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          Remember the domestic aid named Benga in Amzad Hossain's dramas telecast during Eid festivals in the late eighties by the Bangladesh Television. In one of such dramas, Benga (Farid Ali played the role) used to say one particular dialogue very frequently in a frenzied manner: "Taka dhen Dubai jamu" (give me money, I will go to Dubai).
About one and a half decades later, there was a real life drama enacted in the capital city of Dhaka last week. Where nearly 40 hugely rich people told a foreign real estate agent: "Taka nen Dubai jamu" (take money we will go to Dubai). Many others are reportedly waiting in the wings to follow suit.
Benga wanted money from his master (Jabbar Ali, an unscrupulous trader who resorted to hoarding essentials) to go to Dubai in search of a job like thousands others coming from lower middle class families. But the rich people, who, according to newspaper reports, included businessmen, politicians and government officials, queued up at a local posh hotel to buy very expensive luxury flats at a Dubai sea beach resort.
According to media reports, over 40 people have already paid booking money to the local agent of a UK-based real estate business firm that works for the UAE developer named Dubai Land. The prices of the luxury flats quoted by a number of Dhaka dailies varied, but not that much. The price of the flats ranges between Tk 30 million and 70 million, depending on their sizes. The payment will have to be made in foreign currency, media reports said. What might have attracted the buyers of Dubai flats is that they would be free to reside in Dubai and do business if they want to.
As expected the newspaper reporters became curious to know the identity of the people who have paid booking money for the Dubai luxury flats. Obviously, that would not be easy to dig out since the local agent named, Futurist, would not divulge the names. Undaunted, the reporters got hold of the officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Chairman of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to know what they would be doing against the people buying all those flats. But their answers, as expected, were routine in nature. The NBR officials said they would scrutinize the tax returns of the buyers of the luxury flats. The ACC chairman said the Commission would look into the matter.
But it would, possibly, too much to expect that all those who have paid 'booking money' for the Dubai flats have used their real identity. There is no reason to be surprised about it. Scores of luxury apartments and housing plots are being purchased in the capital city in the name of spouses and nearest relatives by many people who have amassed wealth illegally.
If anyone buys a luxury apartment in Dhaka or Dubai or moves in an expensive BMW or Mercedes car with his honest earning, there is no reason to be fussy about it. But the problem is that the agencies concerned hardly try to find out the source of funds used in such purchases.
Allegations are galore that top bureaucrats, many of whom have gone on retirement, have constructed houses in posh residential areas of the city at huge costs. Many leading politicians and businesses, allegedly, won houses or flats in the UK, the USA or some other places outside the country. These issues are discussed privately and on behalf of the state, none has ever tried to know the truth about these allegations. It is a remote possibility that anyone would make such an attempt in the foreseeable future. Enthusiasts might, however, pin their hope on the ACC. But that will be a misplaced hope. The ACC with its present structure and motivation level is unlikely to deliver anything tangible.
Some people might be wondering as to how would the buyers of the Dubai luxury flats pay in foreign currency. One need not bother about it, for taking out foreign currencies from Bangladesh has never been a big deal, particularly when there is no dearth of helping hands at different points. It is not unlikely that many of the potential buyers do already have enough money outside to finance the purchase of these flats.
In this country, there has been vulgar display of wealth amassed through corruption and other irregular means. Why should it not be so when owners of such wealth dominate politics, business and administration? The funny part of the whole episode is that the common man has no other option but to submit to the machinations of the mighty few.