The Leader of the Opposition in the National Parliament, Shafiqur Rahman, has launched a sharp critique against the capital city’s fragile drainage network and persistent waterlogging, warning that the current situation poses a severe threat to public health.
Delivering his concluding remarks during the second session of the parliament, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Kaisar Kamal, the opposition leader stated that even minimal rainfall causes widespread flooding across Dhaka, mixing dirty drainage water with clean drinking supplies. Pointing out that Dhaka is the face of the nation to international visitors, Shafiqur Rahman urged the government to allocate special funds in the national budget to execute a coordinated master plan to modernise the city’s infrastructure.
Beyond urban infrastructure, Shafiqur Rahman focused heavily on parliamentary transparency and democratic balance. He expressed deep disappointment over the recent passing of an essential economic bill aimed at lowering unemployment, revealing that opposition members were denied a fair opportunity to thoroughly debate and contribute to the legislation. Without allowing the opposition to perform its duties properly, he warned, sitting in parliament becomes a waste of public funds and time.
The opposition leader also brought attention to recent natural disasters, expressing deep condolences to families affected by deadly floods and landslides across the country. He noted that four divisions suffered major damage, with Chittagong hit the hardest, and called upon the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to provide financial packages for the victims.
Turning to institutional reforms, Shafiqur Rahman praised recent funding boosts for health and education but emphasised the need to introduce moral and religious values at the primary school level for all faiths. He called for the recruitment of qualified religious teachers and better support for overlooked independent madrasas. Furthermore, he urged the government to stop approving schools for state salary support (MPO) based on political links rather than academic merit.
A key part of the speech addressed financial inequality in regional development. Shafiqur Rahman directly informed the Prime Minister that opposition lawmakers are facing unfair treatment, noting that large state development funds are being given to female MPs from the ruling party while opposition members receive nothing. He reminded the house that fair regional development is a core promise of the opposition’s political manifesto.
The opposition leader also condemned the historical habit of using public money to place politicians’ names on government buildings and infrastructure projects. He argued that the practice leads to massive financial waste when governments change and names are replaced, suggesting that individuals who desire personal recognition should fund projects on their land.
Concluding his address, Shafiqur Rahman demanded a zero-tolerance approach to state corruption, urging the Prime Minister to enforce strict legal punishments and hand out arrests rather than just issuing warnings against corrupt officials. Finally, he thanked the Prime Minister for the upcoming July Revolution Memorial Museum and requested a one-month basic salary bonus for the hard-working parliament secretariat staff.
