A collaborative strategy against corruption

CORRUPTION is a way of accumulating illegal wealth, which creates inequality and social injustice. It destroys social order, rule of law and all good governance efforts. Corruption and the corrupt are the enemies of people and society. That is why fighting corruption and installing honesty is a pre-condition for good governance for ensuring human rights, human dignity, equality and social justice, and better business environment.
Today, everybody, including the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, emphasises the designing of a collaborative strategy to limit corruption. The following non-violent, silent strategies may be used to curb corrupt practices in every sector of Bangladesh.

Naming and shaming
Naming and shaming can be a very effective tactic to eradicate corruption. Even in developing countries, where corruption is accepted as a necessary evil, naming and shaming tactic has been effective in recent years.
In India, high profile cases are uncovered and actively reported, which has led to dismissals of high-level government officials and even criminal action against public figures.
The political governments in Bangladesh in the past have set no such example. But citizen action groups and the media can generate outrage among the public, which can be channeled productively to control and eradicate corruption. Nobody can undermine the role and power of the media in establishing good governance.

Creating awareness
Everyday, policy makers, professionals, business leaders, sociologists, economists and others generate an amazing number of ideas and thoughts. The reason that these ideas don't come to fruition is that like-minded reformers seldom collaborate to bring changes.
There are a lot of international and domestic organisations, NGOs, government agencies, opinion leaders and others that are all working on tackling corruption, but in a piece-meal fashion.
A more comprehensive approach to address corruption will be more fruitful. Corruption can be marginalised if not eliminated if all stakeholders work together in a coordinated manner.
Ideas and thoughts are ineffective if not translated into action. What is important is the commitment of the citizens and leaders of respective fields to take on the challenge of ending corruption, and to do one's own part to address it in a collaborative manner.
Corruption may be viewed from two sides: a demand side and a supply side. The demand side can only be curbed by reforms of institutions, and strengthened enforcement of law by a transparent judiciary.
As the owners of the country, all citizens are affected by corruption and, as such, they should insist on reforms of the legislative, executive and judicial organs of the country.
The stakeholders of a corruption free society should get united to raise their voice against corruption to curb the supply side. Thus, the citizens will have to participate in the battle against corruption, because only moral support to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is not enough.

Creating awareness in the civil society
Citizens face potential corruption practically at every level and every sector of life. It could be in the local police, T.N.T, electricity and water authority, municipal corporation or the tax department.
The government alone cannot succeed in combating corruption without the active participation of civil society and citizen action groups. Civil society is in the best position to articulate the grievances of the citizen and highlight priorities of action against corruption to the government.
It can play many important roles -- as observer, critic, analyst, campaigner, or protestor. It can create public awareness against corruption and mobilise citizens to fight against corruption in ways that governments cannot.
Civil society can also play a strong role in organising campaigns against corruption. Center For Good Governance is working with many civic organisations for capacity building of such organisations.

Creating awareness in chambers and trade
Bodies
Civil society organisations, citizens' action groups, NGOs, media, and chambers can play a role in improving governance both in the public and the private sectors. Similarly chambers can be more active by organising seminars, workshops, round tables to generate awareness against corruption and unethical business practices.
They can establish anti-corruption cells with adequate funds to establish liaison with the media, the ACC and other government agencies to combat corruption and protect their members from extortion.
Mega chambers should formulate a code of conduct for their members, and put pressure on the members for compliance. Awareness regarding the code of conduct will have a trickle-down effect on smaller business enterprises, and so on.

Creating awareness in the private sector
The private sector can play a more active role in rooting out the supply side of corruption. It is painful that most businessman and citizens looks at corrupt practice as a system.
According to unofficial estimates, many business houses just account for it in their books -- as much as 10 percent -- adding to the cost of doing business. Business leaders as well as the government should take initiatives so that local and foreign investors can set up business enterprises and function in Bangladesh without resorting to corruption and extortion.
After 1/11/07 the ACC visibly started a crusade against corruption, which may be looked upon as a proactive move towards corruption free governance.
For eradicating corruption the private sector must emphasise on internal controls and auditing mechanisms. Corporate bodies and business houses needs to set clear and enforceable policies against corrupt or unethical business practices.
Business house need to periodically train middle and senior management on business ethics to ensure that standards are institutionalised throughout the organisation. Business houses should change their mind-set to prefer managers having comprehensive business education with emphasis on ethics. Business managers cannot afford to be unaware of global ethical standards.
In a developing country, the fight against corruption is not easy. Corruption is a tremendous deterrent to good governance and development, and its burden falls heaviest on the shoulders of the poor people.
An effective ACC -- with strong political backing -- can become a credible tool for deterring corruption. If Bangladesh wants to establish corruption free business friendly environment, wants to become a country free of poverty and economically strong, where every citizen will enjoy his or her rights and a better quality life, ending corruption is the most important need. It is the responsibility of every stakeholder to respond to this need.
Nobody will deny that, in Bangladesh, the past governance mechanism was far less than satisfactory. Many issues and problems were barriers to good governance, equity and social justice.
Weak watchdog institutions, corruption, political interference in administration, nepotism, misuse of power, absence of rule of law, non-accountable and non-transparent governments etc. are the common features of our governance, and need to be addressed on an urgent basis.

Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.