Before the fall of the autocrat Hasina's government, there was a flurry of sensational news in the media about the corruption of former IGP Benazir Ahmed, former army chief Aziz Ahmed and the NBR director Matiur Rahman. But the steps taken by Hasina were nothing but a farce, making a fool out of the people. Hasina institutionalised corruption by entering corruption in the very pores of the economy.
The former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed came to limelight in 2009 as a favourite of Sheikh Hasina, one who enjoyed her full patronage. He was from Gopalganj. And he actively devoted himself to meeting all objectives of Hasina -- political and non-political, legal and illegal.
Benazir Ahmed's career graph shot up in no time, from Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to director general of RAB and then IGP. His most despicable offence was during the 2018 election, orchestrating the stuffing of ballot boxes in most constituencies on the night before the election, with the direct participation of the police and civil administration.
The Hasina government took no action whatsoever against these thousand or so money launderers who brought the country to the brink of economic collapse by siphoning off thousands and thousands of crore of taka overseas
As he was instrumental in carrying out huge illegal activities of the Hasina government, while he was in service neither Hasina nor Anti-Corruption Commission or any other authority uttered a word about this unrestrained corruption and his amassing massive wealth.
It was only after he was no longer useful to the government that various details of his corruption and misappropriations were supplied to the media and published with much fanfare. But the media also exposed that it was only after Benazir and his family had made a safe exit overseas that these stories hit the headlines, a mere eyewash.
It was the same in the case of the former army chief General Aziz. Those who watched the Al-Jazeera documentary, "All the Prime Minister's Men" are aware of how General Aziz used his clout during Hasina's rule to get a presidential pardon for one of his brother's would was convicted for murder.
The Al Jazeera documentary revealed many more stories of Aziz's corruption. It was Aziz who was the army chief during the 2018 election rigging. Ever since the Sheikh Hasina government ascended to power back in 2009, Hasina had an extremely indulgent attitude towards corruption.
Hasina's government kept the country's banking sector in the throes of embezzlement. Of the total Tk 18 lakh crore loans taken from the banking system, at least Tk 5.5 lakh crore became defaulted and most of this was siphoned out of the country. (A recent report of The Business Standard claims that the default loans exceed 7 lakh crore).
Yet the Hasina government was totally oblivious about trying and punishing these kingpins of corruption, the few hundred who embezzled banks funds through deliberate default. (In 1998 President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed had recommended a tribunal be set up for the trial of the top 10 loan defaulters of all banks.)
Quite to the contrary, the biggest loan defaulter of the country, Salman F Rahman, was appointed as an advisor to the prime minister. One of the main collaborators of the autocrat Hasina, Salman Rahman was nabbed on 13 August while trying to escape by river, in disguise. This pitiful predicament of the country's biggest bank embezzler and biggest loan defaulter Salman Rahman created a huge stir among the people.
He would go around with a white beard, white hair and white panjabi, dressed almost like as ascetic, for which the people would ironically call him 'Darbesh' (dervish). He would dress in this 'saintly' manner, sending a message out quite opposite to his constant devious misdeeds. And Hasina had kept him for a long time as her private investment and industries advisor.
Over the past 52 years, with government patronage, Salman Rahman became a synonym for money laundering. The Business Standard on 15 August 2024 reported that over the past 52 years, by means of loans and embezzlement, he misappropriated Tk 36,867 crore from seven banks. From Janata Bank alone he took loans exceeding Tk 23,000 crore. He reportedly unlawfully took loans totalling Tk 11,000 crore from IFIC Bank which he himself owned. Very little of this loan has returned to the bank or will ever be returned in the future.
The Hasina government took no action whatsoever against these thousand or so money launderers who brought the country to the brink of economic collapse by siphoning off thousands and thousands of crore of taka overseas. The country's foreign exchange reserves dwindled by USD 30 billion over the past three years, but the Hasina government remained unperturbed.
The Hasina government was not sincere at all about preventing corruption, halting the growth of non-performing loans or preventing capital flight. "Zero tolerance" towards corruption was mere rhetoric. Capital flight was fueled by corruption and unrestrained default loans. Embezzlers and money launderers are the top enemies of the country.
I strongly state that after restoring law and order in the country, the priority of the interim government will be to take all-out action against corruption and capital flight. I recall the success of the strong anti-corruption drive by the 2007-08 military backed caretaker government. The anti-corruption commission led by retired Lt Gen Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury managed to give the corrupt politicians, businessmen and civil servants a good shakedown, according to the next ACC chairman Golam Rahman.
Golam Rahman said that when she came to power in 2009, Hasina did not ratify the ACC ordinance drawn up by the caretaker government and simply made it a toothless tiger. General Hasan Mashhud resigned in despair.
I recommend that we revert to that ACC ordinance speedily. Also, a bold person must be appointed as the chairman of ACC, someone who can take stern measures against corruption. There are several persons in our administration who have won renown for their bold steps against corruption and who have won the respect and love of the people.
* Moinul Islam is an economist and former professor at the economics department of Chittagong University.
* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir