Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has informed parliament that around Tk 200 million will be allocated for the constituencies of opposition MPs.
The parliamentary session on Monday was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad. Leader of the Opposition Md Shafiqur Rahman was first to speak. Then Mirza Fakhrul made a statement under Rule 300.
Mirza Fakhrul had initially wanted to make a statement at the end of the session on Sunday. However, when opposition members walked out after they did not get the opportunity to speak on the point of order, he said that he would make the statement on Monday.
In that statement, the local government minister said, “For the parliament’s information, our honourable prime minister has approved around Tk 200 million from his discretionary fund for the constituencies of our opposition members, excluding city corporations.”
He said that this allocation has been made for mosques, graveyards, and Eidgahs.
When the opposition party spoke up at this time, Mirza Fakhrul said, “This is from the district council. It will be done later in the city corporations.
‘I Spent 40 Years in Parliament; I Did Not Get a Penny’
After Mirza Fakhrul’s statement, Speaker Hafiz said that he had been a parliamentarian for a long time and had also been a member of the opposition party but had never received any such allocation.
He said, “I also spent 40 years in this parliament… I never received a penny. I was arrested and went to jail five times. That’s all I got. Nothing else.”
Thanking the leader of the opposition, the speaker said that he had highlighted various problems facing the country in the budget discussion.
“I sincerely thank the honourable leader of the opposition. He spoke for an hour on various problems of the country and shed light on the budget.”
The speaker said that the leader of the opposition’s speech also mentioned the problems of Bhola, but that he could not raise the problems facing his constituency while sitting in the chair.
“I cannot raise the problems of my homeland, my constituency, Bhola, here because I am sitting in this chair. However, he has kindly put that in his speech to the nation.”
The speaker expressed the hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury would “fairly” address the leader of the opposition’s speech.
The government has approved an allocation of around Tk 200 million for development projects in constituencies represented by opposition members of parliament, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has told parliament.
Speaking during Monday’s parliamentary sitting under the chair of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the minister said that the funding had been sanctioned by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman from the prime minister’s discretionary fund.
According to the minister, the money will be used for projects involving mosques, graveyards and Eidgahs in constituencies outside city corporation areas.
He added that areas within city corporations would receive similar support at a later stage through separate arrangements.
Mirza Fakhrul had planned to deliver the statement at the close of Sunday’s sitting.
However, he postponed it until Monday after opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber, saying they had not been given an opportunity to raise points of order.
As the minister announced the allocation, opposition members responded from their seats.
He clarified that the current funding would be distributed through district councils and did not include city corporation areas.
“I spent 40 years in Parliament; I did not get a penny,” Mirza Fakhrul mentioned.
Following the minister’s remarks, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad reflected on his own parliamentary experience, noting that he had served for four decades, including time on the opposition benches, without receiving similar financial support.
“I also spent 40 years in this parliament and never received a penny,” the Speaker said, recalling that he had also been arrested and imprisoned five times during his political career.
The speaker went on to thank opposition leader Md Shafiqur Rahman for his contribution to the budget debate, saying his speech had highlighted a range of national issues.
He noted that the opposition leader had also raised concerns affecting the district of Bhola, explaining that parliamentary convention prevented him from advocating directly for issues relating to his own constituency while serving as Speaker.
Expressing hope for a constructive response, the Speaker said he expected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury to give due consideration to the issues raised during the opposition leader’s address.
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