It seems two important words, transparency and accountability, are totally missing from all the dictionaries in this country. One will only stare at two blank spaces on the pages where these two powerful words used to be found. May be because of this reason, there is no transparency and there is no accountability in the words and works of the majority of the people who handle important projects, funds, loans, classified documents, bank transactions, educational institutes, hospitals and clinics, tax files, anti-corruption documents etc. etc.

What is accountability? According to the dictionary: “Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public sector, nonprofit and private (corporate) worlds. In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies including the administration, governance, and implementation within the scope of the role or employment position and encompassing the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for resulting consequences.”

But the question is: Do we see any reflection of the above statement in the words, work, lifestyle and governance of the politicians and civil administration in this country? Definitely not, and that is why Bangladesh came at the top of the most corrupt countries of the world. That is why Dhaka has been rated as the most unlivable city in the world. The media is replete with stories of corruption by responsible people in almost all sectors. Everyone talks about it but nothing changes. Today, those who are talking against corruption, will engage in it without any shame if given the opportunity.

The recent bank loan scam, collection of huge funds from the people by the MLM companies, the share market scam, railways employment bribery scam, Biman’s nose dive, land grabbing, forest grabbing, endangered animal poaching, electricity and gas pilferage, total anarchy on the roads, on river routes, in the kitchen markets and in the educational institutes; dangerous slide in law and order, etc., only point fingers at the alarming state of our moral stand and lack of strict monitoring by higher authorities and lackadaisical application of laws. Today protectors have become predators. There is an unhealthy competition for protecting the perpetrators.

In such a congenial environment the big guns in society go about wheeling and dealing without bothering about transparency and accountability. The conniving corrupt bank officials, ministry people and tax people also do the same as most of their bosses are equally corrupt. Therefore, it’s a happy band of corrupt people riding the same wagon and looting public money with impunity.

Even people in the mid and low levels are rampantly taking advantage of such loose administration and absence of good governance in the country and, as a result, the attitude of not caring a hoot about transparency and accountability has percolated down to the lowest rung in the administration. The body language and attitude of a peon in a government office tell a lot about the level of ethics and rule of law existing inside. One should not be surprised if a peon would show his red eyes and tell one to go to hell for complaining about his misdemeanor.

Whenever government employees are found to be involved in a criminal act or financial rip-off, and only if the activities gets public, thanks to the ever vigilant media, the authorities try to protect their colleagues using all the life lines that law may offer. At the end we see that instead of given punishment befitting a common culprit, either the culprits are transferred or temporarily suspended. This even happens when there are serious charges like abetting murders or kidnapping. Departmental actions hardly go beyond verbal rebuke, temporary suspension or transfer to Khagrachhari.

We must restore the two words Transparency and Accountability in the dictionaries of the country. Until we do that, the corruption level will keep rising and one day will go above our heads. That day this nation of immense potential will drown to its untimely death.

The writer is a social worker.