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Why BNP should join the budget session

M. Abdul Latif Mondal
TWO English language national dailies reported last week that influential MPs of BNP had met the party chairperson and leader of the opposition and suggested "boycotting of budget session" of the ninth parliament to protest the continued repression on the opposition. The party chairperson is yet to decide the matter, but sources in the BNP say that she might decide in favour of boycotting the upcoming budget session.
In a parliamentary system, the opposition party often refers to itself as a shadow government. Therefore, the opposition should so conduct itself in
parliament as to persuade the people of the country that it could be an improvement on the government of the day. Keeping the above in view as well as to raise and discuss the following issues in the House, the BNP one of the two largest political parties in the country, should join the forthcoming budget session.
Budget is the annual financial statement or the statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the government of Bangladesh in respect of each financial year. Rules of procedure (ROP) of parliament contain the details on the presentation, discussion, voting, and passage of the budget
The pertinent point here is that the
House is at liberty to discuss the budget as a whole or any question of principle involved in it. The opposition BNP can scrutinise the budget to see whether the priority sectors have got the necessary allocations and whether the government has given priority to containment of its non-productive expenditures and, if not, suggest alternative ways. The treasury bench may not accept the suggestions made by the BNP, but people will appreciate them.
In addition, without any agreement with Bangladesh, India has initiated a move to construct a dam over the crossboundary river Barak which enters into Bangladesh through the Sylhet region before meeting the Meghna. Millions of people are dependent on hundreds of water bodies, fed by the Barak, in the Sylhet region for fishing and agricultural activities.
According to our water experts and environmentalists, the construction of the dam will dry up the river and water bodies in the lower riparian Bangladesh and thereby adversely affect its economy and ecology. While addressing the annual general meeting of Jalalabad
Association at Bangladesh Shishu Academy on May 16, the finance minister said that the Tipaimukh dam would desert the greater Sylhet region by drying up the rivers Surma, Kushiara and Meghna as well as the haors. While’ attending the budget session, the BNP may raise the issue in the House.
Our expatriate workers' earnings, according to the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry, is around 2.5 times the foreign exchange earnings of $4 billion from the RMG sector. Thus it is disheartening to learn that 8,107 Bangladeshi workers died in the foreign soil between January 2004 and May 2009.
It is argued by the government that 8,107 deaths in five years among 6 million expatriate workers is not a significant cause for alarm. But what is alarming to the common people and the near and dear ones of those unfortunate persons is that rights groups are pointing to maltreatment by employers and premature health complications such as heart diseases as major causes for
death.
The case demands discussion in the House to find out ways to investigate these deaths, and negotiate with the governments of countries that are major destinatiofiJfo'r dtese'workers to' offer better health coverage and protection of rights.
The home minister has admitted the deterioration in the law and order situation, but failed to do something effective to improve it. The situation is rather deteriorating with every passing day. Business leaders have expressed serious concern about the deteriorated law and order.
A recent online poll by The Daily Star shows that 80% have opined that deteriorating law and order situation is hampering the business. The criminals are allegedly getting protection from the political godfathers. We find truth in this allegation when some police officials say that the criminals now find it a comfortable environment. The BNP may raise the matter in the House under the rule relating to matters of urgent public interest.
The BNP high command has said
more than once that BNP would fight for the causes of the people both inside and outside the parliament. This has received the appreciation of the people. The BNP MPs not only represent the people of their constituencies, but the country as a whole as the elected opposition.
To conclude, the success of parliamentary democracy depends upon the democratic spirit of tolerance, devoted sense of respect and relentless response towards institutionalism of democracy. In a country like Bangladesh, where democracy has not yet taken a deep root, the political parties, particularly the ruling party or the principal leadership, must do everything towards developing a political culture that would contribute to the successful functioning of democracy. To attain this objective, the ruling leadership must, inter alia, respect the opinion of the opposition, resolve all political disputes with the spirit of democracy, take all steps to make parliament effective.
M. Abdul Latif Mondal is a former Secretary to the Government