CORRUPT politicians and public servants indulge in two types of malfeasance: (a) the all-inclusive bribes and kickbacks, which have been conferring number one rankings to Khaleda Zia's government, (b) extracting perks and perquisites by entitlements, and then some. This second kind gives the appearance of sleaze when public officials become conceited and abuse their power. Here are some examples:
The lawmakers imported 275 luxury vehicles costing the NBR over Tk 280 crore in tax revenues. Most lawmakers sold the vehicles to business tycoons while evading taxes.
"Giving the lawmakers the benefit to import duty-free cars is against the natural justice and discriminatory. It's illegal and it should be scrapped. And then it's a corruption when the lawmakers sell those cars," former adviser to the CTG Hafizuddin Khan told The Daily Star on April 6.
ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Khan said: "We will discuss the matter and look into the allegation. We will also examine whether a lawmaker can sell the vehicle he has imported being exempted from taxation."
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been collecting rent (Tk. 50,000 per
month) from a house donated by the state after the assassination of her husband as living quarters for free. Millions of tax payer money has been spent for renovation of this house which is her personal property. She was also donated a mansion in Gulshan for rental income for maintenance of her family at that time.
A sense of probity should dictate her conscience to return all the rent money and renovation expenses (with interest) she has been collecting from the house she never spent a penny to build. She should also return the mansion in Gulshan since she is no longer in financial distress of any kind. Lawmakers should urge the ACC to investigate if Khaleda has been paying properly assessed property taxes on both houses.
Chief Whip Delwar Hossain's use of the parliament cafeteria as the source for his family's groceries, and then justifying it as his entitlement, is simply disgraceful.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Latifur Rahman, a true gentleman (with whom I played tennis at the Officers' Club a few weeks before his becoming Chief Advisor to the CTG), has been living in a government house having no clear entitlement or provision. This has set a poor precedent of entitlement for future Chief Advisors at no intent of Justice Latifur Rahman, which he could certainly do without.
A politician told me "ask not who or how many ministers and MPs are corrupt, ask who and how many are not." Those suffused into corruptions are always spotted riding high in the power circles of the PMO. For example, the Danish Ambassador in Bangladesh brought charges of corruption against Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain. He was also incriminated by a parliamentary body on March 8 for a "mysterious" increase in cost for building an ocean-going ship and misappropriation of funds in the construction of a new container terminal.
Two MPs from the ruling party implicated the communication minister Nazmul Huda of corruption for his involvement in the CNG import scam for Tk 2 billion, and allotment of land for setting up CNG station. Some corrupt ministers who were deposed are still not stripped of their entitlements of perks and perquisites.
The MPs, in addition to a hefty monthly salary, are entitled to daily allowances, travel expenses, and accommodations in the NA building during parliamentary sessions. Apparently those were not enough. So, they have entitled themselves
furnished apartments in the NAM complex and live happily in the capital and lobby around while ignoring the interest of the people who elected them. To avoid the recent HC ruling on paying past telephone bills, the MPs may soon pass a bill of "free telephone use entitlement" in the parliament with retroactive effect.
High ranking public servants are entitled to a full time use of chauffer driven car. Full time use, in most instances, entails misuse by family members and the officials use a second car to report to work.
The above examples are just a few from an all enveloping official culture, which has been debilitating the economy and along with it the country's image. Most economists would concur that the single most important factor that helps creating the wealth of nations is the rule of law. Countries lacking effective rule of law are places where powerful thugs simply take what they want from others. As a result, productive economic activities are discouraged because once you succeed someone with power will snatch a big bite out of your gain.
Politicians are a class of people considered most opportunistic, selfserving, self-promoting, if not out-right shameless. On her recent campaign trails (Rajshahi, March 29), Khaleda already started fooling voters by pledging that, if voted to power, she will uproot corruption (See my January 29 DS piece: "Why do politicians lie?"). It seems she wants to ward off the ignominy of corruption of her administration as a trifling matter.
Unethical behaviour, corruption, and associating with convicted felons have apparently become the benchmark and hallmark of wealthy politicians of Bangladesh. In an article E. Messner (American Journal of Psychotherapy, July 1981) wrote: "Observations, by a psychoanalyst who has served as an elected public official, reveal that exposure to conflicting demands from constituents may arouse a sense of depletion." Add to this the mounting pressure from family members to live beyond means. All these drive one to feelings of entitlement and self-indulgent behaviour a possible precursor to political corruption. Messner recommended preventive and therapeutic interventions for these deranged people.
Politicians who abuse their power and entitlement are the ones who are corrupt as well. The allencompassing mind-set of these people is one of entitlement, privilege, and winning election at all costs, by silencing the voices of reasons and dissent while disregarding the rule of law and letting the country degrade from lack of everything that spurs growth, governance, and glory. Doing away with entitlements and scaling down perks and perquisites may be a way of driving wheelers and dealers out of politics.
Dr. Abdullah A. Dewan is Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University.