Bangladesh must break free from ‘lobbying trade’

It has long been said that nothing gets done in Bangladesh without lobbying. From getting a job to hospital admission, school enrolment, transfer, promotion, tenders, business registration—everything in this country requires lobbying. Be it a government or non-government institution. It is heard that even a peon’s job today is not obtainable without lobbying. The higher the position, the bigger the task, the higher-ranking the official one must approach. As a result, maintaining good relations with MPs, ministers, and senior government officials to secure lobbying has become a long-standing trade for a certain class of people in this country.

It has been almost a year since the interim government was formed following the mass uprising. The country is being restructured anew. We had hoped that many things in the country would change. Reform would not only be in the administrative system, but also in people’s minds, thoughts, and consciousness. But it is regrettable to see that the country continues in the same old way. The lobbying trade is still thriving. This has been proven by none other than Law Adviser Asif Nazrul himself.

At a discussion at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Thursday (June 26) noon, the Law Adviser said that if one does not accept someone’s unethical lobbying, propaganda against government advisers begins. He also said, “Believe me, many (a lot of) unethical lobbying requests come to me. The moment I don’t comply with them; it is seen that the person whose lobbying I didn’t accept starts calling me an Indian agent. They begin making various programmes about who had what connection with me 40-50 years ago. They say whatever they like. Like the oyster, I silently endure and tolerate. I don’t do anything. Let alone lawsuits, I don’t even respond.”

The question is, why are those who bring unethical lobbying requests not brought to justice then and there? Are they so powerful that they can carry out propaganda even against state power? Who are they? It is the government's responsibility to unmask them. We know that many such unethical demands and lobbying reach the top levels of government, and for various reasons the government has to endure them, and sometimes even give indulgence. But if we cannot break free from this lobbying trade, Bangladesh will not be able to progress very far. Through lobbying, the unqualified gain advantage, while the qualified fall behind.

Even so, thanks to Asif Nazrul for bringing such a sensitive issue to light. Just as it exposes his own vulnerability, it also reveals the weakness of all advisers, even of the entire state structure. We want our state system to be strengthened by putting an end to the lobbying trade.