A heated exchange took place in Parliament on Wednesday over allegations of irregularities and nepotism in the appointment of fertiliser dealers, with opposition bench members creating uproar during the question-answer session.
The issue came up when National Citizen Party-NCP lawmaker Abul Hasnat, while asking a supplementary question to Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid, read out several newspaper headlines and alleged that the newly appointed fertiliser dealers included relatives of lawmakers and ruling party leaders.
An MP's son, brother-in-law and niece's husband have become fertiliser dealers. In Thakurgaon, 28 of the 31 fertiliser dealers are BNP men. Among them, 10 are the wives, children and nieces of party leaders, he said.
Hasnat alleged that reserved-seat MPs had issued demi-official (DO) letters in some areas in exchange for money as part of what he described as a nationwide spree in fertiliser dealership appointments.
Questioning the agriculture minister, he alleged unprecedented corruption in the dealership appointments, claiming that the wives, sons and other relatives of MPs had secured dealerships.
The NCP lawmaker also questioned whether the ministry had deliberately framed the rules in a way that allowed businessmen previously associated with the Awami League to regain business opportunities.
He asked whether the government would review the dealership appointments. “I want a specific answer from the honourable minister as to when this practice will be stopped,” Hasnat said.
In reply, the Agriculture Minister said the government wanted the fertiliser dealership appointment process to be conducted in a festive atmosphere, triggering loud protests from opposition lawmakers.
“He has said there has been a festival over fertiliser dealerships. We want it to be a festival, and people to take it as a festival. I understand the word 'festival' in a positive sense. If you interpret it negatively, that is different,” he said.
As the opposition members created uproar, the treasury bench members started shouting in response.
The minister, saying that he was new to the post, requested lawmakers not to engage in side conversations as it was difficult for him to speak.
“If you are not satisfied with my answer, I will take another question and give another answer. There is no problem,” he said.
The minister said two committees, one at the district level and another at the upazila level, had been formed to oversee the appointment of fertiliser dealers. Applications were invited under certain rules and criteria.
His explanation prompted another round of protests from opposition lawmakers.
At one stage, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal drew the attention of the opposition chief whip to help bring the situation under control.
The agriculture minister said the opposition's suspicions would be cleared once he completed his explanation.
He said applications would be forwarded from upazilas to the offices of deputy commissioners (DCs), where district-level committees would scrutinise them. MPs from the respective areas could serve as advisers to those committees, he added.
This explanation again triggered protests, with opposition lawmakers standing up.
The Deputy Speaker repeatedly asked them to take their seats.
Amid continued protests, the minister said the applications were scrutinised before being forwarded from the DC offices to the ministry, which subsequently announced the appointments.
“This was not done on the signature of one individual,” he said.
Opposition lawmakers continued their protests, with some standing up and demanding the floor.
At this stage, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni rejected the allegation that MPs had taken money to influence the appointments.
He said anyone having evidence of such transactions could discuss the matter with the minister or submit it in writing.
He also demanded that the allegedly false remarks be expunged from the parliamentary proceedings if no evidence could be provided.
Some opposition members continued to demand the floor, but the Speaker did not allow anyone to speak and proceeded to the next question.