Opposition Jatiya Party, BNP and Gono Forum lawmakers on Thursday slammed the government for what they said deplorable condition in the election commission, education system, law and order and widespread corruption in health sector.
A total of twelve lawmakers of the opposition bench came down heavily on Education Minister Dipu Moni, Law Minster Anisul Haq who is in charge of the election commission and parliamentary affairs, Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal while participating in the discussion on passage of the proposed budget for 2022-23.
Jatiya Party MP Chunu launched the blistering attack on the education minister saying an anarchic situation is prevailing in the sector.
He said students are showing muscle power in different educational institutions under the patronization of a section of teachers.
“Teachers are being humiliated by their own students. So that the environment at the country’s education institutions has been ruined,” he added.
The JP MP said, there is no monitoring by University Grants Commission of alleged mismanagement and irregularities in private and public universities.
“I see lots of people around me who have degree on BBA, MBA. But there is no quality of education in them,” he added.
Pointing to the brutal killing of a college teacher in Savar and humiliating a teacher at Narail, another JP MP Kazi Firoz Rashid questioned, what is happening in educational institutions today?
Education institutions are giving degrees to students but they are not preparing students as proper human beings, he also said.
He also said vice chancellors are being appointed at the universities on political consideration.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid said, “Quality of education and the teachers have fallen to all time record low at present,” he also said.
Describing the sorry state of the country’s education system, Harun said, not a single university of Bangladesh has been placed in the international ranking.
All the opposition MPs blasted the government for insufficient allocation in the proposed budget in education sector comparing to the neighboring countries.
On behalf of the education minister, agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque told parliament that the present situation will not improve overnight.
“It will take time to improve the situation. I do hope, we will be able to bring positive change if we work hard and remain united,” he said.
Razzaque also ruled out the allegations that the private universities are running without control of the government.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid said when people’s confidence in the Election Commission and the electoral system is destroyed, democratic institutions are destroyed. In the last 10 years, people have no confidence on the EC.
He said not the EC, but police and the local administration are holding elections at present.
In order to bring the BNP to the polls, a neutral government must be formed during the elections. There must be free, fair and neutral elections.
Another BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said, the Election Commission has been destroyed under the present government and voting under the present EC cannot be free and fair.
JP MP Shameem Haider Patwari said democracy means elections. The Election Commission has been empowered for holding fair voting. But the vote held in a questionable manner. The EC are now toothless tigers. He proposed formation of electoral police under the Election Commission.
Another JP MP Raushan Ara Mannan said the election will be fair if the current election commission works properly.
Law Minster Anisul Haq who is in charge of the Election Commission in parliamentary affairs, refuted all the allegations of the opposition MPs.
He said BNP is saying that they will not participate in the election without caretaker government.
“But I want to say that the government will not go beyond a single inch of the highest court of the country as the court as declared the caretaker government illegal,” he added.
He said BNP can participate in the polls if they want to.
BNP MPs told the House that police are now engaged to ensure security of Awami League men, they are not engaged in the welfare of people.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid said a terrifying environment is prevailing in the country. Enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killings have not stopped.
Rumeen Farhana said the government is preparing a blue print centering the next national election. One of the signs in this regard is that the government has not renewed the registration of Odhikar, a rights organization.
JP MP Mujibul Haque said there were many questions about the corruption of some police officers. Many officials live a luxurious life in Gulshan and Banani.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in reply to the criticism said, members of police who are committing misdeeds are not being given exemption. Starting from a DIG, many members are now in jail.
He also said the government is taking various measures for ensuring better services of law enforcement agencies.
Almost all the opposition MPs blasted the health minister for widespread corruption in the health sector specially in purchasing of various medical equipment.
They also said people have almost no confidence on the health system of the country due to massive irregularities and that’s why well-off people are rushing abroad for getting treatment.
Zahid Maleque said that no one in the country died in the Covid-19 situation without treatment as the government succeed to ensure treatment for all.
Responding MPs’ criticism that a huge number of people are going abroad for treatment due to poor health services at home, the minister said that there is no reason of taking treatment abroad.
‘Some people are coming to Bangladesh from America to take treatment here,’ he said.
He also said that the government did not procure any unnecessary medical equipment.
Source: United News of Bangladesh