AL leader Nasim seeks trial of looters, loan defaulters

Mohammad Nasim
Mohammad Nasim

Senior Awami League MP Mohammad Nasim on Tuesday asked the government to take actions against those who looted bank money.

"It can't be accepted that we spare loan defaulters and bank money looters. We'll have to show zero tolerance towards them," he said taking part in the discussion on the proposed budget in parliament.

Noting that billions of taka was looted from the banks, he questioned as to why they were spared.

"Why does it happen that the loan defaulters get the court's stay order when farmers are accused in certificate cases for loan default of only Tk 1,000-2,000?" he asked.

The AL lawmaker said some businessmen simultaneously own banks, garments, pharmaceutical companies and even newspapers. They have entered the ruling party.

"The opportunist businessmen can't be our friends. The parliament should be comprised of political leaders," he said. "We know them (businessmen). They won't stand by us in our difficult times," he added.

'Bureaucracy is a problem'

About implementation of budget, Nasim said though the government placed a big budget every year, 100 per cent of the budget can't be implemented.

"If India or Vietnam can implement 100 per cent of their budgets, then why don't we do that?" he asked and blamed non-cooperation of bureaucrats for the failure.
"Bureaucracy is a problem for us," the treasury bench member said.

He said BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men have their deep roots in the banking sector and the secretariat, who always want the government to fail and keep official files unmoved for days.

"Those who can't implement the budget must be accountable," he added.