Nowadays reports on graft cases are always there in the newspapers. The story of a Titas Gas sales assistant is one of those, although it is claimed by reporters that it probably surpassed all previous records. As an employee drawing only Tk. 4,000 in monthly salary when at the career's peak, he accumulated wealth worth over Tk. 2100 crore, though he claims the amount to be only 208 crore! Sounds unbelievable and the matter is beyond everyone's comprehension. It has come to light through the efforts of the National Coordination Committee against Corruption and Serious Crimes. In the mean time, under the supervision of the task force, the process of returning ill-gotten wealth of over 400 crore by a group of corrupt employees of Titas Gas has started.
Once I wrote a letter titled “Monument of Corruption” in your newspaper which was published on 27-02-2007. With the astonishing story of the Titas sales assistant we can really think of such a monument, say constructing the Padma bridge with the wealth realized from such people, so that history can also keep them in memory. Through institutional crimes, the employees of various government organisations like Titas Gas, BTTB, Wasa, PDB, Rajuk, R&H, LGRD etc. plundered public wealth, damaged the country's economy and caused public sufferings beyond imagination. The Padma bridge can be constructed with an estimated cost of Tk. 8,000 crore and it will not be difficult to arrange this sum if due efforts, like that in the case of Titas Gas, are made to raise funds. It is also reported that the corruption cases revealed so far are only the tip of the iceberg.
So it is possible. Moreover, the damage done to the country and its people through corrupt practices can thus be partly compensated for, as the Padma bridge will have a long lasting positive impact on the national economy.