Morality, sex and corruption

I may state the conclusion first, which is that human beings in all societies are alike in some basic instincts, though they may differ in colour, ethnicity, or social conditioning. As regards corruption, their instinct is similar -- to go for it if they can get away with it. "Getting away with it" is the determining factor.

We have heard and read in media in the past years about the financial scandals in high places in the US and other western countries. Remember Enron or WorldCom? The CEO of the latter was convicted recently. Even Vice President Dick Cheney was talked of being involved in corrupt practices at Halliburton, of which he was a past CEO. If he were really involved in corruption, he has so far got away with it.

There was a story about the late Senator Jacob Javits, who was chairman of a Senate committee. He was Republican but was equally regarded by the Democrats for his grace and integrity. In the 1970s, when the landscapes of the oil-rich Middle Eastern countries were transforming with oil money, contractors form the western countries flocked there for lucrative business. Senator Javits represented a company in soliciting such contracts and succeeded. It was later reported in the American press that hefty bribes were paid to the ruling family of the country to get the contract, which was a rule of the game. The Senator's name was also mentioned, but no accusation was made against him. But the report was enough to damage his reputation permanently. He did not run for the next term in Senate. The Senator did not get away with the alleged corruption and paid dearly in prestige and position. Fear of effective law keeps one away from financial corruption, not moral value as much. Any opportunity to get away with it tends to bring in corruption. Credit card frauds are so extensive in the US that the card-issuing banks charge exorbitant interest from the honest users to recoup the loss caused by fraudulence. Police officers are not known to demand bribes (for fear of being caught), but it is not so uncommon that an officer would leave an eating place without being presented a bill. One does not dare offer a bribe to a police officer because, even if one were otherwise innocent, offering a bribe itself would be a reason to get arrested. Although it is rumoured that shop owners in New York's Chinatown regularly pay tolls to the police to remain out of trouble, such instances are infrequent and hard to prove to make corruption an issue.

In the European countries, too, the same scenario prevails. The degree of corruption varies with the degree of freedom to get away with it. In Italy, the widely publicised charge of corruption against Prime Minister Berlusconi was not proved in court (which people suspect he controlled). Nevertheless, he is still widely believed to be corrupt. But he got away. Now come to Bangladesh, where the corrupt get away regularly. No greater proof is needed than the statement of Finance Minister Saifur Rahman that no ministry was immune from corruption, and if corrupt officers were removed, the NBR would be empty. In plain words, every corrupt official in Bangladesh usually gets away with it. If the Chancellor of Exchequer made such a statement in the British Parliament, his head would have rolled for acquiescence of corruption. The political power in Bangladesh is directly correlated to the power to amass money. Politics is therefore a business in corruption. Any control on scarce product or service also makes corruption almost inevitable. Take a phone line or gas line, for example. If, however, two or more private companies compete to provide the same services, bonuses perhaps would replace bribes. Look at the competition among mobile phone companies.

Who is not involved in corruption in Bangladesh?

Let me confess that when I was in a high position, my PA could get my personal matters done over the phone; he might have got done some of his own using my name. After retirement, my personal appearance worked for some years, but not without hassles. Later, only my agents could do the same, paying "costs." Some ten years ago, I appeared before a deputy commissioner of income tax, who was respectful to me. He assessed my tax correctly, but at the end pleaded for my kindness to pay some small amount to those who would type my assessment paper. The next year a different officer demanded some redundant documents, asked impolite questions and finally sent me back for a future appearance. To avoid further harassment, I sent a tax lawyer, who returned with a nil assessment, but with a bill of "incidentals." I need not dwell any further on corruption in Bangladesh, since my nephew said it all.

Let me now turn to another phase of "getting away with it." Corruption is a matter of moralityfinancial morality. There is also a matter of sexual morality. Perhaps sexual urge is more intense than the desire for money. Yet sexual corruption is not rampant in Bangladesh. Here the picture is the reverse. In many eastern countries like Bangladesh, sexual relationship outside wedlock is both a sin and a punishable crime. For a Muslim it is zena, a sure reason to be thrown to Zahannam. Similar restrictions prevail in other religious groups in our and other countries. The threats of the law and Hell are enough to keep one moral and away from sexual corruption. Even then, reports of rapes are more frequent in our countries than in many western countries. Many men and women in Bangladesh would engage in sexual acts if none could detect, threats of legal or religious punishment notwithstanding. It is only a matter of getting away with it.

The picture in the western world is very different, where consensual sexual relationship between unmarried adults is not unlawful. Even a rape case can get dismissed if one partner can prove even implicit consent of the other partner. Living together is not only commonplace, but is also entitled to similar rights as for being legally married. In such a scenario, sexual corruption does not conceptually or legally exist, if neither of the partners is a minor or married to someone else or forced to the act. In this context "getting away with" sexual corruption is effortless.

Sexual relationship can be viewed also in the context of social values, irrespective of law and religion. In the days of Emperor Haile Selassie, I saw pretty young women in Addis Ababa physically entertaining men in high official and social positions. Nobody frowned at such popular practices. These pretty women were not hurt by any social stigma. They would accumulate substantial funds and end up marrying their favourite suitors. I saw similar scenes, though less noticeable, in Somalia, a Muslim country but with African values. Senior officials and gentry would gather in desert spots not far from the capital city, where young women entertained men with dance of physical contacts under the influence of flowing alcohol. Neither the men nor the women had any sense of shame or guilt. That was in the mid-sixties. However, the scenario changed remarkably afterwards, when money started to flow as aid from the rich Arab countries. Somalia transformed its social culture from African to Arab in the years before I visited it again in 1980. Men or women could no longer get away with what they could some fifteen years ago. Sexual morality entered the realm of corruption.

I could go on but I suppose my nephew got the message. Bangladesh ranks highest in the list of corrupt countries because here the degree of freedom to get away with it is also the highest.

Dr. RH Khandker is an elderly economist who returned home after a long stay abroad.