Edu minister snubs MP’s demand at JS

Education Minister Dipu Moni yesterday snubbed a ruling party lawmaker’s demand of enrolling educational institutions into the government’s monthly pay order (MPO) based on lawmakers’ recommendations.

Awami League MP Golam Faruk Khandakar Prince from Pabna-5 in a supplementary question made the demand on the first day of the budget session of the parliament.

MPs from treasury and opposition benches lauded Prince by thumping their desks.

“We look after people in our constituencies… Enrolment of educational institutions is our political commitment. That’s why enrolment of educational institutions should me on the basis of MPs’ recommendations,” Prince said, adding that lawmakers had submitted recommendations of educational institutions in their respective constituencies 10 years ago to the education ministry, but there is no headway in this regard.

In reply, Dipu Moni said the government has formulated a policy on MPO and there is no scope to go beyond the policy. She, however, said the MPO policy will be relaxed in case of educational institutions that are situated in char, hills and distant areas.

Dipu Moni also recalled that the previous government did mismatches by following favouritism instead of quality.

The education minister informed the House that the government will bring no more than 3,000 educational institutions under MPO this time.

Earlier in the afternoon, the 11th Jatiya Sangsad went into its first budget session with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair at 5pm.

Prior to that, the business advisory committee of parliament sat in a meeting to decide the duration and businesses of the session.

According to the committee, the budget session will continue till July 11.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will place the proposed national budget in the House on Thursday. The size of the budget for the upcoming 2019-20 fiscal year will cross Tk 5 lakh crore (5 trillion).

Immediately after the sitting, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury nominated a five-member panel of chairmen for the session -- comprising Maj (retd) Rafiqul Islam, AB Tajul Islam, Md Habibe Millat, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Meher Afroj.

They will conduct House proceedings in chronological order in absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The House later unanimously adopted obituary references on a number of distinguished personalities, including a former minister, ex-lawmakers and cultural personalities.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the obituary references separately on those who died after prorogation of last session of the 11th parliament.

The lawmakers also observed one-minute silence as a mark of respect for the departed souls. A munajat was offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls.