The Home Ministry should not have any budgetary allocation from the public exchequer as the money police extort from people is enough to run the ministry, a lawmaker told parliament yesterday.
His remark came as the state minister for home sought an annual grant of Tk11,369 crore for his ministry.
The MPs of the Jatiya Party and independent lawmakers joined him and sarcastically proposed to allocate the ministry only Tk1 (one) for its failure to ensure people’s safety.
Another MP said the Home Ministry now symbolises “suffering and fear.”
Law Minister Anisul Huq also drew flak from the MPs who said the ruling party members flouted laws while the poor people were being persecuted.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim faced criticism from the MPs for seeking over Tk11,176 crore as the annual budget.
The legislature, however, rejected the “no allocation” proposal by voice vote and the ministries were allocated the money they sought as the House passed the Appropriation Bill-2014 that guaranteed the allocation.
Independent MPs Rustum Ali Faraji (Pirojpur 3) and Tahjib Alam Siddique (Jhenaidah 2), and the Jatiya Party lawmakers Mohammad Noman (Laxmipur 2), Nurul Islam Milon (Comilla 8) and Sawkat Chowdhure (Nilphamari 4) took the lead in criticising the ministries who were seeking grants.
“The Home Ministry has become the symbol of ‘fear and suffering’ instead of being the symbol of trust. The extortion of the police and other law enforcers is the bitter truth,” Mohammad Noman told the House as State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal sought the annual grant.
“The ministry can be run with the money the police collect as extortion. So, there should not be any grant for the ministry,” he said.
Rustum Ali said the ruling party leaders had become “super OCs” over the officer-in-charge (OC) at every police station. “They harass people by filing false cases,” he said.
Nurul Islam Milon said officers-in-charge (OCs) did not need their monthly salary and the Home Ministry should not be given any allocation.
“The government should chalk out some measures so that the police return to the honest path. It will enhance the image of the government,” he noted.
Sawkat Chowdhure alleged some OCs became Awami Leaguers during the daytime and BNP men at night.
Seeking the annual budget, State Minister Asaduzzaman said: “Regarding extortion, I will urge you to come up with specific information. Please, tell the IGP [inspector general of police] and he will take actions.
“Whenever we get any case of extortion, we immediately transfer them from the posts,” he said.
Rustum Ali bitterly criticised the Law Ministry. “We have numerous laws. We make laws, but do not implement them,” he said.
“Bangladesh is a unique country where the ruling party people flout laws. The laws are only for the poor. And laws are interpreted in different ways by different quarters,” said Faraji.
The Law Ministry had failed to ensure proper implementation of the laws, he said and proposed that the ministry should get Tk1.
Refuting the allegations, Law Minister Anisul Huq told the House that the Home Ministry was in charge of implementing the laws.
“You want better service but talk against giving any allocation. This is not acceptable,” he said.
The MPs also proposed that the Health Ministry should get only Tk1 for the doctors as in the government hospitals they do not provide any service to the rural people.
“I get the smell of graves in the hospitals. The doctors posted at the upazila level go to the hospital once a week to sign the attendance register and do private practice in towns and in cities,” Mohammad Noman said.
He said dishonest hospital staffers intentionally damaged the machines and sold medicines in the market.
Nurul Islam said doctors were not interested in serving rural people.
He suggested that it should be mandated that the students who get admitted into the MBBS course should live in villages for two months at the start of their education. Again, they should go to villages for a stipulated time period so that they can get a feel for the poor and rural people.
He also proposed giving the ministry only Tk1.
Refuting the allegation, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim told the House that the physicians in the developed world did not attend the patients on holidays even if they died.
He said it was not the duty of the health minister or the prime minister to ensure the presence of the doctors at the grassroots levels.
“As representatives of the local people, you have the responsibilities to monitor whether the doctors attend the offices,” said the health minister.
He said the MPs were making “illogical” allegations.
