WOES OF WEALTH

WOES OF WEALTH EDITORIAL: DAILY STAR 2007-07-22

everybody, except saints and mad-caps has the longing to acquire wealth as it is indispensable for living well. Acquiring and holding of wealth is also a fundamental right of every citizen according to the constitution of Bangladesh. But wealth sometimes brings woes instead of comfort and happiness, if the greed for acquiring it knows no end. The number of millionaires in the country could be counted on one's fingers just two decades ago. But we recently witnessed a boom in billionaires, who illegally amassed enormous wealth. The amount of money and the wealth that they amassed by plundering the public exchequer has come as a shocking revelation.  

The recent revelation of the ill-gotten wealth of Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, his closest friend Giasuddin Al-Mamun, Khaleda's political secretaries Mosaddek Ali Falu and Haris Chowdhury, and former ministers Najmul Huda and Lutfuzzaman Babar, has added a new chapter in the history of plundering and bribery. Their wealth has now become woe for them. Tarique Rahman, the most talked about suspect, became a billionaire in just a few years with the blessings of his mother. Tarique reportedly has admitted to having bank accounts in five countries -- Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, South Africa and Switzerland, where he has siphoned off crores of Taka earned by extortion and bribery. The Malaysian government has frozen his $230 million, as he failed to explain the source of the money.  

Tarique established an alternative power house in Hawa Bhaban, the BNP chairperson's Banani office, and was involved in interfering in almost all the businesses and contracts in the country. Tarique, now under custody, has disclosed his financial web to the joint interrogation cell. Hailing from an extremely poor family, Giasuddin Al-Mamun has become one of the richest men in the country within a few years by resorting to all sorts of illegal activities under direct patronization of Tarique. Mamun, the detained controversial businessman who also siphoned off money to different countries, issued cheques for repatriation of Tk 20 crore 41 lakh from Singapore. Mamun owns several houses in the city's prime areas, including a magnificent house at Gazipur for weekend recreation.  

It really beggars the imagination to think of the amount of wealth that has been amassed by Mosaddek Ali Falu, who enjoyed enormous power and privileges as a political secretary to the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Falu owns four multi-storied buildings in the capital and a villa at Gazipur. A mini-zoo has been setup in his villa. Besides, he owns around one hundred bighas of land in Savar. Haris Chowdhury, another political secretary to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, also amassed immense wealth using his close link with the prime minister. His ill-gained properties include five houses in Dhaka, fixed deposits for Tk ten crore, and a house and a shopping mall in London. Besides, he owns a large number of shares of different companies, worth crores of Taka. Along with his political post, Haris runs a humble car sales centre in the capital. An anti-graft tribunal has sentenced him to three years imprisonment for not submitting his wealth statement to the ACC. Former state minister Lutfuzzaman Babar hushed up a murder case for such an immense amount, that many of us cannot even dream of earning in a lifetime. Babar's portfolio was a magic lamp, and he made a huge fortune by abusing official power. Two sons of former finance minister M. Saifur Rahman took lease of 200 acres of government land in Srimangal upazila almost free of cost. Shafiqur Rahman Babu took lease of 100 acres of land worth Tk 95 lakh for only Tk 500, while another son, Kaisar Rahman, got 100 acres of government land to set up a fish farm. Saifur's eldest son, Naser Rahman, is already under custody because of suspected corruption.  

The trial of bigwig corruption suspects has frightened their wives and children, because family members of many accused have already been arrested. The wife, daughter, and two sons of former state minister for power, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, have been sent to jail. They were charged with assisting Mahmud in amassing wealth through corruption. Sabera Aman, wife of former state minister Amanullah Aman, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment on graft charges. Sigma Huda, wife of former minister Najmul Huda, was sent to jail on a stretcher. Khoshnud Asgar, wife of former BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi, is also in jail custody in a graft case. Falu's wife Mahbuba Sultana is on the run to evade arrest. Cases have also been filed against the wives and children of many high-profile corruption suspects, including some former ministers. Though the people have welcomed this crusade against corruption, they are not in support of such actions against the wives and children of the bigwig corruption suspects.  

The government may take a lenient view of the wives and children of the corruption suspects, if they are accused of only having ill-gotten wealth in their names. They may be spared if they give a declaration that they do not own the money or the property kept in their names. According to a newspaper report, the government has so far listed only 154 clean politicians, searching across the country through its intelligence agencies, who are eligible to be candidates in the next parliamentary election. The list includes 70 persons from BNP, 56 from AL, 13 from Jatyo Party (E), 8 from Jamaat-e-Islami and 7 from LDP. Unfortunately enough, no top leaders of these political parties have been included in the list. The revelation of the enormous ill-gained wealth of some bigwigs has begotten a feeling of scorn among the people. The question that is weighing on their minds is how much wealth does one need to lead an ultra-luxurious life? Most of these persons come from poor families. "From rages to riches" is the phrase that truly describes their condition. These imprudent persons, having endless greed for wealth, had no time to think that such wealth might be a snare for them. Tarique Rahman, who shed tears in the court, revealed his feeling of the woes of wealth. Endless greed for wealth has made him the symbol of corruption. In a rare event in the country's history, the powerful and supreme individuals who had created a culture of impurity, where mindless plundering and high corruption thrived, are now facing trail at the newly constituted special courts. They have now to endure the woes of the wealth that they amassed illegally at the expense of the country. The people want a thorough cleansing once and for all, for a decent body politic where their aspirations could be realized. They really do not want to live in limbo any more.