Whither rule of law?
One may argue with the contents of the letter of Dr. Abdul Moyeen, published in The Daily Star of 29-2-08 under the given caption, albeit it is difficult to contradict his noteworthy conclusion that “Everybody knows how corruption had spread during the five-year rule of the BNP-Jamaat, and how the country was run by the family of the PM and her son's office, Hawa Bhaban. Instead of taking any firm actions against those, the government has given its leaders a fairly royal treatment with almost no cases being filed against them and many of them are still at large, especially the ones who belong to the Jamaat.” I believe that the CTG ( Caretaker Government) would come forward to address this wide spread perception. Further, the following points also demand immediate remedy by the authorities.
1.Of late the public servants are submitting their wealth statements. This is obviously a very encouraging step taken by the CTG, albeit it is not understood as to why such submission of wealth statements should not be extended to such very important persons as the Advisers, Heads of Constitutional bodies and the like. Pertinently, I must praise the stand of the ACC chief in asking for wealth statements from the former Ministers and the Prime Ministers, and initiating necessary legal steps. I suppose if the ACC has real operational independence and if there is any convincing ground, it should do the same to the existing incumbents of the establishment. Undoubtedly, such steps would go a long way in ensuring transparency and bridging the gap between the government and the governed.
2.The CTG's one milestone achievement has been the initiation of the independence of judiciary. However, this independence of judiciary from the executive would be sheer insignificant in the absence of totally transparent dispensation of justice. Such transparency can well be ensured if the members of the judiciary voluntarily and periodically provide their wealth statements and keep themselves clean before the nation.
3 I think it's time that the ACC delved into not only the past irregularities, but also into the present ones. Pertinently, I would request the ACC to go deep into the recent media report as to how a huge amount of edible soybean oil was recently exported to India at a nominal price of Tk. 48/ per litre while we are reeling under the sky-high price spiral and buying the same stuff at Tk. 107/ or even more per litre. It is not understood as to how the concerned organs of the CTG kept silent over all these transactions. One wonders as to whether similar “business deal” was also carried out for such commodities as rice, pulse, powder milk, and so on! Needless to say, in order to avert unnecessary speculation, the CTG should immediately come forward with the actual picture and take appropriate steps to free the country from the evil clutches of the so-called “syndicates”.
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