Corrupt politicians can’t correct moral turpitude of civil servants

Media has exposed the greediness of another civil servant who is now the project director of protection and development of local species of fish and snails in Gopalganj.

The fisheries department official was caught doing business, violating the code of conduct as a government employee.

The officer in question leased a vehicle for his project.

He claimed that he rented out his vehicle, which he had bought to rent to his own office to earn extra income in ‘good faith’.

But it is an example of moral turpitude, according to Bangladesh Government Servants (Conduct) Rule 1979.

Section 17 (1) of the rules says: “Subject to the other provisions of this rule, no government servant shall, except with the previous sanction of government, engage in any trade or undertake any employment or work, other than his official duties.” But many civil servants like the project director are engaged in such irregularities.

Over two years ago, the Anti-Corruption Commission discovered that a huge number of government employees run businesses on the side, violating the service rules.

Even though they are quite well-paid, they have either become contractors or opened business in the name of their dependents, according to a letter the ACC sent to Cabinet Division on March 29 in 2021.

But the Cabinet Division, in response to the ACC letter, asked secretaries only to make the public servants aware of the rules without taking any punitive measures against those who are involved in such irregularities.

Had the Cabinet Division punished the government employees involved in businesses that time, this public servant in question would have been aware of the law and wouldn’t have dared to do it.

On top of all, he wouldn’t have defended his act of pocketing public money illegally under the excuse of ‘doing in good faith’.

Now the question is: can the corrupt politicians be expected to start a moral regeneration among the corrupt bureaucrats? Is it possible for the top-heavy bureaucracy who is highly mollycoddled with pays, perks, promotion, etc, to bring their corrupt colleagues to books?

While it is absolutely necessary that politicians correct themselves first, it is also important that the government strengthens the ACC to chase the corrupt people, not just in bureaucracy but everywhere.