Tk20cr allocated for opposition MPs

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told parliament yesterday that nearly Tk 20 crore has been allocated for constituencies represented by opposition lawmakers.

Delivering a statement under Rule 300, the minister said the money had been sanctioned from the prime minister’s discretionary fund for opposition-held constituencies, excluding areas under city corporations.

“I would like to inform the House that our honourable prime minister has sanctioned nearly Tk 20 crore from his discretionary fund for the constituencies represented by opposition members, excluding city corporation areas,” he said.

The minister said the allocation would be used for mosques, graveyards and Eidgahs.
Responding to questions from opposition lawmakers, he said the funds would be distributed through district councils. He added that city corporation areas would be covered later.

Following the statement, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that despite serving in parliament for 40 years, including as an opposition lawmaker, he had never received such an allocation.

“I have spent 40 years in this parliament. I was also a member of the opposition. I never received even a penny. I was arrested and jailed five times. That is all I got, nothing more,” he said.

The speaker also praised opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman for raising a range of national issues during the budget discussion and thanked him for highlighting the problems facing his constituency in Bhola.

He expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury would give due consideration to the opposition leader’s remarks.