Opinion
Politics and corruption: How corruption has become a ‘social practice’
Various initiatives have been undertaken in recent years to combat corruption—strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission, expanding digital governance and enhancing legal transparency. However, a fundamental question persists: why does corruption continue unabated? Why does the same cycle repeatedly re-emerge?
Over the past few decades, Bangladesh has traversed a remarkable path in economic growth, poverty reduction and infrastructural development. Yet, alongside this visible progress, a dark shadow continues to erode the state and society from within—corruption.
While corruption is often analysed as an administrative weakness, political instability or institutional failure, a closer examination reveals a deeper truth: in Bangladesh, corruption has evolved beyond a legal or bureaucratic flaw into a profound social and cultural phenomenon. In many respects, it has become embedded in the routines of everyday life.
Various initiatives have been undertaken in recent years to combat corruption—strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission, expanding digital governance and enhancing legal transparency. However, a fundamental question persists: why does corruption continue unabated? Why does the same cycle repeatedly re-emerge?
To answer this, we must confront an uncomfortable reality—corruption has become socially tolerable. While people may disapprove of it in principle, in practice they often accommodate it without hesitation.
Early lessons of corruption
The ethical foundation of a nation is shaped in its education system. Yet, in Bangladesh, the roots of corruption are deeply entrenched there. In recent years, question paper leaks have become a recurring national disgrace. Public discourse often focuses on criminal networks or administrative failures, but rarely asks a more difficult question: who are the buyers of these leaked papers?
The answer is stark. Many parents, driven by the desire to secure top grades for their children, actively seek out such illicit means. In their pursuit of an ‘A+’, they fail to recognise that they are not paving the way for a bright future, but rather ushering their children into a moral cul-de-sac.
Many parents, driven by the desire to secure top grades for their children, actively seek out such illicit means. In their pursuit of an ‘A+’, they fail to recognise that they are not paving the way for a bright future, but rather ushering their children into a moral cul-de-sac.
A child who witnesses such behaviour learns a dangerous lesson early in life—that success depends not on integrity but on shortcuts. When such individuals enter the workforce, bribery and unethical conduct appear normal, even inevitable. In this way, a culture of corruption is transmitted across generations.
Cultural roots and the vicious cycle
Several structural features of Bangladeshi society continue to reinforce corruption. First is the politics of patronage and loyalty. When influential individuals distribute undue benefits in exchange for allegiance, such acts are often misinterpreted as benevolence or social obligation.
Recommending someone for a job by bypassing merit is, in essence, a refined form of corruption. Over time, this creates a dense network of reciprocal obligations, where individuals feel compelled to offer informal advantages to others, perpetuating the cycle.
Second, in contemporary society, wealth, not integrity, has become the primary marker of respect. Individuals who accumulate vast fortunes through corrupt means are often celebrated as benefactors or philanthropists. Even religious and educational institutions frequently accept such tainted donations without scrutiny. In matrimonial considerations, the volume of income often outweighs its source. This social validation acts as a powerful incentive for corruption.
Third, although religious observance is widespread, it often emphasises outward rituals over ethical substance. Influential figures may use religious symbols or charitable contributions to obscure their corrupt practices. At the same time, a lack of public awareness and limited access to information enable intermediaries to exploit citizens, particularly in public offices such as land administration, where bureaucratic opacity fosters rent-seeking behaviour.
The ‘iron triangle’: a nexus of power
A critical driver of corruption in Bangladesh is the entrenched alliance between politicians, bureaucrats and business elites—commonly described in political science as the ‘iron triangle’. From policy formulation to project implementation, this nexus operates with mutual protection. When flexibility is introduced at the policy level to accommodate large-scale corruption, it inevitably cascades downwards, encouraging countless smaller acts of corruption at the grassroots. This entrenched collusion renders administrative reforms largely ineffective.
Breaking the cycle
No culture can be dismantled solely through legislation or coercion. Laws may establish boundaries, but genuine transformation must originate in the home and in educational institutions. If education is reduced to a competition for grades and certificates, it cannot produce ethically grounded citizens. Society, and especially parents, must recognise that success achieved through unethical means is, in reality, a profound failure.
Education can play a profoundly important role in bringing about this transformation. The excessive competition centred on examination results within our education system often undermines moral values. When education is reduced merely to a means of obtaining high marks, the importance of honesty and integrity inevitably diminishes. Educational institutions must therefore emphasise not only academic achievement but also honesty, a sense of responsibility, and ethical conduct. At the same time, parents must recognise that a child’s true success is not confined to good grades alone. Without integrity and moral grounding, such success cannot be sustained in the long term.
The media and civil society also have a crucial role to play. While exposing large-scale scandals is important, equal attention must be given to everyday acts of corruption, as these often form the foundation for larger systemic abuses.
Ultimately, a society becomes truly ethical when individuals refrain from wrongdoing not out of fear of punishment only, but when they do so out of moral conviction. If Bangladesh is to achieve lasting success in its fight against corruption, it must cultivate precisely such a social mindset. For, in the final analysis, corruption is sustained not merely by laws, but by culture. And, it is only by transforming that culture that the struggle against corruption can truly succeed.
* Nurul Huda Sakib is professor of Government and Politics Department at Jahangirnagar University.
* Views expressed are the author’s own