“Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid.” – Chernobyl
In Bangladesh, some of our most “respected” industries have mastered the art of the polished lie.
Ready-Made Garments (RMG) – We export billions, yet workers still earn wages that barely cover food, let alone housing. Factory owners boast about “compliance” while fire exits are locked and buildings are structurally unsafe.
Banking & Finance – Default loans balloon into the tens of thousands of crores, but the same institutions refuse small business loans or charge predatory interest rates. Top officials write off corruption as “bad debt” while depositors’ trust erodes.
Construction & Infrastructure – Flyovers, bridges, and highways announced with fanfare — but deadlines missed, budgets inflated, and materials compromised. Public safety traded for kickbacks.
Consumer Goods & Food – Big brands promise “premium quality” but get caught mixing harmful chemicals in products, passing them into the hands of millions without consequence.
These are not isolated lapses. They are systemic theft:
- Theft of wages from workers.
- Theft of trust from customers.
- Theft of opportunity from a nation that could be far ahead.
And here’s the reality these boardrooms avoid: the debt to truth will come due. History shows that when exploitation crosses a threshold, people push back — through strikes, lawsuits, boycotts, or exposing the corruption globally. When that happens, the loss of reputation and markets is far more costly than operating with honesty in the first place.
Bangladesh doesn’t lack potential — it lacks integrity at the top. If we want sustainable growth, we must:
- Enforce laws without political bias
- Audit industries with transparency
- Hold executives criminally accountable for corporate crimes
Because if we don’t, this country will keep paying the price for the greed of a few — in lives, in livelihoods, and in lost futures.
Truth always sends the bill. And in Bangladesh, the interest is already piling up.
