Inequalities and governance Deficit

The concept of good governance has gained significant attention in Bangladesh over the decades, but it is always a far cry. The Governance is defined as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.

The problem is that governance in Bangladesh is just ineffective. In 52 years of independence our governments haven’t been able to deliver security of life or property, education or health. The hard truth is that our governments haven’t been able to solve any major problems facing the country although Bangladesh is a country with reasonable GDP growth.

Against this backdrop, we can take a closer look at the election manifesto of the Awami League which is set to continue as the ruling party after the January 7, 2024 parliamentary polls. The magnificent promises of ending corruption, ensuring better discipline in the financial sector, the economic policy espoused by the party hold little or no promise of change.

Bangladesh, under the present regime has an addiction to GDP growth, but unfortunately the reality is that in the presence of massive inequalities, growth does not benefit everyone. Inequality not only impedes growth but also dampens its effect on poverty reduction. Indeed, we have plenty of cases where inequality and poverty both increased despite economic growth.

The 12th national election will witness the highest number of candidates with movable or liquid assets of Tk 1 crore or more, the Transparency International Bangladesh has found. This time, the figure is 571, up from 274 in the 2008 parliamentary election, which saw the Awami League’s landslide victory. In 2018, the number of candidates with movable assets of over Tk 1 crore was 522. The Awami League saw the highest rise in the number of candidates with liquid assets of over Tk 1 crore.

Ineffectiveness of our governments is the result of political witch-hunts, including in the name of accountability; an outdated system of governance; the occupation of political space by ‘non-political’ actors, judicial and bureaucratic incompetence are seen in every sphere of life.

Unfortunately, in Bangladesh we have a strong economic growth, but that is actually non-inclusive and this economic growth engendered by the policies of government has meant a rapid increase in inequality. Rising inequality has in turn led to serious economic, social and political problems here.

As the country gears up for the upcoming elections on 7th January, the atmosphere is notably tense, marked by intra-party feuds in ruling Awami League rather than the typical election tension comes from the opposition. The unusual circumstances surrounding this election stem from the boycott by major opposition parties including BNP.

As the opposition is not in the election race, this is an election ‘of the AL, for the AL and by the AL’. Unending conflict between Awami League and BNP has led to the division of Bangladesh society that is now visible in every profession. The country’s multiple crises have not persuaded political leaders to pause the political war. Members of the public appear to have developed a blind faith in their leaders, making them into some cult figures, which has polarised society to extreme levels. This has resulted in the major challenges to ensure governance.

The January 7 election has thrown Bangladesh into the real ground where challenge and opportunity of governance have contextually mixed together. As there is no real opposition, it will be a challenge for Awami League to ensure governance. But it will be an opportunity for Awami League to ensure governance as the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not face any hindrance from the opposition.

The first and biggest problem is corruption which is agreed in the election manifesto of Awami League. While there are many other countries too, facing the menace of corruption, we have our own reasons, the biggest of them all being the lack of accountability and rule of law in the country. The most corrupt people are residing within the power structure. Most of the time, corrupt individuals are not exposed, rather they escape punishment while using their offices, positions and influences. Corrupts have strong political power and the problem in Bangladesh is that the bureaucracy is the main culprit for rampant corruption in the country as the political leadership lacks quality and commitment.

Bangladesh has often been characterised as a weak country for the manner in which we tend to prepare or respond to crisis. This is not because we do not have the requisite resources or the trained manpower, but because the country is managed to be weak.

For Bangladesh, two factors are ahead to think about governance. The first one is political instability and polarization in the election year. The second one is the precarious economic situation as inflation is backbreaking, the taka’s value has fallen sharply, and its foreign reserves have now dropped to the precariously lowest level.

Until the government addresses the fundamental mechanisms promoting and sustaining inequality in the country, it will all amount to nothing. Reversing inequality requires taking action against the privileged elite created by the ruling party.

Author: CEO and Editor in Chief at Global Television