A grand fete

How does one describe the lavish feast hosted by a local Awami League leader in Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat recently? Four schools were closed so that 30,000 people could enjoy the food! The host had contested and lost the bid to win Rukindipur union parishad chairman post since the nomination went to someone else. The event was hosted on 30 acres of land, which included the four primary schools. Now, if we calculate that it cost Tk 100 per head then the bill comes to around Tk 30 lakh but others say it could be double that amount. As heard through the grapevine the fund was provided by his elder brother, who is reportedly an audit officer with a certain ministry. If that is true, where does an audit officer get that sort of cash in the first place? This is certainly something worth looking into by the concerned government department.

May we also ask on whose authority were these schools closed? Since when has it become expedient to close public property to hold a private function of a political leader? We would like to know how the district administration officials allowed this to happen. Who will compensate for the break of study for the students, or is that not a concern of the ministry of education these days? Interestingly, the feast was attended by local political leaders (both ruling party and opposition) and government and non-government personnel. We don't suppose it dawned upon any of the guests to protest the illegality of occupying and utilising schools to satisfy the whims of a political leader which created inconvenience for students because he felt it was within his right to do so. Where does it all stop? Or is this the new normal in Bangladesh where political leaders can and will do anything they please?