Wrong policies, no accountability

Opposition lawmakers in parliament yesterday blasted the government over what they said was its failure to check rising commodity prices, widespread corruption and money laundering.

Participating in the general discussion on a proposal, they blamed the government's wrong policies, mismanagement, corruption and inefficiency in every sector for the "sorry state of the country".

They said there was no accountability anywhere in the government.

Treasury bench lawmakers, however, said the current situation, including price hikes of essentials, was the result of a global crisis stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war.

MPs belonging to the ruling Awami League's allies, including Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, remained cautious while criticising the government.

Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu placed the proposal titled "Parliament is of the opinion that short and long-term sustainable measures taken by the government to deal with the problems of Covid-19, global unrest, Ukraine-Russia war, climate change, natural disasters, energy crisis, rising commodity prices should be informed to the nation through discussion in the House."

He slammed the government for its wrong policy in power production while another lawmaker of the party, Kazi Firoz Rashid, said syndicates of corrupt businessmen are also responsible for the current crisis.

Another JP lawmaker Shameem Haider Patwari said now it is time for the government to admit mistakes so that those are not repeated.

BNP lawmaker Rumeen Farhana said the government's development means some projects at an "unimaginable cost".

"The Hindustan Times reports that the Rooppur power plant in Bangladesh costs five times that of a similar power plant of the same capacity in Tamil Nadu of India," she added. 

JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu apologised to the countrymen on behalf of himself and the government for people's suffering due to the price hike of essentials.

"The ministers who cannot carry out their responsibilities should quit and thus save people and save the prime minister," he said.

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said, "We will not deny that the prices of some essentials have increased and there is unrest in the market."

Veteran AL leader Tofail Ahmed said the reality does not match what BNP MPs say.

"Inflation in Europe has hit a 25-year high. Inflation has been as high as 23 percent in some countries. In this situation, Bangladesh's position in South Asia is very strong," he added.

Around 23 MPs participated in the discussion which lasted around five and a half hours.