The government (and those in the past) have long made a fetish of what they refer to as pro-business policies. But it seems to us that the continuing existence of such blatant examples of corruption as at Chittagong Port reveal the hollowness of this rhetoric. If the government truly wishes to give business a helping hand, then nothing could be more useful than measures to cut down the corruption which acts as a kind of tax on the cost of doing business that ultimately hurts us all.

Part of the problem of doing business in Bangladesh is the question of inefficiency that plagues all the services and industries. But as we can see from the Chittagong Port example, the issues of inefficiency and corruption are inextricably linked. Indeed, there can be no question that if corruption were eliminated, or at the very least reduced significantly, that this would not only cut the cost of business, but would also increase the efficiency and productivity of importers and exporters.

When bribes must be paid at up to 18 places to load and unload goods, and in up to 40 places to release them from the customs house, this not only adds to the cost, but also adds intolerably to the time-frame of doing business, which is one reason that our export industry has lagged behind its potential all these years.

From an image point of view, this is also disastrous. Exporters and importers from outside know that trading with Bangladesh comes with these costs, and this contributes to their idea of Bangladesh as a poor place to do business, which hurts us all.

The problem can be solved with political will. It is a relatively small number of people who benefit from the current situation, while the majority of us, both businessmen and consumers, suffer. Tackling the problem should be a no-loss proposition for the government. It is sound policy that will benefit both traders and consumers, and the ripple effects will enhance the nation's image as well.