An opposition Jatiya Party MP on Monday heavily criticised the government for inclusion of Darwin’s theory of evolution in a new class 7 textbook. Golam Kibria Tipu, lawmaker from Barishal-3, while participating in the thanksgiving motion on the President Abdul Hamid’s speech in parliament said it is an anti-religious propaganda that humans 'came from monkeys'.  “As Muslims we are children of Adam. There is no chance of being monkeys. It is an insult to Islam. A blasphemy law should be enacted in this regard,” he said.  The JP MP in his speech demanded that the government form a commission for finding out who was behind inclusion of such controversial topics in the textbook. “We saw Darwin’s theory. Humans came from monkeys. This is an anti-religious propaganda. They hurt Islam. We are Muslims. We believe that we are children of Adam. Blasphemy law should be enacted in this country.” Read more: NCTB gives corrections for 9 mistakes in 3 textbooks of new curriculum The MP from the opposition party also said that Germany has a blasphemy law.  “If necessary, we can shortcut that blasphemy law to be applicable in our country. Those who are involved in anti-religious activities should be prosecuted under this blasphemy law. Otherwise there will be anarchy in the country.” He also said that no devout Muslim could accept this.  “I don't know whether the government hears such sentiment (of people against Darwin’s theory). We go out and listen to what people say about human beings coming from monkeys. People are very aggrieved, the situation is like volcanoes. This has hurt every Muslim.”   The JP MP said this was done deliberately to put the government in a controversial position.

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. READ: Parliament passes new national budget by voice vote 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.

Opposition MPs on Tuesday in parliament termed the proposed budget for 2022-23 fiscal as unethical. They said this while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget. “This budget is not a problem-solving budget, nor a people-oriented one. This budget will increase the pressure on the middle class. It is an unethical budget that has given the opportunity to bring back the laundered money without any question,” Jatiya Party lawmaker Shameem Haider Patwari said. Coming down heavily on Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the Jatiya Party MP said, "This budget is a business-friendly and plastic-friendly budget. It is also a tobacco company-friendly budget." He also said the proposed budget has a huge deficit. The budget has said that Tk 98,000 crore will be collected from foreign sources which seems impossible. “This budget will put pressure on banks, employment and small and medium loans.” He proposed to increase the tax-free income limit to Tk 5 lakh, increase the capacity of NBR, increase tax capacity, increase the incentive for expatriate income to 5 percent, provide pension to expatriates, and give importance to creating skilled manpower. READ: Supplementary budget for 2021-22 passed in JS He also strongly criticized Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen for his unprofessional attitude in dealing with journalists. BNP MP Zahidur Rahman said the budget was formulated to bring back the smuggled money of money launderers safely. “This budget is aimed at giving a chance to the beneficiaries and a number of dishonest businessmen to smuggle money,” he said. He said the proposal to give money smugglers a chance to get their money back with nominal taxes is unethical. The BNP MP also said giving the opportunity to legalize laundered money is not justifiable from any economic, political or moral point of view. He demanded to identify the money launderers and confiscate their assets. Describing the proposed budget as ambitious, the BNP MP said it was not possible to implement the budget. “There is no effective strategy in this budget to reduce the prices of daily necessities.” Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, there are many positive aspects in the budget. However, the issue of air pollution should have been included in this budget. "We make laws here but how much are the people getting its benefits? There are 29 lakh cases pending at different courts. We want to see initiatives and guidance in this regard in the budget,” Saber Hossain said. Calling for action to control tobacco, Saber Hossain said that 1.60 lakh people die prematurely in Bangladesh every year due to tobacco. The ruling party lawmaker price of cigarettes is increased every year and taxes are levied on it. But companies are making more money without increasing production costs as a result the government is losing three thousand crore Taka. He also said the Prime Minister has announced to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. But the way it is going, the country will not be tobacco-free even in 2080. Saber Hossain Chowdhury said: "We did not come to the parliament to increase the profit of the tobacco company. We belong to the government party. I was selected with electoral symbol of boat. We stand by every decision of the government. I support that. But when such a situation arises, we have to choose. There is obviously a conflict in the initial proposal of the budget. Then what will we do? Shall we abstain from voting? We don't want that. We want to fully support the budget proposal of the finance minister.” Ruling AL MPs-Abdus Sobhan, Aroma Dutta, Anwarul Abedin Khan, among others highly lauded the budget terming it pro-people and visionary.

Opposition lawmakers in Parliament Monday harshly criticised the law enforcement agencies for their engagement in various irregularities and offenses. They made the criticism while placing their cut motions over additional allocation of Tk 178 crore against the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry in the supplementary budget for 2021-22 fiscal. BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid said there are allegations against police regarding extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and human rights violations. “These allegations are not untrue,” he said. He said the institution that is named the Election Commission should be abolished. “Hand it over to the police. What is its necessity? There is no need for the Election Commission until Vision 2041 (remains unimplemented).” Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary said today it is essential to make police liable. If they had been made liable internally, the sanction would not come on them from outside the country, he said. READ: Mobile operators owe Tk 13,068 cr to government, Jabbar tells JS “We need to have a special commission for police today and formation of an all-party special committee on human rights in this parliament in this regard,” he said. The special committee would investigate any allegation made by the people and submit reports and make the proper persons liable, said the JP lawmaker.  “A culture of no-liability and a culture of impunity have started prevailing in the country,” said Shameem. BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said the people are still being harassed by police. “Police is no longer a force of the state rather it has turned into a complete political force …. Torture in police custody has become a regular matter,” she said. Ganoforum lawmaker Mukabbir Khan said the trend of engagement of police members --from constable to high officers- in criminal activities has increased as those who commit offenses are not brought to justice properly and they are not getting proper punishment. “The whole police department comes under question due to their offenses. The matters should be taken care of,” he said. In reply to their criticism, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on behalf of the Home Minister said the police are performing their duties very efficiently under the present government. He said many police officers lose their jobs due to irregularities and many ones have faced trial and been punished for their excesses. JP MP Rowshan Ara Mannan, BNP MP Md. Mosharof Hosen and Independent MP Rezaul Karim Bablu also placed their cut motions against the additional allocation for the Public Security Division.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday expressed her frustration for not having a strong opposition in the country as the two main opposition parties, created by military rulers, don't have base among the mass people. “We are not getting strong opposition. They do not have their position among the people of the country,” she said. She said this while holding a views exchange meeting with the officials of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The meeting lasting three and half hours was held at the PMO with the prime minister in the chair. Apparently pointing to the opposition BNP and Jatiya Party she said both were created by the military dictators, who grabbed the state power defying the Constitution. “They don't have any interest for the country and its people,” she said.  Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said that her party is the only political party that comes from the land and people of the country. “For that reason all our thinking always centres round the country and its people,” she said. She said that in developed countries politics is dominated by two parties only. “In most of the cases there is no other party except two parties. There is reluctance seen in the other parties in participating in elections. Same thing is happening in our countries also,” she said. She mentioned that when the western world talks about democracy and participatory elections, they hardly think about the situation in Bangladesh where the opposition parties have no strong popular support. Also read: Work for people’s welfare, PM urges police force Hasina discounted the propaganda about Bangladesh becoming another Sri Lanka (a nation in economic crisis).   “We are taking various types of assistance for development. That’s right. But we are not loan defaulter and even during the COVID-19 pandemic we repaid our loans, Bangladesh is the only country that repay all loans in due time,” she said. She said that Bangladesh takes various types of development programmes and before taking that the government do its proper calculation.  “From where we should take loan and how much, what benefits we will get from this development and what will be the return – all these are well analysed and calculated,” she said. Regarding the foreign investments Hasina said that Bangladesh welcomes only the investment which will be beneficial for the country. “We do not accept any investment just for showing investments are coming.”

President Jovenel Moise said Friday that he is optimistic that negotiations with a coalition of his political opponents will succeed in forging a power-sharing deal to end months of deadlock that have left Haiti without a functioning government.

Poland's opposition parties elected their candidate as speaker of the Senate on Tuesday, a small victory that allows them to check the power of the populist right-wing ruling party.