Corruption at the top level

By Tawhid Shams Chowdhury, BRAC University
15 June 2006, 18:00 PM
It is no longer a secret that we are the most corrupt nation in the world. But every malady has a remedy. We are fortunate that corruption is not an incurable disease like AIDS. Just a few years ago, I read in a newspaper article that corruption spread in China like an epidemic.

But the Chinese authorities applied the theory of velvet glove on an iron fist. They executed several top-level officials and the result is known. They were not only successful in curbing corruption but it added an impetus to China's progress towards prosperity. China is now the second largest economy in the world.

I and some of my friends were discussing about our country and came to the conclusion that we have to do something drastic. But the most reticent friend of mine burst with a piece of information at the end of the discussion session. He asked us whether we knew that the Malaysian government had confiscated an astronomical amount of black money of a Bangladeshi citizen.

Later in our discussion, we suspected foul play in our submarine cable connection. What could be done free of cost will now be done at a huge cost. Who is responsible for squandering the hard earned money of our people? Will the top level policy-makers still go untouched?

Whither justice!