People who are engaged in sycophancy are thriving in politics: Kazi Firoz Rashid

Jatiya Party MP, Kazi Firoz Rashid, on Sunday strongly criticised the government saying all the banks have gone bankrupt and empty due to looting, reports news agency UNB.

“According to Bangladesh Bank, the amount of loan default is nearly Tk 1.5 trillion (150,000 crore). In reality, the amount is double. The actual amount of defaulted loan is Tk 3 trillion (300,000 crore). Banks have become bankrupt today due to money laundering,” he alleged.

He said this participating in a discussion on the proposed budget for 2023-24 fiscal year in the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament).

The lawmaker from opposition party in the Jatiya Sangsad also claimed that no one can launder money abroad without the involvement of Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh.

While talking on this issue, Kazi Firoz Rashid highlighted the reports published in different media outlets about money laundering and bank looting.

“Due to fallout of Covid-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war, pressure of International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions, pressure of looting in the banking sector -- in the face of such multifaceted pressure -- the execution of budget will not be safe at all,” he said.

The Jatiya Party MP also said that in the budget it has been said to take a loan of Tk 1.5 trillion (150,000 crore) from the banks, but if the National Board of Revenue (NBR) had been automated, more than Tk 1.5 trillion would have been collected as VAT and tax.

He said in that case bank borrowing would not be required.

“We have become smart in theft, extortion and money laundering … we are taking bribes in dollars,” he said.

He said politics today has gone into the hands of sycophants. The people, who are engaged in flattering, looting money and laundering it abroad, are thriving in politics, he added.

Participating in the discussion, ruling Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said that a political party’s leaders are dancing following meetings with some ambassadors.

“Elections in the country will be held in line with the constitution. There will be no caretaker government in the country,” he said.

The senior AL MP thanked India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, saying Jaishankar said that Bangladesh elections will not be affected by anyone’s interference.