Corruption in its all shades and colour, is the illegal tool of accumulating illegal wealth depriving people which creates inequality and social injustice. Corruption destroys social order, rule of law and all good governance efforts. Corruption and the corrupts are the enemies of the people and the society in any country. That is why fighting corruption and installing honesty is a pre condition for good governance for ensuring human rights, human dignity, equality and social justice for better living condition of the majority of the suffering people of the developing nations.
Though the methodology used by Transparency International (TI) to measure corruption has been subject to many questions, yet holding the first position in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 5 consecutive years has tarnished the image of Bangladesh, and in such a situation majority of the citizens did not know what to do and how to start a fight against this man made tool of exploitation called corruption. Under such oppressive corrupt governance and social system conscious citizens attempted to raise voice against this evil through the media or different civil societies organizations by organizing round table meeting, seminars and press conference. The media played an active role in this regard.
But to utter surprise we have come to realize that the corrupt nexus effectively and skillfully started to muzzle the press. Laws should be enacted to protect the media from law suits and injunctive actions from businesses and politicians who use the courts to muzzle the press. Also they could defuse the citizens’ movement against corruption by polluting a part of the media. If one investigates into the manifold increase in financial wealth and asset of some journalist like some corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and businessman one can easily figure out the grave situation.
Besides the voice of the people against corruption was further distracted, diluted and confused by the corrupt syndicates by establishing and launching dozens of news papers and electronic channels to be owned and controlled by them to protect them.
In such a desperate situation like many other citizens as a pen soldier I felt that I should engage myself in combating corruption through silent, non-violent ways and means by organizing professionals such as doctors, lawyers, university teachers, engineers, architects, IT experts, honest civil servants, executives of banks, corporations and private business, Business leaders of trade bodies. To give momentum to our movement against corruption we formed collaboration with organizations like Rotary, Rotarect and Chamber of commerce and NGO to ensure wider participation and increased pressure to address the problem of eradicating corruption.
Forming a network among the victims of Corruption:
As almost every citizen is a victim of the corrupt system we felt forming a network among the victim of corruption will be very effective to create outrage among the victims and to raise voice against the corrupt system and also to add momentum to citizens movement against corruption. In this regard CGG started to connect as many citizen possible and today CGG developed connectivity with more than 4 Lac people to share information and idea as to ensure collaborate effort to eradicate corruption which is a precondition for establishing good governance in any society,
Connecting Academics, Researchers, Professionals and Policy Makers to form a broad based think-tank for capacity building:
By launching and maintaining Bangladesh only good Governance web-site CGG intended to connect Academics, Researchers, and Activists working to fight corruption for establishing good governance. Center for Good Governance believes this will facilitate to develop a broad based think tank which can act in capacity building for all organizations, institutions and individuals working to fight against corruption to establish good governance. The CGG website will maintain an open door, equal opportunity, non discriminatory, non partisan policy. This web site will be developed as a e-knowledge industry on issues relating to human right, human dignity, social justice, equality and governance so that every human being from any country can have free access to concept or policy papers, research articles, reports, manuals, booklets, books or other related matters free of charge.
Naming and shaming strategy to eradicate corruption:
Naming and shaming can be a very effective tactic to eradicate corruption in any country. Even in developing countries, where corruption is accepted as a necessary evil, naming and shaming tactic has been effective in recent years. In India, high profile cases uncovered and actively reported by the citizen action group have led to disgraceful dismissals of high level government officials and even criminal action against public figures. No such example has been set by the political governments in Bangladesh in the past. But citizen action groups or the media demonstrated ability to generate outrage among the public that can be channeled productively to control and eradicate corruption. Nobody can undermine the role and power of media in the society for establishing good governance.
Collaboration strategy to root out corruption:
As not all members of any society have the access to internet or have computer literacy. CGG formed strategic alliance with a network of 1200 NGO working at the grass root level to create awareness to fight against corruption and demand good governance as far as corruption is concerned in our society.
NGOs can keep a pivotal role in raising awareness among the general public about the bad effect of corruption. Most of our citizens understand that they are victims of corruption at their own level and corrupt governance affects their pocket. NGOs and other social organizations can make coordinated efforts to spread the message that corruption at every level affects the economic development, impair equitable distribution of wealth, destroys social justice and degrades moral of the society. Corruption degrades the dignity of any nation. Researchers and academicians presented reports on how corruption destroyed the foundation of our economy. Mass campaign against corruption should be launched to develop public resistance against corruption and to provoke public support in favor of combating corruption by the Anti corruption commission (ACC). ACC should be proactive in setting the agenda and framework through which to engage civil society in the battle against corruption.
To curve the supply side of corrupt payments the NGO plays a significant role to disseminate knowledge about the bad effect of corruption on the economy and peoples welfare. Presently the NGO network is making good governance journal and magazines available to general mass at the village level. Journal of Good governance is a bilingual journal which carries scholarly articles and write-ups (both in English and Bengali) of contributors from all over the world.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among the Stakeholders
Everyday policy makers, professionals, business leaders, sociologist, economists and others independently generate amazing number of ideas and thoughts. The reasons that these ideas don’t come to fruition is because like-minded reformers do seldom collaborate to bring changes. There are a lot of international and domestic organizations, NGOs, government agencies, opinion leaders and others – that are all individually working on tackling corruption in a piece-meal fashion. A more comprehensive approach to address corruption will be more fruitful. Corruption can be marginalized if not eliminated if all stakeholders work together in a coordinated manner against corruption.
Ideas and thoughts are ineffective if not put to actions. Unless what is thought is acted upon, such thought has no value. What is important is the commitment of all the citizens – leaders of respective fields– to take on the challenge of ending corruption and to do one’s own part to address it in a collaborative manner. Corruption, as in all affairs in society may be viewed from the two sides: a demand side and a supply side. The demand side can only be curbed by reforms of institutions, strengthened enforcement of law by a transparent judiciary. As the owner of the country all citizens are affected by corruption everyday, and as such they should insist reforms of the legislative, executive and judicial organ of the country. The stake holders of a corruption free society should get united to raise voice against corruption to curve the supply side. Thus the citizens will have to participate in the battle against corruption and only moral support to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is not enough to eliminate corruption.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among the Civil Society
Citizens face potential corruption practically at every level and every sector of life. It could be the local police, T.N.T, electricity and water authority, Municipal Corporation or the tax department. Government alone cannot succeed in combating corruption without the active participation of civil society and citizen action groups. Civil society is in the best position to articulate the grievances of the citizen and highlight priorities of action on corruption to governments. Civil society can serve many important roles–as observer, critic, analyst, campaigner, or protestor. It can create public awareness against corruption and mobilize citizens to fight against corruption in ways that governments cannot. Civil society can also play a strong role to organize campaigns against corruption. CGG is working with civil society such as Chittagong University Management Association (CUMA), Marketing Alumni Association (MAA), Chittagong University Debating Society(CUDS), Dristy Debating Society for creating awareness among them by mobilizing their members as well as citizens for ending corruption.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among Chambers and Trade Bodies
As Civil society organizations, Citizens’ action groups, NGOs, media, and Chambers–can play the largest role in improving governance both in the public and private sector. Similarly Chambers can be more active by organizing seminars, workshops, round tables to generate awareness against corruption and unethical business practice. Chambers can establish anti corruption cell headed by a vice president with adequate funds to establish liaison with media, anti corruption commission (ACC) and other government agencies to combat corruption and protect its members from extortion and corrupt claims. Mega chambers should formulate code of conduct for their members and put pressure on the members for compliance. Awareness regarding code of conduct for members of chambers would have trickle down effect on smaller business enterprises and so on.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among Private Sector
The private sector can play a more active role in rooting out the supply side of corruption. It is painful that most businessman and citizens looks at corrupt practice as a system. According to unofficial estimates many business house just account for it on their books – as much as 10% – adding to the cost of doing business. Business leaders as well as the government should take initiatives so that local and foreign investors can set up business enterprise and function in Bangladesh without resorting to corruption and extortion. After 1/11/07 the present Anti corruption commission (ACC) visibly started a crusade against corruption which may be looked upon as a proactive move towards corruption free governance.
For eradicating corruptions the private sector must emphasize on internal controls and auditing mechanisms. Corporate bodies and business houses needs to set clear and enforceable policies against corrupt or unethical business practices. Business house need to periodically train middle and senior management on business ethics to ensure that standards are institutionalized throughout the organization. Business houses should change their mind-set to prefer managers having comprehensive business education with emphasis on ethics. Any business managers can not afford to be unaware of global ethical standards for doing business.
Conclusion
In a developing country for good governance the fight against corruption is not easy. Bangladesh recently started drive against corruption. It is expected the present caretaker government, patriot citizens and other stakeholders will be able to address the most difficult challenge – fighting corruption. Corruption is a tremendous deterrent to good governance and development, and its burden falls heaviest on the shoulders of the poor people. An effective Anti-Corruption Commission – with strong political backing, can become a credible tool to deter corruption. All concerned should help the ACC to be fully operative. If Bangladesh wants to become a country free of poverty and economically strong, where every citizen will enjoy his or her rights and a better quality life, ending corruption is the most important need. It is the responsibility of every stakeholder to respond to this need towards corruption free, transparent, participatory good governance ensuring equity and social justice.
In Bangladesh, it is evident that the present condition of governance is not satisfactory. Many issues and problems are the barriers to ensure good governance, equity and social justice. Corruption, political interference in administration, nepotism, misuse of power, absence of rule of law, non-accountable and non-transparent government etc. are the common features of our governance.