Parliament
No condition for IMF loan to Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells Parliament
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that the loan Bangladesh is taking from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has no significant conditions attached with it.
“IMF provides loan to a country only when it has the capacity to repay the loan. We’re not taking loan (from IMF) with any conditions,” she said replying to an opposition lawmaker in the House.
Taking the floor on a point of order, Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Haque Chunnu said Bangladesh is now meeting some conditions to get loan from IMF and already raised the electricity tariff and will increase gas price due to the loan and this will lead to soaring prices of commodities and inflation.
PM Hasina said the government is providing subsidy to power and gas. “My question is that which other country of the world provides subsidy to electricity and gas. We’ve increased the electricity generation and ensured electricity supply. But all will have to exercise austerity in using electricity,” she said.
Read more: Bangladesh to be first in Asia to receive loan from IMF’s ‘Resilience and Sustainability Fund’
She said the price of electricity was raised by 150 percent in England following the Ukraine-Russia war. “We’ve just enhanced the price of electricity by only 5 percent and also raised the price of bulk gas to some extent now,” she added.
The PM said the spot price of LNG which was only US$ 6 is now US$ 68 US dollar in the international market. “If so, how much subsidies will the government provide? The government provides the subsidies from the public money,” she said.
She said the commodity prices have soared throughout the world. In Bangladesh, the government provided fair price card and TCB card for the lower and middle-income people so that they can purchase some essential commodities including rice at subsidized rates, she added.
The premier said, “We’re providing huge subsidy to agriculture. Now if we need to provide Tk 40,000-60,000 crore to electricity-gas generation and supply then how will we provide this?”
She said the inflation came down slightly in December and January last in the country. The food inflation is 13.3 percent in a country like England. The same situation prevails in all other countries of the world. But Bangladesh has not fallen into such situation yet, she added.
The PM put emphasis on austerity in usage of electricity and gas. The use of electricity was reduced by 50 percent in Prime Minister’s Office and Ganabhaban. If all take such measures, they can practice austerity in the use of electricity, she said
Read more: Pay production cost to get smooth supply of gas, electricity: PM Hasina tells industries
Sheikh Hasina said she clearly told the businesspeople that the government can provide uninterrupted gas supply to them, if they agree to pay the same rate what the government spends to procure gas from international market.
“If they want uninterrupted gas supply, they would have to pay the same price what the government needs to procure gas. There is no reason to provide subsidy here,” she said.
In reply to a question from Jatiya Party MP Syed Abu Hossain, the PM said the risk of food crisis has emerged due to the overall economic and social negative impacts of the overlong Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
She said the overlong Corona pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have impacted the global economy and Bangladesh is no exception here.
Hasina said her government has taken various measures to ensure no food shortage occurs in the country due to global economic recession and food crisis.
The measures include increasing farm production by brining all the fallow lands under cultivation, construction of modern food godowns and ensure storage of safe foods.
Responding to another question from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif, the premier placed the statistics on the progress building 10 mega projects.
Sheikh Hasina said she clearly told the businesspeople that the government can provide uninterrupted gas supply to them, if they agree to pay the same rate what the government spends to procure gas from international market.
“If they want uninterrupted gas supply, they would have to pay the same price what the government needs to procure gas. There is no reason to provide subsidy here,” she said.
In reply to a question from Jatiya Party MP Syed Abu Hossain, the PM said the risk of food crisis has emerged due to the overall economic and social negative impacts of the overlong Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
She said the overlong Corona pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have impacted the global economy and Bangladesh is no exception here.
Hasina said her government has taken various measures to ensure no food shortage occurs in the country due to global economic recession and food crisis.
The measures include increasing farm production by brining all the fallow lands under cultivation, construction of modern food godowns and ensure storage of safe foods.
Responding to another question from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif, the premier placed the statistics on the progress building 10 mega projects.
Govt seeks amendment to Public Service Act to extend coverage
The Public Service (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was placed in Parliament on Tuesday seeking to make mandatory for the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies to take clearance from the Finance Division over financial expenditures.
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain tabled the proposed legislation and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.
Read more: Bill incorporating max 10 years’ jail for leaking PSC exam questions passed in parliament
In the existing Public Service Act, 2018, the Finance Division has authority over the financial matters of the government entities, officials and employees, but it was not clear what would be the involvement of the Finance Division regarding the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies.
The public universities, the Election Commission, or local bodies like city corporations and union parishads will have to take opinions of the Finance Division over their financial expenditures.
Read more: Bill placed in JS to establish universities in Meherpur, Naogaon
It had been mandatory too for the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies to take clearance from the Finance Division before, but the enactment of the existing law in 2018 made it unclear.
Bill incorporating max 10 years’ jail for leaking PSC exam questions passed in parliament
Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) Bill 2023 was passed in the parliament today incorporating punishment for involvement in any irregularity in PSC exams.
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain moved the bill in the House and it was passed by voice vote.
The maximum punishment for involvement in leaking questions of any PSC exam will be 10 years’ jail or financial penalty or both, according to the draft law.
The bill will replace the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1977 in line with a judgment of the High Court over the laws of military regimes.
The maximum punishment for adopting unfair means in examination and engagement in answer sheet forgery would be two years’ jail or financial penalty or both.
Also Read: Chunnu wants finance minister's view on reported corruption of MPs, WASA MD
The penalty is the same for helping any examinee taking unfair mens in the exam hall, fake examinees and tampering with answer sheet.
The penalty is one year of jail or financial penalty or both for creating obstacles in taking examinations and creating anarchy.
As per the bill, apart from question paper leaks, other crimes will also be punished by mobile courts.
There will be a public service commission to be called the Bangladesh Public Service Commission.
The number of members of the Commission, including the Chairman, shall be not less than six nor more than 20.
There will be a secretariat of the Commission where a secretary of the government will be appointed as the Commission Secretary.
Chunnu wants finance minister's view on reported corruption of MPs, WASA MD
Speaking in parliament, Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu on Sunday placed a question for Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on whether news published in different media recently about overseas property and assets owned by Bangladeshis, including MPs, is true or false.
He also demanded that the government investigate these matters. Chunnu was speaking on a point of order.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, however, was not present in the house.
Chunnu said news was published that the WASA MD owns 23 houses in USA. Such questions are coming about two members of parliament as well.
"I request the finance minister to tell us whether all these news are true or not. Because our foreign minister said earlier that there are many bureaucrats among those who are making their homes in Begum Para in Canada. There should be an inquiry into all these things. These allegations should be resolved,” Chunnu said.
Also read: JP’s Rustum Ali Faraji blasts Finance Minister for his silence on state of economy
Urging the finance minister to open his mouth on these issues, Chunnu said that different media are publishing such news ahead of the next election which is tarnishing the image of the government as well as their (JP's) image as the opposition party.
The JP MP said such news is sending the wrong message among the people of the country that MPs and ministers earn hundreds of crores of taka and making houses in From in home and abroad.
He said the finance minister should open his mouth about this.
The Finance Ministry along with the Bangladesh Bank should conduct an investigation and make a clear statement on the matter, he added.
Matia Chowdhury next Deputy Leader of the House
Senior Awami League leader and AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury is going to be the next Deputy Leader of the House.
The AL Parliamentary Party took the decision in its meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office with Prime Minister and AL chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader proposed Matia Chowdhury’s name for the post, which was seconded by Chief Whip of Parliament, Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters emerging from the meeting.
The post of Deputy Leader fell vacant after Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury died on September 11.
Former presidium member of the ruling party, Sajeda was appointed the deputy leader of the 11th parliament for the third consecutive term.
Matia, an MP from Sherpur-2, was an agriculture minister during the Awami League government's tenure.
There is no mandatory legal obligation to appoint someone in the post of the Deputy Leader in Parliament.
During the BNP-Jamaat government from 2001-06, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia did not appoint anyone as deputy leader.
However, Awami League has always placed a senior leader in this position of ministerial rank.
Matia is a five-time Member of Parliament.
In the meeting, the Prime Minister said that she has a report card from intelligence agencies on the lawmakers’ activities and those who are connected with people and doing good work in their constituencies, will get nomination in the next election, meeting sources said.
“But those who are detached from people will not be considered for nomination,” the PM was quoted as saying by the source.
About BNP’s ongoing anti-government movement, the PM said the government has no objection to the opposition’s ongoing movement if it is carried out peacefully.
Read more: 21st Parliament session to continue till Feb 9
“But they will be tackled with an iron hand if they resort to arson attack and vandalism likewise its anti-government movement it had carried out in the past,” a lawmaker quoted Hasina as saying in the meeting.
The PM said her government will not run for new development projects at this moment considering the economic situation of the country.
Rather, the government will emphasise on the completion of the ongoing projects.
The meeting lasted for around one-and-a-half-hour starting around 8:00pm.
The Prime Minister called upon MPs to talk to people and tell them about the government’s various development activities.
She also said that the government is determined to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner.
Read more: Sajeda Chowdhury's death is a great loss, PM tells JS
JP’s Rustum Ali Faraji blasts Finance Minister for his silence on state of economy
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday came under fierce attack from a Jatiya Party MP for maintaining silence on the country’s various ongoing economic issues.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Md. Rustum Ali Faraji in Parliament strongly criticised the Finance Minister participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech.
Read more: Govt on track to introduce ‘lawful interception system’ to monitor social media, thwart anti-state activities: Home Minister tells JS
The opposition MP from Pirojpur-3 said the Finance Minister does not talk about the sorry state of the stock market, ongoing economic situation, foreign reserves and remittances.
“He is a very dignified, modest, experienced, insightful person. He cannot be disrespected. But why is he silent?”
The JP MP, however, highly lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Faraji said that many are becoming loan defaulters in a 'freestyle'. They are making money through corruption and bribery and those money are being laundered abroad, he said.
“This is the responsibility of the Finance Minister to look into this matter. But he is not saying anything about this. He became completely silent. The Finance Minister has to answer. Take part in the debate,” he said.
“I hope he (the minister) will explain these issues.”
Faraji said the money, which has been laundered, should be brought back to the country.
“It is the Finance Minister's responsibility to do this.”
Read more: 1st quarter performance of FY22-23 budget satisfactory: Finance Minister
The JP MP urged the minister to publish photographs of those who looted and smuggled thousands of crores of taka in newspapers.
“Then people will see those photographs and spit on them. Because they're not human beings."
Faraji said that many people want to become ministers again and again. Because there are mines for money there, he said.
“They want to become ministers for money,” he said.
Govt on track to introduce ‘lawful interception system’ to monitor social media, thwart anti-state activities: Home Minister tells JS
The government has taken initiative to introduce an “Integrated Lawful Interception System (ILIS)” in a bid to monitor social media platforms and thwart various anti-state and anti-government activities, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday.
The Home Minister divulged the matter in Parliament while replying to a tabled question from ruling Awami League MP from Dhaka-10 Md Shafiul Islam.
Read more: Will act against those trying to create anarchy: Home Minister
Shafiul wanted to know whether the government will increase vigilance to thwart local and foreign conspiracy inside the country.
In reply, the Home Minister said that law enforcement and intelligence agencies are working relentlessly to thwart any kinds of conspiracy against the country.
“Besides, modern technology like Open Source Intelligence Technology (OSINT) has been included in the National Tele¬communication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) to prevent different anti-state and anti-government activities through monitoring social media platforms on the Internet,” he said.
Asaduzzaman also said that efforts were also made to introduce ILIS in this regard.
Explaining the logic behind placing the activities of National Identity Card (NID) under his ministry, Khan said that the Election Commission (EC) has no involvement with the usage of NID except for voting purposes.
Read more: Security agencies will act, if vandalism is there in the name of protests, says Home Minister
In reply to a query from Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan the minister said that the national identity registration process is done under the executive department in almost all the countries of the world.
“In view of the reality, it should be under the executive department in Bangladesh like other countries,” he said.
For this reason, he said that the process of bringing it (issuance of NID cards) under the security service department of the Ministry of Home Affairs is ongoing.
AL is party of people, no force can dislodge it from power: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that there is now no force in Bangladesh that can overthrow her Awami League government.
“The Awami League has deep roots among the people. No such force has yet emerged that can topple the Awami League government,” she told Parliament, replying to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam.
Hasina, also the AL president, said her party wasn’t born from the pocket of any power-grabber and military dictator, rather it was born from the soil and the people of this country. “So, our roots have gone deeper into the soil,” she said.
She said dictators like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Gen. Ziaur Rahman, Gen. Ershad and Khaleda Zia tried to destroy Awami League but failed. No such force will ever again be able to do so with the AL, she said.
“When Awami League is in power, it means the government serves the people and changes the fate of the people,” she said, asking all to remember what the condition of Bangladesh was before her party was voted to power 14 years ago.
In his question, Fakhrul referred to one-eleven political changeover in 2007 and asked the PM if she thinks it is now time to reach political compromise among all parties though there is no possibility that the country would witness another one-eleven due to her wise leadership.
Read more: If come to power, will build ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041: PM tells JS
The PM said those who polluted the election, utterly destroyed the electoral process, snatched away the voting rights of the people and played ducks and drakes with the fate of the people are now raising questions over election.
“What right do they have to raise questions (regarding election)? ….If we analyze every election, we see that the people can vote peacefully when the Awami League is in power,” she said.
She said the people vote for the Awami League spontaneously because they know this party keeps the promises it makes.
Hasina said BNP didn’t join the 2014 general election as the party knew that they secured only 30 seats in the 2008 election and the country witnessed an unprecedented development thanks to steps taken by the grand alliance government. “So, the people bestowed their trust and confidence in us and voted for us. They (BNP) boycotted the election,” she said.
The PM said BNP apparently stood aside from the 2018 election midway due to nomination business and tried to make the polls questionable. “They have been able to make it questionable by carrying out different campaigns and propaganda…. But the people still have trust and confidence in Awami League,” she added.
Pointing to Fakhrul, the PM said there is nothing to be scared. “Don’t be scared. We’re still here (in power). There is nothing to be worried,” she added.
In reply to another supplementary question from AL lawmaker Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, the premier said the government would take tougher action, if necessary, against the hoarders of commodities and black marketeers in order to ease the sufferings of consumers.
She said the matter is really unfortunate here in Bangladesh that the businessmen try to enhance the commodity prices anyhow during Ramazan and other festivals when their demands go higher. But in other countries, the prices of commodities are always reduced during festivals.
She said the businesspeople are dilly dallying in importing commodities in many cases as they want to make profit by increasing the prices and demand of goods. “It is inhumane,” she added.
“We’re taking proper actions against the hoarders, black-marketeers and those who are engaged in LC-related anomalies…. If needed, we’ll take tougher actions and we will pay special attention so that people won’t suffer,” she added.
Read more: If voted to power in next election, will continue Bangladesh’s dev journey: PM tells CPC Vice-Minister
Responding to a supplementary question from AL MP Ahasanul Islam (Titu), the PM said the government is taking steps to ensure proper supply of commodities during the upcoming Ramazan.
“We want so that the people of our country won’t suffer during Ramazan,” she said.
The government has kept arrangements to open LCs for importing essential consumer goods from different countries, she said adding that there is no problem in opening LCs for importing food items at proper prices.
In reply to a question from Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan, the PM outright rejected the allegations of corruption in various mega projects and threw a challenge to place specific evidence—where and how much money was lost due to corruption.
“The allegations he has raised are completely baseless…. I am throwing a challenge to the lawmaker that he will have to say clearly here about where and what amount (of money) was lost due to corruption and I will answer to these,” she said.
Mukabbir in his question raised allegations of corruption in mega projects and quick rental power plants.
Tk 32.46cr due: Govt confiscates Regent Airways’ bank account
The government has confiscated the bank account of Regent Airways to collect the dues of Tk 32.46 crore, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in parliament on Tuesday.
Responding to a tabled question from Awami League MP Mohammad Habib Hasan, the minister said that Regent Airways owes the government Tk 32.46 crore in travel tax, but Tk 1.37 crore has been recovered by confiscating the bank account.
Read more: United Airways reiterates commitment to revive the airline
In his question, Habib Hasan wanted to know whether there is any unpaid dues of travel tax from domestic airlines. He also wanted to know what steps the government has taken to collect the dues.
Due to Regent Airways being shut down, the dues remain unpaid. Their bank accounts were seized to collect the unpaid dues, the finance minister said.
Read more: 'Air Incheon-Korean Airlines’ introduces direct cargo flight from Bangladesh to South Korea
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Regent Airways postponed all its international and domestic flight operations in 2020.
No new pay scale, dearness allowance for govt employees right now: Finance Minister
The government has no plan to announce new pay scale or dearness allowance for the government employees right now, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in Parliament on Tuesday.
The minister said this in reply to a tabled question from Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan.
Read more: Primary school headmasters to get grade 10 pay scale: SC
The finance minister said that the government issued the National Pay Scale Order in 2015, which is still in force.
In the past, government employees were given the benefit of salary increment every year as per the pay scale order.
But, due to the provision of increase in percentage of the basic pay in the National Pay Scale 2015, the annual salary of the government employee increase at a fixed rate up to a certain limit, which has been playing a positive role in improving the standard of living of the government employees at all levels, the minister said.
“Amid the post-Covid global recession, inflation has increased around the globe with hike in commodity prices, which has also affected Bangladesh.The government has taken various steps to control inflation and normalize the market situation.”
Read more: Govt employees demand amending 8th pay scale
The finance minister said that in the current situation, the government has launched a programme to provide daily essentials through family cards at a lower price.
The government is trying to take practical steps to increase the financial capacity of people.
“In this situation, there is no plan to announce new pay scale or dearness allowance for the government employees at this moment,” Kamal said.