Honesty now just an empty slogan

Billy I Ahmed The Daily Star

Honesty is the best policy" is now an empty slogan, a saying found only in the books of quotations and proverb. Nobody believes it, let alone practicing it. They believe neither in fairness of the means nor in the nobility of the ends.

Corruption is a pest, a contagious disease, which affects all who come to its contact. And today nobody seems immune. It has acquired a new dimension like an epidemic. There is hardly a department where corruption is not found. In each and every walk of life it has its boundless sway. It has increased spectacularly and astronomically to our demoralization, erosion of values, greed, materialism, and lust for pelf and power. It has dehumanized the whole society.

Today all our relations are based on calculation of gains and loss. We think of everything in terms of money and price and not in terms of value, aesthetic appeal, moral satisfaction etc. Making quick buck has become the sole aim of life and consequently cheating, bribery, pillage, corruption, hypocrisy, scams, scandals, adulteration, murder, rape, terrorism, drug- trafficking, frauds etc. have become a day to day affair.

One cannot get his work done without payment of gratification. No paper or file moves from one table to another till you put some 'weight' on it. Money is the sole driving force: it makes the mare go and run.

Corporate houses and business establishments contribute generously to party funds during elections, party rallies, and in return receive undue favors, patronage.

There is a parallel economy in operation, which is black money and ever increasing. The underworld dons, mafias, racketeers, drug traffickers and smugglers are the real masters and rulers. The honest officers are harassed, pressurized and threatened by their corrupt counterparts to follow their dictates. Sometimes, they cannot endure such pressures and threats to their lives, thus they succumb and ultimately give in and swell the rank of the corrupt!

Universities, colleges and schools are center of learning but these too are not free from rot or canker of corruption. Fake degrees, diplomas and certificates are freely available. Admissions are on the basis of donations and not on merit. Universities and colleges have become hotbeds of armed cadres, student politics, even teasing, violence. The whole education system, has become the victim of the pervading ills.

Elimination of corruption is possible, provided there is a strong desire to uproot it by the leaders and the public in general. It should be dealt with iron hand. There must be transparency in all dealings whatsoever. The pay and allowances of the officers and the employees should be adequate and commensurate with the cost of living. There should be deterrent punishment for people indulging in any corrupt practices. It is high time that corruption is checked with combined efforts of all concerned.

The recent report published on corruption by TIB is true or false, authentic or fabricated is a now a tug of war between TI and GoB, while the citizens are anxiously waiting to know the fact, they are in dilemma of sorts. It would be of great interest to the public to know the benchmark of TIB's evaluation for assessing corruption.

Whereas in Bangladesh the political parties encash on TI report to bash the opponent, instead of picking up other areas to nudge each other. Political acrimony based on corruption is no solution -- it is rather a fodder for others to damage the image of Bangladesh.

Rather than the "the pot calling the kettle black"-- both the ruling and opposition parties should have a proactive debate how to blockade corruption from spreading. Further, the political parties should dig more into human values like honesty, compassion, righteousness, morality etc., as they are the basic elements that go into making life worth living.