Want better healthcare, social security? Check corruption

Finland, a small Nordic country where I live now, ranks top on the index of various positive social aspects such as absence of corruption, peace and security being in place, healthcare of mother and child, and the quality of its schooling system.

The Scandinavian country of about only 5.6 million people has improved its life-style, social security, healthcare services, education, governing system and justice  which turned the country into one of the happiest and least corrupt countries in the globe.

Finland ranked in between 1 and 3 on the index of least corrupt countries published by Transparency International (TI) in the last five years.

On the other hand, Bangladesh slipped two ranks in the Corruption Perception Index 2023, positioning at 149th out of 180 countries ranked. Among the eight South Asian countries, Bangladesh ranks the second-last, only better than Afghanistan.

The country of my current residence, Finland, also has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for the sixth consecutive year, according to the Sustainable Development Solutions Network 2023, a global initiative of the United Nations.

I have been living in the country since 2008 and witnessed the equity in the society, particularly on the ground of basic rights. 

What I found among the Finns is that they lead a very simple, disciplined and systematic life showing due respect to the rule of law. 

Although there are few sporadic incidents of irregularities and corruption, the authorities take stern measures against the persons responsible with the policy of zero tolerance. In these cases, the actions are taken irrespective of personal, social or political identities of the accused.

For example, the then Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni had to resign in June 2020 following a controversy raised over a service procurement of about €50,000 from a communications consultancy firm. The minister, also Chair of the Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland), the then second largest component of the five-party alliance government, made the announcement of resignation in the afternoon immediately after a report published in the morning in Demokraatti, a newspaper of the Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP), the largest component of the then alliance government.

In June 2021, the parliament unanimously decided to terminate the Auditor General (AG) of the National Audit Office of Finland (VTV), Tytti Yli-Viikari on charges of misuse of funds. The allegation against her was spending about €4,729 of public money on hairdressing and beauty services during 2018 to 2020 and also used the official credit card for her personal expenditures. 

About ten years ago, a police personnel lost his job as he threatened a boy who troubled his daughter. The official made the threat when a two-member police patrol including him was patrolling near the residence of the boy and called him without having any official allegation against the boy. 

The colleague of the police official recorded the conversation between them and submitted it to the higher authority. He was charged with abusing official power resulting in his dismissal.

The above incidents proved that none could escape the law, if there was any allegation of corruption. This is what made the country corruption-free.

If we compare the scenario with Bangladesh, there are many examples of corruption and irregularities where the accused do not face trial despite having adequate evidence. Newspaper reports  unveiled the laundering of thousands of crores of taka, loan defaulters are receiving thousands of crores of loan from the banks, with hardly any of them facing the music.

Abusing official power by politicians and government officials is also not rare in Bangladesh, and even a minister was seen to abuse an official physically without any hesitation. The lifestyle of most of the government officials and their family members has no consistency with their salary or other legal earnings. 

The above incidents prove that legal measures do not apply to the influential people in the country, resulting in widespread corruption and irregularities in almost every sector.

Although Bangladesh's justice system allows tough punishment for the corrupts; absence of its proper implementation is the main barrier to uproot corruption. But here in Finland the punishment in the law is very flexible; for example, in most cases it is limited to fine or conditional imprisonment but it is applicable equally for everyone.

Finally, it could be said that corruption prevails everywhere in the globe and it is controlled through legal procedures. But if the corrupts are able to escape the trial frequently and easily, it would not be possible to make Bangladesh a corruption-free country.