged bunch of men who sang it aloud in trembling voices many moons ago in 1971 hoping for a better dawn. Most are dead and gone without any sight of the promised land.

So it is no accident that Sheikh Hasina called the 'Abuls' patriots. After all, the term Golden Bengal has much greater meaning for them than the rest of us as it does bring gold and the land deserves to be loved because of that. When the thieves sing this song it has a whole new meaning.

Joy Bangla. Bangladesh Zindabad.

(The views expressed are the author's own and not those of bdnews24.com's).

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Afsan Chowdhury is the Executive Editor, bdnews24.com