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Wealthy, they turned poor for medical bills

Shakhawat Liton AND Rashidul Hasan
Former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain had requested Khaleda Zia. then the prime minister, to relax the medical expenses rules and gran t them Tk 37.86 lakh
In their applications to the PM in 2006, both cited "inability" to bear the medical costs. But Khaleda did not buy that and declined to stretch the rules, show documents preserved at the parliament secretariat
The two were in fact millionaires as per the wealth statements they submitted before the ninth parliamentary election.
Turned down by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sircar drew Tk 27.86 lakh as medical bill of his °wn account. In doing so, he disregarded the parliament secretariat's objections.
He however gave an undertaking that he would return the money if the Supreme Court askshim.
As prime minister, Khaleda already gave himTk 10 lakh for treatment in 2003.
These are also findings of the all-party parliamentary probe body, which placed its report in parliament on Thursday.
"As I am not financially solvent, I shall be grateful if the expenses amounting to Tk 27, 86,364 is disbursed from the parliament budget by relaxing "The Special Medical Attendance Rules, 1950" under rule 12. And for the act of kindness, I shall remain ever grateful,” the former speaker wrote to the prime minister in April 2006.
He addressed her as 'Respected Madam'.
Sircar flouted the rules and ignored the parliament secretariat's opposition also in case of Delwar. He however had an undertaking from the then chief whip's son and daughter before disbursement of the funds.
Delwar in his letter to the former speaker said he is incapable of paying for the medical expenses.
He sought Tk 14 lakh, but Sircar directed the parliament secretariat to apply to the then premier forTk 10 lakh to cover Delwar's treatment costs.
Sircar finally gave him Tk 6 lakh as medical allowance, while the ex-chief whip drew Tk 18 lakh from the parliament members' club to "bear the
medical expenses".
The wealth statements submitted with nomination papers for the December 29 general election do not support the two leaders' insolvencyclaims.
According to Sircar's statement, he earns Tk 11.67 lakh a year. He has around Tk 27.06 lakh in cash and Tk 2.8 lakh in deposits. His wife has around Tk 2.92 lakh in accounts with different banks and financial institutions.
He has 1,200 tolas of gold [around 14 kg] and electronics and furniture worth Tk 50,000.
He and his wife together have savings and fixed deposits to the tune of around Tk 34 lakh.
Besides, he owns a Toyota Corolla worth about Tk 12.67 lakh.
Of the immovable property, he has 12.09 acres of land, and his wife has 3.32 acres.
As per the affidavit submit-ted to the Election Commission, he met his election expenditure from his own sources of income.
Sircar, who failed to win in the December 29 polls, has returned to parliament in a byelection recently.
According to Delwar's wealth statement to the EC,
the BNP secretary general's savings certificates, fixed deposits, ornaments and cash total Tk 1.47 crore.
He has a two-storey building under construction, a six-storey building with 14 shops and a five-storey with five shops in Dhaka and Manikganj.
The statement claims these structures combined are worthTkl.88 crore.
The price of the 22-katha land at 103 Sharatchandra Road in the city’s Armanitola is shown to beTk 16.05 lakh.
Delwar's annual income is Tk 5 lakh and expenditure Tk 1.80 lakh.
He has a Toyota Land Cruiser worth Tk 32 lakh.
He had Tk 19.98 lakh in cash when he submitted the nomination papers for the December 29 election.
Moreover, his son Khandaker Akhtar Hamid Dablu, who gave an undertaking to receive Tk 6 lakh from the parliament secretariat, was rich enough to pay for his father's treatment.
His wealth statement submitted to the EC for election from Dhaka-19 say's he hasTk 20.66 lakh in cash.
He has two flats on New Eskaton Road, shops and
office space in the capital. These along with a pistol, a shotgun and cash were worth Tk 64.98 lakh.
Each of the flats--one of 1.800 square feet and the other 900 square feet—is valued at Tkl4.461akh.
He has two bighas of land in Manikganj and Savar, and those are worth Tk 2 lakh.
In fiscal year 2006-07, Tk 8 lakh was earmarked to cover the medical expenses for chief whip, whips and the parliament secretariat officials.
Interestingly, Sircar and Delwar alone took Tk 33.87 lakh as medical allowances, forcing the secretariat to manage the additional amount from allocations for other purposes.
Besides, the then speaker granted his deputy Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui Tk 1.21 lakh in 2008 on an undertaking that the money would be returned.
Apart from irregulanties in claiming the expenses. Sircar did not return furniture, airconditioner, sofa and household appliances worth Tk 12 lakh to the parliament secretariat after his tenure expired.
Delwar did the same, saying many household items had got lost. He was exempted from the Liabilities by Sircar.