Who was corrupt?
During the period of the caretaker government (CTG) of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed corruption cases against a large number of politicians belonging to both AL and BNP, government servants and businessmen. Many of the accused were proved guilty in the lower courts and, on being convicted, were sent to the jail. Some of these convicted persons were tried in absentia as they had fled the country. People in general, including the mid level leaders and workers of AL and BNP, hoped that at least some of their senior leaders, and businessmen who financed these politicians, and the government servants who were genuinely corrupt would get punished; the country and the political parties would get rid of the corrupt leaders; and the state bureaucracy would to a great extent be free from corruption.
Now let us take a look at what all has been happening in combating corruption since the present mohajote (grand alliance) government under Sheikh Hasina came to power.
Almost all of those convicts who were sent to jail, or were absconding, have come out on bail granted by the High Court after they filed appeal to it against their convictions. Cases against all those who belong to the ruling party and who have not yet been chargesheeted are being withdrawn by branding the cases as “politically motivated.”
It is being rumoured that the government may arrange for presidential clemency for all those politicians, naturally belonging to the ruling party, who are already charge sheeted.
If BNP wins the next parliamentary election scheduled to be held in 1914, it is most likely that all cases against BNP leaders will be disposed of in the same way without any fair trial. They will have to suffer 5 years more than their AL colleagues for losing the 2008 election !
Justice delayed is justice denied. In greater national interest the government should take up a case with the Honourable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to constitute some special benches of the High Court to expeditiously deal with corruption cases.
If the mohajote government fails to take the above-mentioned actions the country will plunge deeper in corruption. The whole world will continue to call us a corrupt country. The people of Bangladesh will turn away their faces from AL in the next general election. The whole world will find us as the only corrupt country in the world with no corrupt persons individually within the country. The question will naturally arise, “Then who was corrupt in Bangladesh ?”
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