Why don't country's political leaders resign voluntarily, taking responsibility of failure

An odd practice has now taken root in Bangladesh’s politics – all failures, corruption or injustices in the country seem always to be blamed on one party alone. As if no one else in this country has committed any sin, crime, or carries any responsibility.

There is a common saying in Bangladesh, “All fish eat filth, but the ‘ghoura’ fish gets blamed.” That proverb perfectly reflects the political reality of Bangladesh. If we look back over the past five decades, we see that every leader who has sat on the throne of power – from Bangabandhu to Ziaur Rahman, Ershad, Khaleda Zia, or Sheikh Hasina – has at some point been associated with abuse of power, corruption, injustice, and human rights violations. Yet today, when the burden of history is weighed, all blame seems to be placed solely on the shoulders of the Awami League.

But the question is – are all crimes committed by one party? The political corruption, moral decay, administrative malpractice, and injustice towards the people that have taken place in the country have their roots deeply entrenched – they were born, grew, and became institutionalised under every government. Then why is this nation still trapped in the same blame-game culture?

Politics in Bangladesh seems to have sunk into an abyss, where the greed for power, the lure of corruption, and political vengeance have together created an invisible but deadly cycle. Within that cycle, all parties are involved in wrongdoing, while busy shifting the blame onto others to avoid responsibility themselves.

The reflection of these misdeeds by political leaders is still visibly bleeding through every layer of society and the state. Some killed people in their intoxication with power, some looted the wealth of the nation, and some imprisoned freedom itself in the name of independence. Many have suffered the consequences of their crimes – some were killed by gunfire, some disgraced by public outrage, some fled the country to live in exile. Yet the astonishing truth is – not one of them resigned voluntarily. It is as if power is a kind of divinity to them, for which life, morality, and even the country itself can be sacrificed.

In the behaviour of Bangladesh’s political leaders and parties, there is a clear shamelessness and moral bankruptcy. They have no sense of responsibility towards the people, no shame, and no capacity for self-criticism. Politics is no longer a service; it has become a ruthless competition – over who can be more corrupt, more ruthless, who can grip the key to power more tightly. This culture has created a dark era of political violence, corruption, and administrative abuse, shattering the peace, justice, and stability of the state.

Just think – countless leaders and activists accused of grave crimes, corruption, murder, human rights violations and money laundering are living luxurious lives abroad. Some in London, some in Dubai, some in Canada – all safe, while the law of the land cannot reach them. One wonders – when there is a global network of law and a powerful international body like Interpol, why in the past 54 years has not a single one of them been brought back to Bangladesh? Not one.

Why? Because Bangladesh’s legal and judicial system is so weak, partisan, and corrupt that no country in the world today trusts it. Whenever a government loses power, the defeated side becomes the target of countless false cases, political vengeance, and administrative persecution. As a result, truth and falsehood, crime and allegation, have all merged into a fog of uncertainty. This reality proves how deeply troubled we are as a nation, and how eroded our international credibility has become. We are now prisoners of a system where criminals escape, but justice finds no way out. Just as now, all blame is being placed only on the Awami League.

Corruption in Bangladesh is not the problem of any single person or party – it has become a disease ingrained in the country's entire political culture. Blinded by the lust for power, privilege, and personal gain, politics has lost its morality, the administration its accountability, and the people their hope. As a result, Sheikh Hasina’s rule stands as the ultimate reflection of this culture. A corrupt bureaucracy and a politics of appeasement have kept her in power, but that same protection has trapped the country in an endless cycle of corruption. Sri Lanka has shown that when people rise, a corrupt ruler cannot survive. There, people took to the streets and forced the once all-powerful Rajapaksa from power. Their uprising was the roar of a nation awakened against corruption.

Bangladesh too has seen such waves of public uprising in history – autocrats have fallen, but the roots of corruption have remained intact. Because we have changed rulers, not the political culture. Until the people become morally awake, united, and determined; corruption, abuse of power, and violence will continue to imprison Bangladesh’s future.

In France, prime ministers resign over political failures; but in Bangladesh, leaders declare failure as success. This is a shameless political culture where there is no principle, only blind obsession with power. From Bangabandhu to Ziaur Rahman, Ershad, Khaleda Zia, and Sheikh Hasina – all have committed the same crimes under the spell of power, at different times and under different names. It is a long chain – a living history of the moral downfall of a nation.

Five decades of Bangladesh’s politics have brought us face to face with a harsh truth – our leaders’ politics has become a symbol of moral decay, lust for power, and the loss of public trust. Vote rigging, corruption, political killings, massacres – these are not merely stories of the past; they are suffocating realities of today. The misdeeds of those once at the centre of power have given birth to prolonged political instability, division in society, and loss of faith in justice. Yet amidst this darkness, there still glimmers a light of hope. Bangladesh has not yet lost its way – if we choose to, we can build a new political culture.

What must be done now

1. Implement democratic reforms: To prevent corruption and abuse of power, every leader and party must be held accountable. No one is above the law – every ruler must answer for their actions.

2. Rule of law and independence of the judiciary: Justice must no longer belong to any party or power, but only to truth and the people. The guilty, whatever party they belong to, must stand equally before the law – this faith must be restored.

3. An aware and active public: The people must reclaim the spirit that they are the true owners of the state. The people’s uprising in Sri Lanka has shown that when citizens rise, corruption flees. Bangladesh too has that power – it only needs unity and courage.

4. A corruption-free political culture: Politics must be restored to morality and responsibility. Journalists, administrators, teachers, businessmen – everyone must remain honest in their own sphere. Because the fight against corruption is not only the government’s task, it is that of the entire nation.

The history of Bangladesh over five decades teaches us that the obsession with power has saved no one. In the end, the outcome of all rulers’ misdeeds is the same – death, exile, turmoil, and loss of the people’s trust. But the question is – have we learned nothing? To bring the country back to the path of peace, what we need now is honesty, morality, responsibility, and the unity of the people. Our vote, our protest, our courage – these three alone can rescue Bangladesh from the darkness of corruption, greed, and tyranny.

No crime is acceptable. Our goal must be a corruption-free, just, and peaceful Bangladesh. Sri Lanka has shown that abuse of power can be stopped if the people will it. So the question arises – how many of today’s Bangladeshis are truly free from corruption? Are we ourselves unknowingly becoming part of it? A nation that remains true to its own conscience cannot be stopped by anyone. The future of Bangladesh is now in our hands – in the hands of honest, brave, and united citizens.

Rahman Mridha: Researcher, writer, and former Director, Pfizer, Sweden