Kamruzzaman Bablu :
Ideally mercenary mentalities of avowed merchants don’t match with ministering to people who need help in time.
Businessmen narrowly miss the number of bona fide politicians in the cabinet formed after 12th National Parliamentary election which was boycotted by BNP and its allies.
Without being involved in political activities at the grassroots or in one’s profession at any level of life, direct participation in politics is increasing at a significant rate due to the influence of money.
As a result, the main question and challenge is how much the public interest will be safeguarded by these corporate representatives who have gone into the new field of politics.
Of the 37 members of the new cabinet, 16 are businessmen. Seven of them cited agriculture as one of their main sources of income.
Five other ministers and one state minister are lawyers and two ministers and one state minister are farmers.
The number or rate of traders in the new cabinet has decreased compared to the previous cabinet. But they are still the majority.
As many as 22 of the 48 members of the previous cabinet, i.e. 45.83 percent, were businessmen. And in the cabinet formed after the 2014 election, 21 out of 57, i.e. 36.84 per cent, were businessmen, according to the analysis of the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission (EC).
Seven politicians have identified themselves in the affidavit. Three mentioned agriculture as an occupation. Apart from this, two teachers, an architect and a doctor are also in the new cabinet.
“Politicians can be businessmen. But most of the ministers are corporate businessmen,” referring to the predominance of businessmen in the cabinet for the last three parliaments, human rights activist and chairperson of TIB’s board of trustees Sultana Kamal told The New Nation.
The characteristic feature of these corporate businesses is to make profits as they go.
Such a profiteering mentality is held responsible as causes of price hike and economic instability. Now the country’s economy is monopolized by a few people. Through this, an economic uncertainty has been created in public life.
“I can say from previous experience, the corporate businessmen of the cabinet do not care about the interests of the common people except themselves while making laws.
Whose political life we know nothing about, who are not dedicated to politics, have no commitment to people,” said Sultana Kamal.
“This is happening due to the glitches in the electoral system. A large number of these crorepatis come through the selection process.
They are not elected from the grassroots, but rather appointed from the upper echelon of political parties.
Those, who do business in Dhaka and abroad, can’t be public representatives as they don’t stay in touch with people of their constituencies.
I do not see their role in formulating any policy that is friendly to public interest”, added Sultana.
The members of the new cabinet who mentioned business as their profession are – Local Government and Rural Development Minister Tajul Islam, Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Commerce State Minister Ahsanul Islam Titu, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman, Planning Minister Md. Abdus Salam, Expatriate Welfare State Minister Shafikur Rahman Chowdhury, Railway Minister Md. Zillul Hakim, State Minister for Women and Child Affairs Simin Hossain Rimi and State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibur Rahman.
Agriculture Minister Abdus Shaheed, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Housing and Public Works Minister Ubaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid, Lands Minister Narayan Chandra and Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain mentioned about agriculture in addition to business.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury mentioned agriculture as their only occupation.
Law Minister Anisul Haque, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Social Welfare Minister Dipu Moni, Environment and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Information Technology State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak mentioned the legal profession. At least three members of the cabinet are ex-servicemen of the armed forces. There are several doctors, former bureaucrats, teachers and a diplomat.
