MPs lambast ministers

Some senior lawmakers of the ruling Awami League in parliament launched a blistering attack on ministers yesterday for their en masse absence in the House, and questioned their sincerity in making parliament functional.
Only six ministers and state ministers were present in the House when the lawmakers were about to draw their attention to various issues around 7:00pm.
The absence of Telecommunications Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu created a bizarre record in parliamentary proceedings. Some scripted questions and the minister's answers to those were placed on the table while Finance Minister AMA Muhith answered some supplementary questions on Raziuddin's behalf.
Treasury bench Chief Whip Abdus Shahid termed it a “deviation” from the rules of procedure. “There is no such system in the rules of procedure,” he said.
Taking the floor on point of order, AL lawmakers also castigated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's advisers for their presence at cabinet meetings and also for making “excessive” remarks on national issues.
Other treasury bench deputies supported them by thumping their desks several times.
“They [ministers] will come if they wish. And they won't come to parliament when they don't wish. It cannot go on like this,” said Abdul Matin Khasru, who was presiding over the sitting at the time.
“This is the will of parliament, and I'll request you [chief whip] to inform the ministers about it,” said Khasru, a former law minister.
Ministers are not above the law, he added.
He said all 40 ministers, who were not present in the House, could not have work outside parliament when the session was on.
At this stage, AL MP Tofail Ahmed took the floor and began the attack. Referring to the prime minister's advisers, he said lawmakers were confused as to whether advisers or ministers were running the finance, education and health ministries.
Each of the three ministries has a minister and also an adviser.
Tofail also questioned the participation of advisers at cabinet meetings. He said he was a political secretary to the then prime minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the status of a state minister. But he was never allowed to be at cabinet meetings.
“I don't know how the advisers can now take part in cabinet meetings,” said Tofail, also a member of the AL advisory council.
The veteran AL leader also pointed to the en masse absence of ministers in the House.
"There are 46 to 47 ministers and state ministers. But where are they now?” said AL lawmaker Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim as he joined Tofail.
“If the situation is like this, then how will parliament be the centre of all activities?"
Selim said none of the ministers should have work outside the House that is more important than their presence in parliament.
“Well dressed, all the ministers were present in the House yesterday [Wednesday] as the prime minister was present. But today is different. The prime minister is not here. And who knows where the ministers are now and what they are doing!” he said.
He also blasted the finance minister and the finance adviser for their “derogatory” remarks against share market investors.
“The advisers don't have any accountability. They shouldn't speak on all matters. They should remember that they're advisers to the prime minister, not to the government, and not to parliament,” Selim told the House.
Echoing Selim, AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta said the constitution stipulated that parliament would be the centre of all activities. But there had been a departure from that spirit, he noted.
He said it would be impossible to ensure the presence of ministers in the House only by making speeches unless they had faith in the constitution.
“Can the ministers swear that they are accountable to parliament?” Suranjit asked.
Without naming any, he said they were accountable to someone else for their job.
Suranjit also criticised the finance minister for the present situation in the stock market.
Lone independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim said the ministers were not interested in parliamentary affairs since the advisers seemed to be superior to them.