The report “Why the 2007–2009 ‘Big Bang’ Anti-corruption Drive in Bangladesh Failed – and What it Means for Future Reform” analyses the outcomes of the so-called ‘big bang’ strategy implemented by a military-backed caretaker government in 2007-2009. This strategy relied on mass anti-corruption prosecutions and arrests affecting tens of thousands of individuals, including former prime ministers and senior political figures.

The authors conclude that this approach not only failed to reduce corruption, but also contributed to creating the conditions for the subsequent consolidation of authoritarian rule. Mass prosecutions in a context of systemic corruption proved ineffective: weak investigative and judicial institutions, combined with the widespread involvement of actors in informal practices, led to the collapse of a significant number of cases and fostered a heightened sense of impunity among elites.

The study further emphasises that the most serious consequence of the campaign was not its procedural failure, but the redistribution of political and economic power. The anti-corruption agenda was used to weaken opposition structures and contributed to the concentration of power, accompanied by the politicisation of institutions, electoral manipulation, and the emergence of an oligarchic economic model.

Overall, the findings suggest that in high-corruption contexts, broad and universal anti-corruption measures are unlikely to be effective. Instead, they can consolidate the interests of both beneficiaries and compelled participants in corrupt practices, creating устойчивое сопротивление правоприменению.

As an alternative, the authors advocate a shift towards more selective and feasible strategies: focusing on the most significant violations, strengthening horizontal accountability mechanisms, and gradually shifting the balance of interests in favour of actors committed to rule compliance. They stress that sustainable anti-corruption reforms are impossible without taking into account the underlying “political settlement” – the distribution of power, resources and capabilities within a given country.