Workers Party’s Menon, BNP’s Rumeen criticise bureaucrats for corruption, harassing public

Two lawmakers, Workers Party's Rashed Khan Menon and BNP's Rumeen Farhana, in parliament today came down heavily on a section of bureaucrats for their involvement in corruption and harassing common people and journalists on different occasions.

Rumeen Farhana elected in reserved seats for women in parliament launched the attack on bureaucrats saying the situation will become really difficult if bureaucrats behave like pharaoh.

Rumeen said that bureaucrats are necessary to run a modern country and its government.

"But the situation really becomes difficult if bureaucrats behave like pharaohs."

For example, she said an Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Bogura's Adamdighi Upazila imposed fine on a goat for consuming flower trees on the upazila office premises in May.

She also said through harassment of journalist Rozina Islam of Prothom Alo by the health ministry officials, it has been proven that people in different sectors are being harassed by bureaucrats.

Pointing to a provision of launching mobile court as mentioned in the "Iodised Salt Bill", Rumeen strongly opposed it saying mobile court cannot exist in a country where independent judiciary system exists.

"Mobile court is being operated by the country's executive division which is totally contradictory to Article 22, Article 115 and Article 116 of the Constitution," she also, adding operation of mobile court through executive magistrate is against the spirit of the Constitution.

Speaking on the proposed budget for 2021-22 fiscal, Menon said the government has taken various actions against persons involved in corruption in health sector including Regent Hospital scam.

"But no actions were taken against officials who had posed for photograph and inked the agreement with the Regent Hospital," he added.

He also said Prime Minister's time fitting and brave measures to contain Covid-19 pandemic could not bring much result due to some particular group's bureaucracy and rich people quarter close to power.