Plunder of public wealth by a minion
The matter is beyond every one's comprehension. It was a shocking revelation of stupendous proportion made possible by the efforts of the National Coordination Committee against Corruption and Serious Crimes. It relates to that of a Titas Gas sales assistant whose wealth amounts to, according to his own admission, 208 crores, but according to the Task Force not less than 2100 crores. Even 208 crores is an imponderable sum to accumulate for a person drawing a maximum monthly salary of Tk 4000.
Regrettably, this demonstrates the culture of corruption that has become so entrenched as to have permeated all the levels of the public sector.
The Task Force must be commended for having been able to identify the corrupt in the public sector corporations, particularly the service providers. Only recently, we had come to know about several hundred Titas employees of various denominations, willing to return their ill-gotten wealth amounting to several hundred crores. Most of these have been possible mainly because of patronisation by the powers that be. Interestingly, many of the accused are powerful CBA leaders or are in close link with them. They have used their clout as CBA leaders, whose job it was to advance the workers' interest, for self aggrandisement, to the detriment of the organisation.
There are several very pertinent questions that emerge from these revelations. How is it that these people have gotten away so long with their nefarious activities? Where was the official supervision that was supposed to have been exercised? What is distressing is that these people would have continued in their merry way of amassing illegal wealth had there been no 9/11? Is there no inbuilt mechanism to prevent such crimes? Either the officers placed over these people failed in their duty or that they colluded in the nefarious acts. On both counts officers holding position of responsibility must be called to account for their failure or collusion.
It is a good thing that the Task Force has focused on the public sector corporations. We feel what have been revealed so far is the tip of the iceberg only; there are many more such people who have amassed and are still busy illegally amassing wealth.
However, the work of the Task Force is at best an ad hoc measure. There must be inbuilt mechanisms organic to these institutions that will be able to detect, prevent and punish the corrupt. But the all-important thing is that unless we have conscientious people manning the system it will not deliver.
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