Dhaka, Dec. 9 -- Bangladesh's economy is often acclaimed for its remarkable resilience despite recurrent global disruptions - pandemics, energy shortages, supply-chain shocks, regional conflicts, and internal political instability. Observers frequently point to four powerful "engines" behind this endurance: the ready-made garments industry (RMG), export processing zones (EPZs), remittances from migrant workers, and the vital role of Chittagong Port in sustaining trade flows (henceforththe four engines are referred as FEEG). Yet while these four engines propel the economy forward, a fifth and darker force relentlessly pulls it backward. That force is corruption.

In economic and engineering terms, national output (GDP) can be represented t...