AL, JP MPs walk out of JS body meet to protest decision

The parliamentary standing committee on land ministry had earlier recommended stoppage of work on the project following allegations of corruption in flat allocation process.

AL and JP members of the standing committee at its last meeting yesterday alleged that the ruling alliance wants to take a quick decision on the housing project to make money illegally.

But State Minister for Land Ukil Abdus Sattar told the meeting that the government intends to amend the contract signed between it and the company concerned but it is not possible unless the House body withdraws its earlier suggestion to stop the project work.

Committee member Abdul Karim Abbasi chaired the meeting as its Chairman Mahbubur Rahman was not present. AL lawmaker Promod Mankin questioned the committee chairman's absence from the meeting and said, "I think it is a political disease, and nothing else."

The committee at its last meeting once again failed to disclose the names of land grabbers across the country.

Meeting sources mentioned that flat allocation at Bhashantek housing project was the fourth item out of six on the notified meeting agenda. But the chair of the meeting raised this issue first ignoring the schedule. "It is an important matter, so we should discuss this first. And we do not have enough time to discuss other issues," he was quoted as saying.

Protesting the decision of the chair, AL and JP lawmakers said they want to discuss everything according to the meeting agenda, including the first three items on it.

But ignoring this, the chair continued the discussion on the housing project. The AL and JP lawmakers then walked out of the meeting.

Later, the committee decided to withdraw its earlier suggestion.

"This decision was necessary to amend the contract on Bhashantek project but the government will take action against anybody involved in corruption in the project ," Abbasi told reporters after the meeting.

Echoing his views, the state minister told reporters that the new decision has nothing to do with land grabbers. But it is important to us as the law ministry could not vet amending the project deal due to the previous suggestion of the House body.

After the walkout, JP lawmaker Golam Habib Dulal said, "They (ruling coalition members) have discussed Bhashantek project as they took money from the project director. So, we have walked out of the meeting to protest this."

He alleged that the committee has totally failed to perform its duties properly. It could not take a single decision against the land grabbers.

AL lawmaker Enamul Haque told reporters, "Earlier the committee had suggested stopping the project due to corruption, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is working on it. But the committee has now taken a new decision without getting any report from the PMO."

Promod Mankin alleged that the ruling alliance members and the land ministry took up Bhashantek issue first in their own interest.