Rewards for Crime and Our Politics
--Ziauddin Choudhury
Those of us who have grown up with the maxim that crime does not pay have to live with a new paradigm that crime does pay and pays handsomely in riches and political power. A time comes when old order and values are washed away by new realities and people who create these realities, and we have to get accustomed to these however repugnant these are. This is not the statement of a cynic, but of any realist who has watched how politics is slowly being subsumed by criminality in Bangladesh.
The new realities of Bangladesh are hijacking of rule of law, societal norms, and politics of the country by a new group. This is the group that has made fortunes from rampant plunder of state assets by muscle power, hooliganism, or outright theft by leveraging their network of friends in high places. They built their wealth not by their own sweat but by active collaboration of their political patrons and beneficiaries in their criminal acts, be it land grabbing, stealing of state resources, or murder of their competitors and rivals. The wealth they have accumulated is being legitimized first by keeping them out of law’s reach by their political patrons, and then allowing them to channel this wealth through established businesses and industries. Their political patrons rely heavily on them for supply of muscle power to intimidate and suppress their opponents, to deliver favorable election results, and to exercise total control of the constituencies. In fact, these new owners of wealth have also become de facto political agents of the party.
Money and muscle power are the main ingredients of political grease in the country now which these agents have in plenty. The crimes that have helped them to gather these are but essential means that the political leaders gladly condone because they get valuable returns from these scofflaws. Once we understand this phenomenon we can also understand why the spree of murders, abduction, and other incidents of lawlessness in several areas of the country in last few months have not been solved and all suspected criminals have not been apprehended and brought to justice. We can also understand why prominent political leaders in some places with known and proven association with the suspected criminals can remain above the reach of law. This is a quid pro quo situation. I protect your back, you protect my party.
Unfortunately politics and crime have gone hand in hand in many countries including many western countries. But the essential difference from Bangladesh is that in other countries law ultimately gets the upper hand and criminals in these countries, how big or influential they are in politics, are prosecuted and convicted. In Italy a former Prime Minister went to jail for tax evasion. In US prosecution and conviction of politicians including Governors and Congressmen are legion. In India nearly one third of the members of Parliament have criminal charges against them, which if proven, will lead to their ouster not only from the Parliament, but also the party. I do not think there were any current or former members of the Parliament who were prosecuted and convicted on criminal charges (not taking into account cases during the last care-taker government). In fact, it will be a wonder of Police will be able to press charges against any given the environment of protection that they live in. It is not because the law is different for politicians and their protégés, but because they are sheltered by the people they work for.
Impunity for law in our country travels from top to bottom in a hierarchical pattern. When protection of a criminal from top leadership of a political party occurs it travels down all the way from middle leadership to grassroots. In some cases this protection can be because of the perceived fealty of the protégé to the political overlord, or simply lack of knowledge on the part of the leader of the criminal conduct of the protégé. It is wrong in both cases. When leaders condone criminal behavior or trashing of law by their workers or underlings they set precedence for wider breakdown of rule of law, collapse of democratic institutions, and render law enforcing agencies completely helpless and ineffective.
A common factor in the recurring incidents of politically motivated murders, abduction and other incidents of political hooliganism is the role of local political overlord in aiding and abetting of the criminals. A parallel element in all these is the ineffectiveness of law enforcing agencies either through inaction or obstruction from the political overlords. Neither of these would happen if our leadership from the top were guided by a commitment to rule of law and good governance instead of narrow party interests and protection of party workers.
Respect for rule of law and regard for the institutions that uphold the law are essential elements for functioning of democracy. Rewards for criminal behavior and criminals in society and politics will only stop if our leaders rise above narrow platform of political loyalty to national loyalty and cease to patronize the criminals.
--Ziauddin Choudhury
Those of us who have grown up with the maxim that crime does not pay have to live with a new paradigm that crime does pay and pays handsomely in riches and political power. A time comes when old order and values are washed away by new realities and people who create these realities, and we have to get accustomed to these however repugnant these are. This is not the statement of a cynic, but of any realist who has watched how politics is slowly being subsumed by criminality in Bangladesh.
The new realities of Bangladesh are hijacking of rule of law, societal norms, and politics of the country by a new group. This is the group that has made fortunes from rampant plunder of state assets by muscle power, hooliganism, or outright theft by leveraging their network of friends in high places. They built their wealth not by their own sweat but by active collaboration of their political patrons and beneficiaries in their criminal acts, be it land grabbing, stealing of state resources, or murder of their competitors and rivals. The wealth they have accumulated is being legitimized first by keeping them out of law’s reach by their political patrons, and then allowing them to channel this wealth through established businesses and industries. Their political patrons rely heavily on them for supply of muscle power to intimidate and suppress their opponents, to deliver favorable election results, and to exercise total control of the constituencies. In fact, these new owners of wealth have also become de facto political agents of the party.
Money and muscle power are the main ingredients of political grease in the country now which these agents have in plenty. The crimes that have helped them to gather these are but essential means that the political leaders gladly condone because they get valuable returns from these scofflaws. Once we understand this phenomenon we can also understand why the spree of murders, abduction, and other incidents of lawlessness in several areas of the country in last few months have not been solved and all suspected criminals have not been apprehended and brought to justice. We can also understand why prominent political leaders in some places with known and proven association with the suspected criminals can remain above the reach of law. This is a quid pro quo situation. I protect your back, you protect my party.
Unfortunately politics and crime have gone hand in hand in many countries including many western countries. But the essential difference from Bangladesh is that in other countries law ultimately gets the upper hand and criminals in these countries, how big or influential they are in politics, are prosecuted and convicted. In Italy a former Prime Minister went to jail for tax evasion. In US prosecution and conviction of politicians including Governors and Congressmen are legion. In India nearly one third of the members of Parliament have criminal charges against them, which if proven, will lead to their ouster not only from the Parliament, but also the party. I do not think there were any current or former members of the Parliament who were prosecuted and convicted on criminal charges (not taking into account cases during the last care-taker government). In fact, it will be a wonder of Police will be able to press charges against any given the environment of protection that they live in. It is not because the law is different for politicians and their protégés, but because they are sheltered by the people they work for.
Impunity for law in our country travels from top to bottom in a hierarchical pattern. When protection of a criminal from top leadership of a political party occurs it travels down all the way from middle leadership to grassroots. In some cases this protection can be because of the perceived fealty of the protégé to the political overlord, or simply lack of knowledge on the part of the leader of the criminal conduct of the protégé. It is wrong in both cases. When leaders condone criminal behavior or trashing of law by their workers or underlings they set precedence for wider breakdown of rule of law, collapse of democratic institutions, and render law enforcing agencies completely helpless and ineffective.
A common factor in the recurring incidents of politically motivated murders, abduction and other incidents of political hooliganism is the role of local political overlord in aiding and abetting of the criminals. A parallel element in all these is the ineffectiveness of law enforcing agencies either through inaction or obstruction from the political overlords. Neither of these would happen if our leadership from the top were guided by a commitment to rule of law and good governance instead of narrow party interests and protection of party workers.
Respect for rule of law and regard for the institutions that uphold the law are essential elements for functioning of democracy. Rewards for criminal behavior and criminals in society and politics will only stop if our leaders rise above narrow platform of political loyalty to national loyalty and cease to patronize the criminals.