From the media report, Mr. Obaidul Quader opined that lawmakers should pay income tax as they take their honorarium from taxpayers' money. If people can pay taxes then why shouldn't the lawmakers pay income tax? Lawmakers are exempted from tax on remuneration and allowances according to the 1973 Members of Parliament (remunerations and allowances) Order. In fact, governance is a matter of setting moral standards for everyone to uphold. It begins at the top. That being the truth, let our MPs correct the situation and convince the people of Bangladesh that lawmakers are not and cannot be above the law. Let them begin paying their dues to the republic. Our members of parliament are already some of the best-paid legislators in the world, a fact that has drawn fire from their constituents who believe they should be paid less. It is totally ridiculous that our MPs go home with huge perks per month while professionals like doctors earn less per month though they work more than 12 hours a day seven days a week! Our MPs? A few hours a week with more perks per day just for showing up! Integrity of MPs should be measured by the same ruler they use for the same country. They really don't care about the welfare of ordinary citizens. There are other more pressing matters we should be attending to like improving infrastructure instead of increasing salaries. Bangladesh's economy is still recovering from the aftermath of a post-election crisis and an ensuing world economic downturn. Yet another drastic pay hike for MPs is the most outrageous, insensitive, immoral and intolerant abuse by Bangladesh's officialdom the country has ever witnessed.