Equity, Public Administration and Social Justice: A Moral Guideline for Public Officials in Bangladesh

Abstract

Human society is a relationship of mutual cooperation and exchange where everybody expects that ‘justice’ should be done to ensure one’s due. Therefore, justice is the supreme value of the society. To ensure justice in society, the necessary political institutions that have been evolved in course of time, are the government and administration. Bangladesh, the eastern wing of the former Pakistan, has become an independent nation with the declaration to establish ‘social justice’ in the new Republic. “Economic and social justice” has been enshrined in its Constitution as one of the four fundamental principles of state policy. Almighty Allah, who has created mankind as His vicegerent on earth, has also ordained mankind to establish Adle (justice) and sent His Apostles from time to time with Books and Balance that men may stand forth in justice. Public officials are obliged to make and implement decisions congruent with public interest. This necessitated a simple but operational articulation of public interest that needs laying the foundation of organizing a just and welfare society. Experts and scholars proposed that the concept of social justice offers much of the operational guidelines to the administrators in formulating decisions for promoting public interest. This article makes a critical survey of the major theories of justice formulated by the Western scholars such as:1) the positivistic approach to justice; 2) the idealistic approach to justice; 3) the utilitarian approach to justice; and 4) the contractual approach to justice; and collated them with Islamic perspective. Then an attempt has been made to outline a comprehensive operational framework of social action as moral guidelines for policy makers and administrators. Despite some similarities in defining the concept of social justice, significant difference lies between Western approach and the Islamic approach. Western theories are the product of social reactions and secular in nature. Effectiveness in Western theories is driven by egoistic motive or economic considerations, while justice in Islam is a universal value and Islamic society is required to look beyond economic considerations, and actively works for altruistic pleasure as a measure of spiritual advancement. The normative approach of the dominant Western theories is based on intuitive approach only. On the other hand, the normative approach of Islam is based on Tawhid—spiritual belief and motivation—the belief that Allah (STA), the Creator and Lord of the universe, has commanded the mankind (as His vicegerent) to observe justice (Adle and Ihsan) in society, for failure of which, individuals shall have to account to Him in the ‘Day of Judgment’.