Political crisis rooted in corruption: Mirza Fakhrul
Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said corruption is the main reason behind the current political crisis in the country.
“I am saying this very strongly- in my opinion, one of the main reasons behind Bangladesh’s political crisis is corruption. Gradually, it has worsened,” he said.
The BNP leader made these remarks at a discussion titled “Youth Dialogue-How Well is Social Security Protected?” held at Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club, organized by Orpon Alok Songho. Organizers, economists, and political figures from different levels participated in the program.
He said, “Take the upazila elections for example: a chairman has been elected, but the responsibilities of the chairman and vice chairman have been taken over by the member of parliament, which is not his job at all. The whole system of the state has become such that he has grabbed everything. I don’t think isolated discussions on protection and security will solve the problem. We believe, in fact, that the structure itself needs reform.”
Citing a teacher’s words, he said, “If you plant an eggplant tree, you expect eggplants to grow, not oranges.” He added, “We need to change this system. In our society there is inequality, one class exploits another. If we can utilize this moment moving closer to building a society free from inequality, then perhaps the mass uprising of our youth will gain some true value. Maybe the sacrifices of our young men will finally be honored.”
Mirza Fakhrul said, “The whole nation is deeply concerned about one thing: reform. We still haven’t reached the final stage of reforming the state structure. The same is true about elections-the nation’s attention is increasingly focused on that issue.”
Recalling their long struggle, he said, “We have spoken, struggled, and fought over these issues for a long time. But there is no reason to think that everything will be solved overnight. The reforms we are talking about-restructuring the state, as well as the economy-cannot be achieved in a day. We cannot build a perfect system after decades of injustice, anarchy, and corruption in one stroke. There is no reason to think so.”
He added, “Through the mass uprising of students and people, a new opportunity has emerged. But in 53 years, we have failed to create a proper, peaceful mechanism for the transfer of power.
So why should we think that suddenly, right now, we can fix everything at once? For 53 years we’ve been trying. Personally, I believe nothing can be done in isolation, nor through patchwork solutions. What’s needed is clear thinking, clear goals, and clear strategies. Above all, political parties and leaders must show sincerity and honesty.”
Fakhrul said, “Over the last 15 years, the Awami League has completely devastated this country. From such ruins, it is impossible to fix everything in one or two years. Social security-whose is it? It belongs to the people, to citizens, whether it’s a widow or a poor elderly person. But everything depends on the system, on its structure. Today, bureaucrats decide everything. They determine policies, and everything flows downward from them. If you notice-something that shocks me-even a school teacher has to come to Dhaka to solve his problem, to the center. There is no need for this at all. Problems could be solved at the district level. But unless it comes to the center, how else will bribes flow? This is the reality. It may sound bitter, but that’s the truth.”
He continued, “Teachers are recruited in universities through bribes, schoolteachers are recruited through bribes, nurses are recruited through bribes. This is how the system perpetuates irregularities and inequality. To root out all of this entirely is very difficult.”
Declaring that he is not a pessimist, he said, “Yes, despair comes, but I have never been a pessimist, nor do I want to be one. The truth is, when I dream of a progressive society, when I want a system that ensures people’s rights, when I wish to reduce inequality-both social and economic-yet I see forces working in completely the opposite way, even spreading extremism, then naturally despair arises.”
He said, “If we can hold a free and fair election, if we can elect union councils, upazila councils, and parliament properly, then we can build a system of accountability to the people. That way, we can begin to solve some of our problems.”
The BNP Secretary General remarked, “Education and healthcare have been destroyed by the Awami League. These must be rebuilt from scratch. For that, we need to prepare people.”
“Unfortunately, from experience I can say, when you go to the Secretariat, it is the bureaucrats who decide everything. Even our advisers who hold responsibilities are helpless in many cases. Still, I hope that through the efforts made so far, and through the commissions set up for reform, we can at least begin. If we can start, then we can build a future Bangladesh that moves toward equality.”
Quoting a battery-run rickshaw puller who recently told him, “Sir, you can stand with poor people like us, but no one else can,” Fakhrul said, “Patchwork and isolated fixes don’t work-I’ve said this before. Farmers are deprived of fair prices for their crops. Dhaka city is flooded with battery-run rickshaws-why? Because, people have no jobs. To survive, they are forced to pull rickshaws. So the government must adopt policies that create alternative employment opportunities, while also fixing our roads. That is the main point.”
In conclusion, he said, “We must work together, rise above everything-even corruption-to build the future. The people of Bangladesh can do it. They succeeded in 1952, in 1969, in 1970, in 1971. So there is no reason we cannot succeed again. And most recently, in the July-August uprising of 2024, the students and people have already shown what they are capable of. It was extraordinary, unbelievable. That gives me faith-we can do it again.”