Cheating in supplying fabrics for police uniforms exposes boldness of corruption

AFTER feeding rotten wheat to police recently imported by Food Minister Mr Qamrul Islam from Brazil, a news item on Monday in a national daily said police are using uniform made from poor quality fabrics now supplied by some textile millers breaking the minimum quality standard. It said the police headquarters has banned the Asian Textile Mills from supplying fabrics to make police uniforms for five years. It has also demanded explanation from Tisha Textile Mills as to why its contract to supply fabrics should not be cancelled. The police headquarters have accused them for supplying low quality fabrics as uniforms made from such fabrics tear away in one to two months and their colour also fades away soon because of using low quality dye. Such poor quality fabrics is causing emotion in the police service who find it uncomfortable for duty in the sun as the high proportion of polyester in the fabrics quickly makes their clothes hot.
Tisha Textiles management conceded mistakes and wanted to replace the fabrics. Police headquarters want to collect 12 lakh meters of fabrics this year to make uniform for the forces and the Asian Textile Mills, owned by a leading businessman closer to the ruling party associate, is alone scheduled to supply eight lakh meters at a cost of Tk 15 crore.
When corruption and cheating are widespread everybody becomes a victim. This is the kind of dishonesty being practised all over our society and we face cheating and extortion as a matter of everyday activities. Because such corrupt activities are resorted to mostly by the persons having high connections it has created a kind of boldness.
The cheating of the police en masse proves the boldness of corrupt ones. Earlier, the police were supplied rotten wheat as food for their consumption. Tolerating illegalities has become a way of life.
The common impression is that everybody is indulged in corruption, so why business with the police should remain free from corruption. The belief is that everybody does it, so nobody should be spared.