Health, banking sector corruption come under fire in parliament

BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid strongly criticised irregularities and corruption in financial sector and mockingly said banks are admitted to the cabins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital. Other financial institutions are stricken by disaster and the country’s stock markets are now at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he claimed.

Harunur Rashid said this after taking the floor in the general discussion on the proposed budget for 2021-22 fiscal on Thursday. Several lawmakers of Awami League-led alliance joined the discussion and criticised the corruption, especially in the health sector.

Harunur Rashid said, “The condition of the financial institutions is taken into consideration to get a view on the economic structure of a state. The stock market is admitted to at the ICU of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sometimes it opens its eyes and then closes them again. After opening its eyes, if it finds itself surrounded by market manipulators, it shuts its eyes again.”

This BNP lawmaker made a mockery of the existing state of the banking sector saying banks in Bangladesh are under severe attack of looters. They are taking loans worth trillions of taka but aren't repaying. They are doing using this for their own amusement.

Banks are admitted to the cabins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital and physicians of the Bangabandhu Chikitsya Parisad are treating them, he mocked.

According to a report released by private think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in December 2018, Tk 225.02 billion (22,502 crore) has been taken away because of 10 big scams in the banking sector in the last 10 years ending in 2018. These scams mostly happened in the government banks. Though it all started with Hall-Mark Group at Sonali Bank, the biggest scams took place at Janata Bank. Then there massive irregularities and corruption in BASIC Bank and Farmer’s Bank.

Besides, the stock market saw a biggest crash and scams in 2010 with thousands of investors losing their capital. A probe committee had been formed but nobody got any exemplary punishment. Earlier, a share market scam also took place in 1996 and thousands of investors lost everything. However, stocks have been buoyant since July last year. The number of investors as well as transactions increased.

On Thursday, lawmaker Harunur Rashid alleged the constitution isn’t the document of the governance anymore and had turned into documents of cheating the people. Around 40 to 50 murder convicts got presidential pardon during the mahajote ('grand alliance') government’s tenure.

Alleging BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has been punished for political reasons, he demanded Khaleda Zia be provided with the opportunity for better treatment.

The BNP lawmaker said the ruling party and the opposition have turned into a one-party in parliament. Opposition leaders said the opposition has no power in the House. Does the ruling party have any power? Minsters have often said “Only our prime minister is indispensable.” The state can’t run like this. The state will have to be run with the merit and thoughts of the ruling party and the opposition altogether.

Criticising the election commission, Harunur Rashid said why is the commission necessary? Dissolve it, he insisted.

The BNP lawmaker demanded the missing religious preacher Abu Taw Haa be found and extra judicial killings be stopped. He said though he is involved with BNP but never made any derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the prime minister in the past three years. There is no way to deny the achievement of the government. The prime minister has obviously made a history. Padma Bridge and metro rail are being constructed. Bangabandhu satellite is orbiting. A nuclear power plant, tunnels and four to eight-lane roads are being built. But does the country have a democratic atmosphere or any election system, he asked.

At the end of his speech, Harunur Rashid requested the speaker to extend his time. He then said “I’m the leader of the opposition party.” The lawmakers of Jatiya Party instantly protected the remark. At one point, opposition chief whip and Jatiya Party lawmaker Mashiur Rahman stood up in protest and demanded this speech of Harunur Rashid be expunged.

Later on, the speaker said this certain remark of Harunur Rashid would be expunged.

After the speech of Harunur Rashid, the ruling party’s whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud said a BNP lawmaker termed constitution a document of fraud and also declared himself as opposition leader. These remarks must be expunged.

Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud said Ziaur Rahman had crushed the constitution under the boots and began politics of trash. BNP founder is Ziaur Rahman is the instigator of bank looting, he said. Bank looting began from his tenure. Even now, 90 per cent of bank directors are the supporters of BNP.

Those who cast 110 per cent yes and no votes in 1977 and created 13 million (1.3 crore) fake voters in 2006, shouldn’t talk about the vote. Maybe they (BNP) want even Awami League to provide voting agents, the ruling party’s whip said.

Taking the floor in the budget discussion, president of Awami League-led alliance partner Bangladesh Tarikat Federation Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari said corruption, bureaucratic complexity and lack of good governance are barriers to the implementation of the budget.

Workers Party lawmaker Lutfun Nesa Khan said allocation in the health sector is much less than necessary. Above all, funds weren’t used properly or with transparency. All funds for research lie idle. Endemic corruption has taken place in the health sector procurement, she added.

Ruling party lawmaker Shafiul Islam said, “Opposition member are getting 15 minutes to speak and we are getting 7 minutes. This is discrimination. Despite this, they claim that they aren’t given the floor.”

Opposition Jatiya Party lawmaker Rowshan Ara Mannan said the size of a budget never becomes smaller than the previous one. This year’s budget has frustrated small and medium entrepreneurs. Not so much is found in the budget for general people. She demanded people from all strata and students be given the Covid vaccine.

Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh lawmaker Abdul Mannan said people have witnessed the irregularities and corruption in the health sector. The most frustrating scenario has been seen in expenditure. It is because of lack of capacity and skill. Such lack of capacity as well as failure can’t be accepted in an important sector like health.

Among other ruling party lawmakers, AKM Sarwar Jahan, Abu Reza Mohammad Nezam Uddin Nadwi, Anwarul Azim Anar, Shah E Alam and Mohammad Salim Uddin Tarafdar took part in the budget discussion.