Corruption the evil
Just a few weeks ago the US Ambassador in Dhaka attended a business function organised by the elite business groups in Dhaka. While he was talking to the businessmen he cited a few reasons why the foreign investors are not interested to come and invest in Bangladesh. Among others he mentioned reasons like shortage of energy supply, insufficient infrastructure, bureaucratic red-tapism, political instability, frequent hartals and most importantly corruption. Except corruption and political instability, all other reasons that can be addressed if the government seriously wants it. But corruption is an incurable disease which is deeply rooted in every spheres of our life. The very people who are responsible to curb corruption are themselves corrupt.
The foreign investors need to follow some formalities before their entry into the country with funds. Instead of getting spontaneous assistance from the departments concerned, they get a long list of requirements to be met before coming to Bangladesh. The intending investors feel discouraged when they fail to meet the requirements including anticipatory extra costs.
In Bangladesh teachers sell question papers, religious gurus sell dua for money, businessmen grab public lands, bureaucrats keep files under tables for months, judges pronounce date after date to hear a case, politicians take politics as business and so on. Even our intellectuals join politics after their retirement or become writers who write in favour of the politicians they support. There is only One who can help us-- the Almighty.
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