In Bangladesh, the really corrupt elements are the ones who had condemned corruption in the strongest possible terms in public speeches and after dinner talks. Their constant hypocrisy and contradictions have not surprised anyone. The corrupt have been tolerated in all social gatherings. They never encountered ridicule and insult.

The corrupt in our midst found time to relax, to enjoy family life; to go on vacations and to take proper care of their health; they had no qualms about displaying their ill-gotten worldly possessions. Therefore, despite the hazards, many had joined the ranks of the corrupt, given the lack of accountability and general acceptance of corruption as a way of life in the country.

Whether one likes it or not, the fact remains that negative politics and shady politicians, for reasons better left unsaid, occupy a disproportionately large portion of our media reports. The cynics, however, say that, in varying degrees, the politicians are the promoters-distributors of favours, more so in our kind of society. No wonder, therefore, that the favour-seeking satellites continue to hover around them. Under such circumstances, the less-than-holy connection between the favour-giver and the receiver makes good news.

When men and women of doubtful virtue succeed in getting undeserved media attention, then that becomes a damper to the conscientious folks who are desirous of entering public life. The political stage needs the vibrancy and grit of a new breed of politicians who will lift the polity out of the frustratingly lackadaisical situation.

The question that needs an answer is whether prominence in public life can be attained without some positive record of public service. Similarly, whether the media should, willy-nilly, be a facilitator in furthering the careers of questionable players. These are important issues that demand resolution.

The point to ascertain is whether we have brought to center stage the villains in our political history because one fallen ex-president, according to many observers of our socio-political scene, stands accused of toppling a lawfully elected government through brute power, and of corrupting almost all the institutions of the state.

His name is synonymous with autocracy and high handedness, and all the evils that are associated with those. He initiated the massive tarnishing of the electoral process, and the consequences are being felt now. His was a time when even wife-swappers tried to become guardians of public morals.

It was also the time when the sense of propriety disappeared from public life and religion was put to unprecedented misuse. Accountability, both administrative and financial, was at its lowest ebb, and conspicuous consumption was officially patronized. All in all, there was a deliberate effort to convert our society into a conglomerate of self-serving lesser individuals.

The time has come to cleanse our political and public life. The so-called over-bearing political heavyweights, whose real worth is doubtful, need to be exposed so that people can choose at the appropriate time.

Let the media be unequivocal and forthright in saying that the single-minded pursuit of money impoverishes the mind, shrivels the imagination and desiccates the heart. We should not take any more wrong turns at the crossroads, or misuse our time and take gold for dross and dross for gold. We can face any crisis if we have the facts.

Thinking men and women must take the trouble of giving public expression to their views, otherwise the loud and vociferous voice of an incompetent minority will pass as the voice of the polity. They have to overcome the inactivity resulting from fatalism. The falsehood of the political brats cannot be allowed to have too long an innings. Identity of views may not be possible, but harmony of goals is. The profligate must not be allowed to overtake the pious in the political battle.

It is now generally accepted that the election-oriented political culture provides incentive to explicit illegal practices. During elections, a large amount of unaccounted money comes into circulation, and it has not been possible to effectively halt that.

A large chunk of such money is spent for the musclemen or thugs, for whom election time is booming business at almost no investment. Such thugs are required for malevolent activities like intimidating voters, particularly the vulnerable ones, deactivating polling agents, creating tension near election centres to discourage voters from turning out, and directly or indirectly keeping the polling booths under control, etc.

There is never a dearth of miscreants for committing such mischief, because requisition or demand is there and, as such, supply remains steady on account of availability of ready cash and quick payment.

Observers of the political scene are of the view that the personal and professional credentials of the politicians are central to the subject under discussion. In this regard, the layman, in view of his experience, may wonder whether politics is a profession or a vocation, or simply a social service.

One considered view is that although some political parties may have a full-time cadre of workers who are on the party's payroll, politics cannot be a full-time occupation in a democratic society.

According to the above view, holders of public office shall be adequately compensated by the state, although the compensation may not prove to be satisfying for a capable professional. But then, that is the price one has to pay for being in public service.

The important issue here is that after one ceases to hold power, one goes back to one's previous profession or occupation. In other words, it is expected that politicians will be in definite professions or occupations, and have the means to support themselves.

How close our political scene is to the proposition described above may be the subject matter of serious discussion. Do we have people in the political scene whose actual sources of income cannot be ascertained?

One has to bear in mind that parasitic leadership can neither inspire nor help in the creation of a healthy political culture. The political parties themselves should discuss these issues seriously because, barring honourable exceptions, politicians with income that can be accounted for command respect. One recommendation would be to enlist people of different professions or occupations in the parties, and to attract educated and honest people to the political mainstream.

When the initial shocks in the seventies were being absorbed, quite a number of sensational criminal cases were withdrawn on alleged political grounds. Many deaths caused by the then special forces were not even investigated, and murderous actions by politically blessed vigilante groups were not taken note of.

The situation turned for the worse with the tragic murder of the father of the nation and the four national leaders. For many years the establishment, neither legally nor appropriately, ignored these offences until a favourable political scene unfolded. Such realities do have substantial impact on the enforcement and adjudication temperament and culture.

Between 1976 and 1979 many heinous criminal cases involving murder, abduction, grievous hurt amongst others were allegedly withdrawn as part of a deal struck with some political parties by the then establishment. The so-called cadres of these parties created havoc in the south-western and north-western parts of the country. Thus, quite a few desperate criminals acquired respectability as politicos.

Politically motivated withdrawal of criminal cases from 1991 to the present, on not very cogent grounds, had taken place despite the democratic credentials of the relevant political regimes. The number of cases of withdrawal of criminal prosecution on political grounds got larger with the passage of each political regime.

Newspaper reports indicate that the volume of such withdrawals had registered a sharp increase in recent years. Those interested in seeing a corruption-free polity may examine whether such increase is directly co-related to the heightened criminalization of our politics.

The crux of the subject is primarily rooted in our political culture. The politicians have to decide whether they need ill-gotten money, and rogues and criminal elements, for furthering their so-called political objective, even at the expense of their public image and social acceptability. And also whether political opponents should be harassed by institution of palpably false cases, and whether purely criminal elements should be allowed to masquerade as party operatives.

Again, it is the politicians themselves who should take the lead in the gradual decriminalization and sanitization of the political process to spare the society of the ill effects of resultant corruption.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is a columnist of The Daily Star.