Ex-MPs unite to resist govt move

A number of lawmakers of Awami League (AL), BNP and Jatiya Party from the eighth parliament yesterday vowed to resist together the government move to vacate the Nam Bhaban flats allocated to them.
In this rare instance of coming under a common platform, they took the firm stance to protect the "dignity and property" of parliament and vowed to declare different programmes including legal measures against the caretaker government's move.
Terming the move "contempt" of the national parliament, they said the housing and public works ministry committee's decision to re-allocate the Nam flats to government officials and fix monthly rent and charges contradicts the decision of the parliament committee of the eighth parliament.
"The move is not legal because only a successive parliament committee, not the housing and public works ministry, has the right to change the parliament committee's decision," former AL lawmaker Shajahan Khan said at a press conference at his Nam flat.
None, not even the speaker of parliament, has the right to fix the rent and other charges or cancel allocation of these flats, he added.
"We are expressing our firm determination irrespective of parties to protect the dignity and property of parliament," Shajahan said, adding that a misleading situation has arisen out of the exchange of letters between the speaker and the housing and public works adviser.
He said there are direct and indirect pressures for vacating the flats and allocating them to others which is unethical and beyond the norms.
Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, AKM Selim Reza Habib, Shahjahan Chowdhury, Abu Yusuf Mohammad Khalilur Rahman, Abdul Momin Talukder, Helen Zerin Khan, Nurjahan Yasmin, Rehana Islam, Fahima Jahan jubilee, Advocate Bilkis Jahan Shirin, Rasheda Begum Hira, Newaz Halima Arli, Prof Mohammad Yunus, Shah Nurul Kabir, Khodeza Emdad Lata, Chaman Ara, Rehana Akhtar, Saimun Begum, Ahalina Khanam and Jahan Panna of BNP, Mojibar Rahman, Hafizuddin Ahmed and Nur-e-Hasan Lily Chowdhury of Jatiya Party, and Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman of AL also attended the press conference.
Shajahan said it would not be right for the housing and public works ministry to consider the 324 flats as its property after handing over those to the National Parliament.
As per the decision of the parliament committee's 15th meeting on June 11, 2006, the lawmakers of the eighth parliament can use the flats until a gazette notification of the ninth parliament is published, he added.
Reading out a paper at the press conference, he said housing facility has been given to lawmakers for the first time since independence and the dignity of parliament would be upheld if the Nam Bhaban flats are allotted to lawmakers only.
The present government is determined to hold the stalled parliamentary election by December this year, so allocation of the lawmakers' flats to government officials would be unwanted as only seven-eight months are left before the election.
The former lawmakers urged government officials not to receive the allocations of these flats. They also urged the speaker and parliament secretary to uphold the dignity of parliament.
Shajahan said there is no existence of the Nam Bhaban after the parliament committee at its 19th meeting on September 26, 2006 named it Sangsad Sadasya Bhaban.
"Lawmakers of different political parties had submitted a letter to the housing and public works adviser on January 28. It is tantamount to showing negligence and disregard to the members of parliament when the ministry without replying that letter asked the parliament secretary on March 19 to vacate the flats," Shajahan said. He urged the government to leave the matter for the National Parliament to decide.
The former lawmakers also demanded immediate release of the two detained former prime ministers--BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and AL President Sheikh Hasina.
"We want their trial be held in open court and people know about the trial," Shajahan said.