There were two reasons given for the Military takeover of Bangladesh in January 2007: Making sure Free and Fair Elections were held, and stopping corruption. By now (June 2008) the military regime has been in power for 18 months and it is obvious that its main, indeed sole, purpose is to keep power. The fig leaf of holding free and fair elections is obviously a sham. As to the point about stopping corruption, this is now shown as risible. The recent (19 june 2008) report by Transparency International Bangladesh shows that Corruption has INCREASED in Bangladesh since the military took over, which is in any case what you would expect from a military regime. A copy of the press release by Transparency International is attached at the end of this section.

More important, and sadder, is the simple fact of a Military Takeover of a poor country trying to develop along a democratic political model where the role of the democratic rulers (now all put in jail by the military) is to help the country to overcome its poverty and significant natural handicaps (low lying, prone to floods, large population).

There is now no doubt that the present so called Caretaker Government is in reality a fig leaf for an aimless and society destroying Military Dictatorship. To paraphrase the latest report of the International Crisis Group, Bangladesh is suffering from its 3rd Military Regime in 30 years (with Moudud having the unpleasant distinction of having been jailed by every one of these military regimes).

The present strongman is General Moeen who just a few months ago extended his tenure as head of the Military, without any civilian oversight on the matter, "in the public interest". What he really meant is in his own interests.

What is wrong with a military dictatorship is simple. It does not give the people, for whom the country exists, the chance to have any voice or control at all over those aspects of their destiny and daily life which interface with the state. And in modern societies that is a very large part of everyman's life. A military dictator decides on his own. He becomes, in effect, an unelected King answerable to no one.

This regime, unlike the previous two (General Ziaur, and then General Ershad), does not even pretend to have any democratic tendencies. It simply wants to rule. And as a former chief justice of Bangladesh has recently pointed out, this destroys the very fabric of society. Both Generals Ziaur and Ershad had a political and social programme which were reasonably well thought out and is still relevant in modern day Bangladesh. They may have come to power illegally but it was clear that they cared about Bangladesh and were trying to do good. Moudud has spent his entire adult life fighting for the right of the people of Bangladesh to have a voice in how their life develops. General Moeen just cares about strutting on the world stage and imprisoning without due process of law any one he dislikes. So far he has jailed three former Prime Ministers (Moudud himself, and Begum Zia and Sheikh Hasina). Presumably he simply hates all democratically elected politicians.

Gradually the world is realizing that the fig leaf which Moeen used to claim power (cleaning out the corrupt politicians) was a lie. The so called corrupt politicians have been in jail for over a year and still cases are not being brought forward. And the recent Transparency International Bangladesh report shows that Corruption has gone UP under this present military regime. Every time there is supposed to be a new court date for trials for corruption the GOVERNMENT side requests an adjournment. This is the politics of arbitrary detention and fear. The High Court has been stripped of its constitutional power to decide on cases of Bail. This is the politics of non respect for the rule of law. And an election date has not been set. This is the politics of disdain of the right of the people to elect a government of their own choosing.

We are sadly seeing Bangladesh sinking into a Pakistani or Indonesian tradition of military rulers plundering the state and depriving the people of their liberty and voice. I know from personal discussions that the Bangladesh military admire both the Pakistani and Indonesian Military. I fear that Bangladesh is in for a long period of military rule, with the results we are already seeing: economic and social disaster. Poor Bangladesh.

COPY OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL BANGLADESH 19 JUNE 2008 REPORT ON CORRUPTION IN BANGLADESH:

Graft increases despite ongoing drive: TIB
Staff Correspondent



TIB Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad speaks at a press conference on National Household Survey on Corruption 2007 at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. On his left is M Hafizuddin Khan and on his left is Dr Iftekharuzzaman. Photo: STAR
Corruption in education, health, land administration, local government and in different utility services sectors increased in the first half of 2007 despite the caretaker government's anti-corruption drives, a survey by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found.

In terms of magnitude, law enforcing agencies including the joint forces, police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) were found to be the most corrupt while land administration was found the most corrupt in terms of the amount of bribe that went into any sector, according to the National Household Survey on Corruption 2007.

Bribery claimed 3.84 percent of per capita income of the country during the period.

The survey however found that corruption decreased between January and June of 2007 in law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and in the power, banking and tax sectors compared to the records of previous six months.

"The severity of corruption, as we have seen during the past two elected governments' tenures, still exists. This is a very disappointing scenario," TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said while releasing the report yesterday.

The fourth in the series of regular surveys conducted every two years, the latest surveyed 5,000 households -- 2,000 in urban areas and the rest in rural areas in 62 districts -- on incidents of corruption that took place between July 2006 and June 2007.

"The people of the country had to pay Tk 5,443 crore in bribes for different public and private sector services. No major distinction was found in the magnitude of corruption in urban and rural areas, which is a proof of the deep rooted nature of the menace," said Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, chairman of the TIB trustee board.

The survey revealed that 96.6 percent the households experienced harassment and corruption while interacting with or receiving services from law enforcing agencies.

Ninety four percent of them experienced harassment and corruption from police, 4.9 percent from the joint forces, and .8 percent from Rab.

Each household paid Tk 10,927 in bribe to avoid arrest while Tk 3,983 and Tk 795 had to be paid for lodging a complaint and general diary respectively, Tk 2,605 had to be paid in bribe for a police clearance, Tk 1,703 for expediting submission of a charge-sheet, and Tk 5,120 for other services, the report said estimating the total amount of bribe in the sector during the survey period to be Tk 879 crore.

"While taking services from local governments, 53.4 percent households had to face different types of corruption," said the report.

On an average for having a house construction plan approved Tk 5,005 in bribe was required, a bribe of Tk 3,120 was required for setting up a tube-well, Tk 840 for getting a VGF or VGD card, Tk 828 for collecting a certificate for fertiliser, and Tk 505 for a trade licence.

The average rate of bribe required for getting birth, death and nationality certificates was Tk 84 while a bribe of Tk 310 was needed for getting old age allowance.

"A total of 52.7 percent households became victims of corruption in one or another way while taking services from the land administration," the report read adding that

Tk 1,606 crore, or one third of the total amount of bribe circulated during the period in the country, went to the land administration sector.

Average rate of bribe was Tk 5,680 for government land distribution, Tk 4,237 for a land registration, Tk 3,857 for a land survey and delimitation, Tk 3,303 for a mutation,

Tk 1,857 for a land purchase or sale, Tk 1,639 for getting a document, and Tk 1,170 to submit taxes.

Corruption continues to be pervasive in the country with two-thirds of the surveyed households experiencing varying forms of corruption for different public and private sector services, according to the report which added that 42.1 percent of the households had to pay bribe of Tk 4,134 on an average.

According to the report, 47.7 percent households became victims of corruption while taking services from the judiciary.

On an average Tk 5,124 was required for bribe at magistrate courts, Tk 5,516 at judge's courts, Tk 2,167 at the High Court, Tk 5,840 at special courts, and Tk 2,333 for other judicial services.

During the surveyed period, bribe of Tk 107 crore went into the health sector, the report said adding that 44.1 percent households became victims of corruption in the sector.

Most of the corruption in the health sector took place at upazila health centres, where 47.9 percent of the victims had to pay bribes.

Of the total bribe in the sector, 36.5 percent went to doctors, 32 percent to nurses, 13.9 percent to employees, 9 percent to ward boys, and 4.7 percent to middlemen.

A total of 39.2 percent households became victims of corruption in the education sector which got a total bribe of Tk 117 crore during the period surveyed.

Irregularities in the sector were related to admissions, distribution of stipends, delays in holding exams and dependency on private tutoring.

"In the education sector, the rate of bribery increased to 44 percent in January-June, 2007 compared to the 12 percent during the period of July-December, 2006," the report said.

In the power sector, 33.2 percent households faced corruption that ate up Tk 473.7 crore in bribe. Each household on an average had to pay Tk 2,552 to Desa, Tk 1,512 to PDB, Tk 1,468 to REB, and Tk 906 to Desco.

A total of 28.7 percent households became victims of corruption in the banking sector while 13.5 percent became the victims of irregularities while receiving services from the NGO sector.