As long-term humble corporate executives, we learn how to accept "knowledge donations" from the seniors, to be submissive subordinates. So I swallowed his "instant coffee" type solution.

I was on board a British Airways (BA) flight to Dhaka in the first week of March. The business class was almost empty; giving ample scope to the dedicated cabin service director to have a "more than a smile" type discussion with the passengers, incidentally me.

Again the same old comment to a typical Bangladeshi: "I see you are having lots of problems back in your country because of your two lady politicians." When I wanted to take the discussion further he said that this was what he came to know from various journals and magazines.

I thanked him for not giving a solution like "taking the two ladies on a BA flight 39,000 feet above sea level and then crashing" to help the former British colony to have a better future.

It is becoming apparent from recent incidents that the political elite of the country is trying to face the mass disgust against the politicians, and the general outcry for reform (political or economic), by shifting the blame onto the two ladies.

Everywhere I go, I get the impression that there is a feeling that every evil in our country's political and overall environment has been caused by the vicious influence of these two ladies -- leaders of two large parties. If we can just get rid of these two women, all the problems of our country can be instantly resolved. I am, of course, saddened by the shallowness of this argument, if not the distinct male chauvinism.

It is disheartening that many in the diplomatic community, as well as influential people bracketed as "civil society," are also tilted toward such views; if I may be more precise --they are significantly contributing to this school of thought.

This is not to say that I believe that the two ladies are blameless. The responsibility for the political distortion that has taken place in our system rests on both of them. However, I feel that castigating the two ladies greatly obscures the greater issue -- ridding our society of all sorts of corruption and establishing the rule of law.

The reforms that the current government has initiated, and which has wholehearted public support, are the result of total system failure. The system failed to establish the rule of law, because all the institutions which were supposed to provide adequate check and balance could not do so.

All the institutions in the society failed to punish the evil and protect the good, efficient and honest. The responsibility for that lies with all of us. Our politicians failed to raise their voices when black money and muscle power infiltrated into their parties, and rampant corruption compromised them.

Our businessmen evaded taxes, and paid bribes to get a bigger piece of the pie. Judges were appointed to serve narrow party interests. Civil servants had been bought to enhance corruption. Leaders avoided paying the minimum possible tax.

The examples could go on and on. The victims of all this have been the virtues, and the beneficiaries have been the evil ones. To rectify this overwhelming situation, we need structural reform that would have to include all of us. The current govt. has started the process, but it is unlikely that they will be able to complete it within their tenure (18 months or whatever it would be).

It will require effort and good intention from all of us to build and strengthen the institutions. As institutions cannot be built overnight, it would require years of effort. The success of that effort would largely depend upon the extent of transparency with which it has been carried.

Any doubt about the transparency of the process will distort the whole reform process. Today's convict on corruption charges will be rehabilitated tomorrow as a "victim." As a country we will be again faced with the vicious cycle of corruption.

The two ladies in our political arena have to face the law like any other citizen, if there are charges against them. They cannot be above the law. However, any non-transparency in dealing with them would hurt the overall reform process. Blaming them for all the misdeeds only covers up the real problem.

We must accept the fact that both of them have been our elected leaders. They have led us for years against autocracy, and fought extremely hard to establish democracy. Under their leadership, in the last 15 years, the economy has blossomed with a growth rate of around 5 percent.

A strong private sector has developed, and has established itself as the driver of economic development. Various development indicators have shown significant improvement. However, they have failed in many areas as well.

They have failed to protect all the institutions from partisanship. Their parties have become hostage to black money and muscle power. Their authoritarian activities have demolished democracy within their party. Corruption and nepotism was bred in the society.

Their personal animosity and rivalry has caused a deep division in the country, and the interest of the country has always been sacrificed for narrow partisanship. All these misdeeds have to be properly investigated. However, we also must be ready to take our share of the responsibility for all these misdeeds, as we share all the achievements.

If we think that by just putting all the blame on the two ladies and refusing to acknowledge our responsibility we shall be able to implement the reforms that we all earnestly yearn for, we are living in fool's paradise.

Our leaders have failed miserably, as we all have failed, to make a significant contribution to enhancing check and balance in all our institutions. What is the guarantee that the same politician, who is now saying that he cannot be honest and vocal in the presence of Hasina or Khaleda, will be honest and upfront in the presence of another dominant leader?

The same question applies to our civil servants, judges and businessmen, as well. The answer to that lies in the fact that only the presence of strong institutions can guarantee that.

The rule of the two ladies was full of misdeeds. All of these misdeeds have to be brought into accountability. However, that has to be done in the most transparent way possible, otherwise the effectiveness of the whole reform program will not be sustainable.

Blaming the two ladies for all the misdemeanors will distort the true nature of our problem, and create serious obstacles in implementing the reforms. All of us must remain alert so that the entire reform process does not lose its focus. Otherwise, the same old "nexus" of corrupt interest would take hold of the situation.

The writer is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.