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Anti-corruption agenda defined Top leaders suggest remedies to the pervasive disease
In the face of a strong plea for a change in political culture as a prerequisite for a corruption-free society, former minister Saifur Rahman went in defence of politicians as he suggested making civil bureaucrats answerable, reports UNB. "You all blame politicians... Civil servants who are behind every transaction never take any responsibility for their wrongdoing," Saifur told a seminar on "Corruption in Public Administration" in the city yesterday. Transparency International-Bangladesh organised the seminar at the Centre of Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium. Food and Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury, Public Administration Reforms Commission Chairman Prof ATM Shamsul Haque, BNP lawmakers M K Anwar and Khalequzzaman, Chief Justice Mostafa Kamal, eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain, and National Board of Revenue Chairman Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury were among the speakers. The seminar hammered out a common view that appalling corruption in administration could be controlled by strengthening watchdog agencies, like Public Accounts Committee, Office of the Auditor General, Bureau of Anti-corruption. Parliamentary standing committees can also effectively guard against administrative corruption, it said.
It felt the need for appointment of an Ombudsman as per provision of the constitution. Speakers also talked about erosion in values and called for reshuffling the education system. Saifur Rahman, a BNP lawmaker and former finance minister, said every file gets signed by at least seven secretaries before it lands at the ECNEC for approval. But only politicians are made scapegoat when any case is filed regarding any transaction, he regretted. He, however, felt political culture needs to be changed and watchdog agencies strengthened to have a better administration.
Good governance and devolution of power, along with effective watchdog agencies, are essential for transparent and accountable government, he viewed. Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury mentioned government step to make parliamentary standing committees more transparent and accountable saying that the relevant ministers no longer chair the committees. Corruption is a very old practice, but today it reached such a height that "we have to bounce back for our future." Corruption prevails in every sphere of society, Matia said. The minister said frequent martial law paved the way for wholesale corruption in the administration. Public Administration Reforms Commission (PARC) chairman ATM Shamsul Haque said reforms were imperative for freeing the administration from corruption. Chief Justice Mostafa Kamal said, "Corruption can't be fought at all if state fosters, nurtures corruption." He recommended an education system with strong religious bias, saving, "Ethos that guides the nation is religious ethos." The Chief Justice said there are lot of people in the administration and the judiciary who are honest. He advised the Transparency International-Bangladesh to carry out a survey on those honest people and ascertain the motivation that keeps them honest. Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain said parliamentary standing committees should be more effective for checking corruption in the administration. BNP lawmaker and former minister M K Anwar said so many watchdogs would not have been necessary if all levels of the administration could work properly as per instructions. "Every level in administration is watchdog for its lower level. There are clear instructions for every level, but nobody follows those properly. BNP lawmaker Khalequzzaman termed Parliament the biggest watchdog that works through its committees. He said corruption is not limited to individuals, it pervaded the institutions. He felt the need of a code of ethics and commitment for building a corruption-free society. "There are honest people everywhere who are fighting individually. Let them know that they are not alone," the MP said. Weekly Holiday Editor Enayetullah Khan said watchdog agencies would not work to remove corruption unless public administration was reformed. Transparency International-Bangladesh Chairman Syed Humayun Kabir put political will as the first condition for getting a corruption-free administration.