AL flays govt, BNP calls it politically motivated

The main opposition lawmakers yesterday launched a broadside against the ruling coalition for its failure to arrest the skyrocketing of essentials' price, which the treasury bench members countered by labelling the issue as 'politically motivated'.

The opposition MPs demanded immediate resignation of the government for its inability to control the food market, besides asking Altaf Hossain Chowdhury to apologise for bungling his job as the commerce minister.

During the hour-long argument over price hike of essentials, BNP and Awami League deputies also traded accusation of bamboozling the people to distract their attention from the real causes of the price boom.

The AL MPs alleged syndicates of traders led by BNP men have deliberately pushed up essentials' prices, further boosted by BNP cadres' 'rampant' extortion.

Members of the treasury bench in their turn blamed flooding, rains and opposition's hartals for causing the price escalation. They also claimed the price level of essentials is ebbing thanks to some appropriate and timely government measures.

"Prices of essentials are now within the commoners' reach," announced Altaf Chowdhury.

Responding to an opposition speech, some BNP MPs asserted that no monga or monga-like (near-famine) situation exists in the northwestern region, adding the country's economy is now better than ever before.

A total of 11 lawmakers took part in the verbal skirmish initiated by Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid by submitting a notice demanding discussion on the issue.

The House witnessed severe quorum crisis when the discussion was held.

One of the discussants, senior AL leader Abdur Razzak said unbridled extortion from the people transporting essentials to marketplaces plays a major part in driving the prices skyward. He named BNP men as the extortionists, and said the home ministry failed to do anything about it.

Suranjit Sengupta of AL said, "The government is mocking at the people saying the prices of essentials are under control."

He identified profiteering by BNP-backed businessmen as the main culprit.

Suranjit said, "This year, Eid shopping is not for the nine crore people who live below the poverty line, it's for the ruling alliance men who loot, extort and plunder."

"Every entrepreneur has to pay tribute to Hawa Bhaban for doing business," Suranjit alleged. "Democracy is no more in the country. We are living in a kingdom," he noted, and in an oblique reference to Tarique Rahman, the prime minister's eldest son, said people are now living under the rule of a prince.

"The government has no accountability and has made the country suffer a famine-like situation," said the outspoken AL deputy.

Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management Asadul Habib Dulu however denied media reports on death of people from starvation in the northwestern region, claiming not a single man has died there for want of food.

BNP lawmaker KM Obaidur Rahman did even better, he posed the question to the opposition bench, "Where is Monga?" and claimed the economy is sound and stable. "Hundreds of people are rushing to the city's shopping malls ahead of the Eid. Is it not enough indicator of a good economy?" was his second query.

Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim and AKM Jahangir Hossain of the AL and Zahiruddin Swapan and Moazzem Hossain Alal of the BNP also took part in the discussion.

The session was adjourned till 4:15pm on November 28.