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The recent allegations of corruption against senior government officials came as a blessing in disguise for the ruling Awami League, as they gave the party a chance to escape bureaucratic control.

Several AL leaders told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that bureaucrats had been trying to dominate political leaders for long, especially since the 2014 general election, when the party faced a tough opposition movement before winning most seats uncontested.

The party won the next two general elections to assume power for the fourth consecutive term, largely depending on the police and the administration to withstand the pressure the opposition political parties mounted.

AL leaders said that bureaucrats were taking advantage of the situation to dictate to political representatives without allowing the ruling party to rein in corrupt officials and regain control over civil administration. 

They said that the party was planning to go slow to reduce its dependence on bureaucrats before allegations against a former police chief, a former army chief, a former Dhaka police chief,  and a key National Board of Revenue official, among others, allowed it to act faster.

In the recent budget session of Jatiya Sangsad, Awami League lawmakers, including some influential central leaders, heavily criticised the bureaucrats for their involvement in corruption.

AL leaders said that lawmakers came up with such rare criticism of bureaucrats in parliament following the ‘green signal’ from the party high-ups.

They said that a section of police officials and bureaucrats started behaving in a way in the recent past as if they had kept the Awami League in power for the last three terms.

AL won 153 seats unopposed in the 10th JS polls held on January 5, 2014, before allegations of ballot stuffing by the police the night before the voting day on December

30, 2018, earned it huge criticism locally and internationally. 

The party fielded many dummy candidates in the 12th general election on January 7 this year, which was boycotted by most opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Police played a central role in turning away the leaders and activists of the opposition parties who campaigned for a vote boycott before the election. 

The role in the past elections helped the ‘demonization’ of police and administration, said an AL presidium member asking not to be named.

‘In some cases, we have seen secretaries trying to dictate to new ministers or state ministers in ministry activities,’ said the presidium member, adding that from upazila nirbahi officers to deputy commissioners, they even hesitated to call a political representative a sir.

Against the backdrop, the AL leaders said that the party high-ups wanted to send a message to bureaucrats that the government was aware of their corruption.

The recent allegations of corruption against bureaucrats allowed the government to use the tools it has at its disposal to send the message loud and clear. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission has launched inquiries against many officials in recent times and has approved charges against some other officials over past allegations with tacit approval from the government, said the ruling party leaders.

AL presidium member Kamrul Islam, who was among the lawmakers to criticise bureaucrats in parliament in the just-concluded session, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the Awami League was determined to ensure a check and balance situation at every stage of the administration.

‘Such check and balance is a must to make governance strong,’ Kamrul said, adding that ‘politics is about setting priorities.’

Amid such a situation, cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain convened a meeting of secretaries of all ministries and departments at the secretariat on Thursday to explain the government’s position on corruption.

An official who attended the meeting told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that several officials raised the issue of politicians’ recent remarks, saying that it had made them embarrassed.

Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that lawmakers’ criticism of corruption is positive under any circumstances.

But their voice against bureaucrats’ corruption and, at the same time, taking a stand in favour of legalising undisclosed money was contradictory, he said.