As usual, the members in the inner cabinet of the government have rejected the TI assessment. In his immediate reaction, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs M Moudud Ahmed said that the government did not accept the criteria for such an index. He offered no explanation or suggestion as to what could be a better methodology. The Minister for Health and Family Welfare Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said that the government did no agree with such a ranking as it was not based on "correct information." In a statement on October 25, the Minister for Finance and Planning M Saifur Rahman blamed the media for making Bangladesh the most corrupt country in TI's CPI. While answering a question in parliament on November 2, he rejected the CPI. He also questioned TI's authority in ranking a country as the most corrupt. In 2003, when Bangladesh was ranked for the third consecutive year the most corrupt country among 133 nations by the TI, he questioned the methodology the TI employed in making the judgement. Incidentally, when Bangladesh was first ranked the most corrupt country by the TI during the immediate past Awami League (AL) regime, M Saifur Rahman came out with a statement that the TI report had been timely and based on reality.

Bangladesh's ranking as the most corrupt country in the global corruption chart for the last four years has seriously tarnished the image of the country. Bangladeshis at home and abroad are highly frustrated. Their hope for a nation that would stand with its head high has been largely shattered. When in 2003, Bangladesh was ranked the most corrupt country for the third consecutive year by the TI , one citizen of the country posed the question whether funds should be raised or not to bribe TI for anything but number one spot among nations deemed to be corrupt. Then he himself answered his question asserting that only a nation let down by its politicians can come up with such a ridiculous idea out of sheer frustration. One Bangladeshi student in London has recently written: "Again number one in corruption. It is terrible and shameful for us, specially those who are living abroad. I am tired and exhausted after giving answers to my friends in university. They can't believe how a country becomes number one in corruption four times in a row. Why should we be embarrassed by some unscrupulous politicians, government employees and businessmen? We must stop them."

The BNP-led alliance government is in the fourth year of its current five-year term. During its past three-year rule, Bangladesh was ranked every year the most corrupt country by TI. This is the situation against BNP's election pledge in 2001 to root out corruption. It is not that BNP's top leadership is not aware of the rampant corruption in all spheres of national life. The Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has on more than one occasion expressed commitment of her government to root out corruption. In her latest address to the nation over television and radio on October 10, marking three years in office for the BNP-led alliance government, she stressed on the need "to eliminate corruption from the society." The Minister for Finance and Planning has time and again put emphasis on good governance. Good governance is ""both a goal and a process." It includes, inter alia, rule of law, transparency, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, and accountability. While addressing a seminar in Dhaka on December7, 2003, he said that populist or vote-oriented projects were getting priority over schemes that were really important for national development. He also named some sectors including roads and highways which had the highest incidence of fund-wastage. After his meeting with the vice-president of the Asian Development Bank in Dhaka on October 31, the Finance and Planning Minister told the press that "Bangladesh would slide down the rank of TI's most corrupt countries once the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission starts work, the public procurement regulations are complied with in the government purchase and if the media runs objective and investigative reports." While addressing a seminar in Dhaka on February 29, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs revealed that corruption was holding back economic progress and eating up no less than two percentage points of Bangladesh's GDP growth annually.

The BNP-led alliance government should get out of the ostrich mentality. The government should take TI's CPI seriously and come up with measures to fight the menace of corruption. In particular, the Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia should bear in mind that the good deeds of her government in the fields of macroeconomic management, education, and a few other sectors have been overshadowed by the prevailing unbridled corruption and unprecedented price hike of essential commodities including rice. The people's expectation was that with her previous experience in the high office of the Prime Minister, she would, during her current tenure, administer the country better and eliminate corruption. But the people were frustrated to see their country occupying the number one position in TI's CPI during all the past thee years of her current tenure. Presently, the people's perception is that during her previous term of office as Prime Minister, she administered the country much better. The Prime Minister should realise that during the last election people pinned their hopes more on her than on her party. The corrupt persons, whoever they may be, must be brought to book to honour the people's faith.

It is not possible to eliminate corruption completely. In order to reduce corruption to the minimum level, the following measures, inter alia, call for urgent consideration.

BNP's election commitment of 2001 regarding disclosure of assets and properties of all elected people's representatives including the Prime Minister, ministers (ministers include ministers of state and deputy ministers) and others with the rank and status of minister, should be implemented at the earliest. It may be mentioned that in Pakistan, MPs have been brought under legal obligation to submit in a prescribed form the yearly statements of assets and liabilities of themselves and their families to the Election Commission to be published in the official gazette. Enacting similar legal provision in Bangladesh will help reduce corruption amongst elected people's representatives on the one hand and lead to fulfilment of one important election commitment of BNP.

In the western countries, the institution of Ombudsman (the designation is differently used in different countries) has been playing an important role in minimising corruption in the public offices. The office of the Ombudsman ensures that the public offices are "responsive, adaptive and sensitive to the needs of citizens." The Ombudsman "investigates charges of illegality, negligence or misuse of official position, pays special attention to offices involving fraud, abuse of power, or those impeding the cause of justice." Our Constitutional obligation (Article 77) to establish the office of Ombudsman remains unimplemented after 33 plus years of independence. The establishment of the office of Ombudsman will significantly reduce corruption in our public offices.

The much talked about Independent Anti-Corruption Commission must be made functional without any further delay.

BNP's election commitment of 2001 regarding revival of zila parishad (district council) and upazila parishad (sub-district council) in order to decentralise the administration and strengthen all local bodies as well as turn them into the centre point of all development activities, needs immediate implementation. The government's recent decision to directly finance the development projects of the union parishads has been hailed by the people and the press. It is expected that this will minimise political interference in fund allocation, reduce corruption and expedite project approval and implementation process.

M. Abdul Latif Mondal is a former Secretary to the government.