MPs fume over bureaucrats’ sway
Tofail Ahmed, senior lawmaker from the ruling Awami League, and Kazi Firoz Rashid, an MP from the Jatiya Party, expressed frustration in parliament yesterday, saying that bureaucrats were being given various important responsibilities by ignoring the politicians.
Top government officials, including secretaries, are discharging duties as heads of the units tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in districts. The government has also appointed administrative officers as chief executive officers in municipalities to expedite work and ensure transparency.
Participating in a discussion on the proposed budget for Fiscal 2021-22, Tofail said, "I am sorry, I don't know whether I should say it here or not. An administrative officer has been given the responsibility in our district [Bhola]. We politicians help people but they think all that help is being provided by the administrative officials.
"But those officials did not go to the area. The person given the task in my area never went there."
The veteran politician said, "It is unfortunate because there is not a single MP in this parliament who did not stand by the poor and the distressed amid the pandemic.
"Everyone [politicians] is helping them meet their needs during this Corona time. I have given relief to 40,000 people in my own area. But people think that the administrative officials have given them all this."
Tofail claimed that the authority of politicians was fading.
The planning minister had recently said there were bureaucrats even in Pharaoh's time. People don't like these words, he said.
He also said according to the warrant of precedence, the position of an MP is higher than that of a government secretary. "This needs to be noticed. We will need officials from the administration, but not with the exclusion of politicians."
Tofail said politicians are the elected representatives of the people and they should have their specific place and job for them and that they should remain there.
"When a secretary goes to our district, we will welcome them. There is no problem in it. But they don't go there for a day."
He said Sheikh Hasina first became the prime minister in 1996. At that time, ministers were in charge of different districts. Party leaders and activists used to gather when they visited the districts. Those days are now gone, he added.
JP's Kazi Firoz echoed Tofail's statement and said the AL lawmaker pointed out the issue in the right manner. "Politics is absent in the country now. Secretaries are given charge of districts ... Bureaucrats run the country."
He said at different government and state programmes deputy commissioners sit close to the prime minister while MPs have to sit at a distance.
"Sometimes, MPs need to request the DCs to let them talk to the prime minister. This is the current situation of politicians," he said.
"When such things happen, the importance of lawmakers goes down."
The senior JP lawmaker claimed that the country's political arena was slowly being occupied by business people. "Who is running the country? Businessmen and bureaucrats are running the country.
"We politicians are now standing in the third line. This is our bad luck. But this country was liberated by politicians."
He said it was the politicians, not the businessmen, who have political commitment.
Criticising the government for its poor handling of the Covid-19 situation, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haq Inu told parliament that there was an "unrest" within the government over the issue.
Speaking on a point of order, Inu said the unrest was manifested in the recent confusions regarding the announcement of the strict lockdown from Thursday.
He said the lack of coordination among the ministries concerned in dealing with Corona was evident.
Inu, a top leader in the ruling AL-led 14-party alliance, said government notices over the lockdown were changed repeatedly and had contradictory information.
He said there was no alternative to lockdown and shutdown to prevent the spread of infection. "But we have experienced that within two to three days of a lockdown, general people's outcry for food begins. There will also be demand for for beds for the infected persons, oxygen, and ICU beds."
'GRAFT IN EVERY SECTOR'
While participating in the discussion on the proposed budget, opposition JP and BNP MPs lambasted the government for its failure to stop widespread corruption and money laundering.
JP MP Rustom Ali Farazi said there was not a single sector or department or ministry, which was free from corruption and bribe.
Opposition Chief Whip Moshiur Rahman Ranga said the "festival of corruption" was going on all over the country. Banks are plagued by defaulted loans.
He said according to a newspaper report, Tk 31,000 crore has been looted. Irregularities have increased 16 times in the last nine years. Bangladeshis' money has piled up at Swiss Bank, he said.
"If these [money] can be brought back, several budget can be outlined during this Corona time," he said.
Another JP MP Anisul Islam Mahmud, AL MPs -- Matia Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim -- among others also participated in the budget discussion.