This year Bangladesh has failed to continue its positive trend in curbing corruption, compared to the gradual achievement seen since 2006, as it slips both in score and rank among 175 countries covered by the Transparency International (TI) for its Corruption Perception Index 2014.
Ranked as the most corrupt country during 2001-2005, Bangladesh this year stands 14th. It ranked 16th last year. The country scored 25 on a scale of 0-100, slipping from 27 last year.
Of the 175 countries, Bangladesh has ranked 145th in terms of success in fighting corruption. It ranked 136th the previous year, according to the Berlin-based global civil society group campaigning against corruption.
The index puts Denmark on top of the 2014 list of the least corrupt countries with a score of 92, followed by New Zealand, Finland and Sweden. On the other hand, Somalia and North Korea stay at the bottom of the list as the most corrupt nations with score 8, followed by Sudan and Afghanistan in the second and third positions.
In South Asia, Bangladesh is the second most corrupt country. Afghanistan is ranked as the most corrupt country in the region even though it has done much in anti-corruption activities while Bhutan is the least corrupt.
Bangladesh shares the same score with Guinea, Laos, Kenya and Papua New Guinea.
No country in the world is fully corruption free, as none scored 100. Influential countries like the UK, the USA, China and Russia scored 78, 74, 36 and 27 respectively.
“It is a matter of perception, and it may differ to some extent from the reality,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TI’s Bangladesh chapter, told reporters at the capital’s National Press Club yesterday.
“We made continuous progress in ranking and score, and now it starts to go down which is a matter of concern. If we were a little aware, it would not have happened. The government has to be more strict in fulfilling political pledges,” he said.
As reasons behind the degradation, Iftekhar cited inadequate steps to curb corruption despite pledges made. He also said measures were taken to curb the independence of the Anti-Corruption Commission whereas there was a lack of steps to achieve effectiveness of the anti-graft body.
The TIB also found that lack of steps to bringing to book the people responsible for much-talked-about corruption cases including Padma bridge, railway recruitment, share market scam, Hall-Mark, Destiny, Sonali and other state-owned banks, and Rana Plaza contributed to the degradation of the country’s corruption index.
It also said influential people having inconsistent wealth and the mentality of denial of the government were other reasons behind the rise in corruption.
The corruption watchdog also said people involved in grabbing land and water bodies, tender and recruitment business, and the loan defaulters were getting political cover.
It blamed parliament among the institutions that ensure accountably for its weakness to stand against corruption. There were incidents of conflict of interest, scope for whitening black money and high rate of money laundering this year.
The TI draws up the index on the basis of 12 surveys conducted by seven international organisations that covered the period between February 2011 and August 2014.
Citing an international research, Iftekhar said if Bangladesh could keep corruption in medium range, the country’s GDP would grow by 4% from the existing rate.
During 2001-2005, Bangladesh stood first five times in a row. Improving the position, it ranked third in 2006, seventh in 2007, 10th in 2008, 13th in 2009, 12th in 2010, 13th in 2011 and 2012 and 16th in 2013.
Low-income people are more victimised by corruption than the rich, Iftekhar said.
TIB’s Trustee Board Chairman Sultana Kamal said there is priority of executive power in all sectors in the country. “If these kinds of influence and interference prevail, no important state organs including parliament can work independently.”
When somebody tries to speak about this issue and demands trial of the corrupt, “there comes vendetta from the high-ups of the government. For this, those who are vocal against corruption lose courage.”
Asked about the government’s reaction about TI’s reports in the previous years, Iftekhar said primarily they get negative reactions after the release this kind of findings. “But when these reports are proved to be helpful, steps are taken to amend laws or make organisations free of corruption.”
He said the TIB does not take the political reactions as a major issue. If the government did not want the TIB to run activities in Bangladesh, it could not work, he said.
“The TIB does not do anything without the government’s permission,” Iftekhar added.
On the same issue, Sultana Kamal said: “We always get reaction from the government but no response. There might be flaws in our information and it can be discussed. But the government does not do that.
“I think we have a love-and-hate relation with the government. We get assistance as well as criticisms.”
Asked if the January 5 election had affected the index, Iftekhar said the election did not influence the degradation. “But [lack of] parliament’s expected role is a concern here.”
Parliament could not become effective until 2011 due to walkout of the then opposition party. “But it is also true that now what has been placed as the opposition is not a true opposition.”
The TIB thinks that the parliamentary standing committees have to be more active and accountable. The opposition has to be strengthened to change the situation.
The TIB executive director applauded the ACC, too. He said the ACC had been inactive during the BNP-Jamaat government while it had faced some methodological problems during the military-backed caretaker government.
“But we saw during this government’s tenure, the ACC has interrogated many corrupt people which was not done before. We appreciate the ACC for this. But we think that the ACC is yet to earn the people’s trust,” Iftekhar said.
Political will must to contain corruption
In the list of recommendations, the TI mentioned that political will, going beyond fear or favour, was the key to control corruption.
The government should make parliament effective and the ACC free and effective; and ensure transparency in the trial process. It must ensure that the public service providers including the law enforcement agencies work honestly and without political interference.
The TI says there should be coordination among the organisations that ensure accountability including the ACC, law enforcement agencies, the attorney general’s office, the comptroller and auditor general, the National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Bank to curb corruption.
