Two front bench MPs from the treasury and opposition on Monday expressed their frustration at bypassing political leaders in various emergency periods like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ruling Awami League’s senior lawmaker Tofail Ahmed and Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid expressed their anger and frustration in Parliament while speaking on the general discussion on the next fiscal budget.

AL senior lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said: "Now the administrative officers have been given the responsibility in our district. People think that all the help we gave to the people during Corona was given by these administrative officials."

Also read: Tofail also criticises budget, finds ‘inconsistencies’

But the administrative officials did not go to the area, he claimed.

"The person who has been given responsibility in my area has never come even for a day,” Tofail said, expressing his frustration.

The senior most parliamentarian said that it was unfortunate.

There is not a single MP in parliament who did not stand by the poor and distressed persons during this Coronavirus period. Everyone is standing by the people, he said.

In this connection, he said that he has given relief to 40,000 people in his area.

"But people think that the administrative officials have given all this.”

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He said that the authority and work of a political government and politicians have faded away nowadays.

Tofail criticising the planning minister who recently said that there were bureaucrats even in Pharaoh's time, said: "People don't like these words."

He said that according to the warrant of precedence, MPs are above the secretaries.

"This thing needs to be noticed. We will need officials from the administration, but not with the exclusion of politicians."

Tofail said politicians are the elected representatives and they should have their specific place and job for them and they should remain there.

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“A secretary will go to our district. We'll welcome him. There is no problem in it. But they do not go there even for a day.” 

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister in 1996. At that time the ministers were in charge of the district. Party’s leaders and activists thronged there when they used to visit any district. Those days are gone now.

Kazi Firoz Rashid also echoed Tofail Amed. He said there is no politics in the country today. Secretaries were given responsibility for each district.

Jatiya Party MP Firoz said the Prime Minister spoke to the Deputy Commissioners at different programmes and MPs' positions at those programmes remained at a distance.

"Later (after the programme), MPs requested DC’s…they want to talk a little with the Prime Minister. This is the situation of politicians," he expressed his anger.

He said when the Prime Minister speaks to the DCs, the importance of MPs becomes less. "Tofail Ahmed has perfectly mentioned this issue."

The senior Jatiya Party MP said that the political arenas are slowly being occupied by businessmen.

"Who is running the country? Businessmen and bureaucrats are running the country. We politicians are now standing in the third line. This is our bad luck. But this country has been liberated by politicians."

He said that it is the politicians, not the businessmen who have political commitment. They hold umbrellas to tell in which direction the wind blows.

"We were also in power, we have bitter experience in this regard," he warned.