BNP in power means records – now loan defaults: Rumeen Farhana

Rumeen Farhana, independent member of parliament elected from Brahmanbaria-2, has said it is not possible for the BNP to come to power without Bangladesh becoming champion in corruption.

She said it is also not possible for the BNP to come to power without Bangladesh achieving the highest position in loan default for the first time, adding that BNP coming to power therefore means reaching the top in loan default.

She made these remarks while speaking on a motion for public opinion on a bill during the third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday (September 9) night.

The lawmaker said every government has a certain character, adding that it is not possible for the BNP to come to power without a gas and electricity crisis occurring, and it is also not possible for the BNP to come to power without a fertiliser crisis and poor farmers being deprived of fertiliser through looting.

At this point, Rumin Farhana said the parliament has become so intolerant that it feels as if they have gone back to the Awami League era, adding that it is not bad, since when she used to criticize the Awami League they too used to create uproar, and now the BNP is behaving in the same way, even worse.

At this, when members from the ruling party's side started creating an uproar, Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal called for order and asked everyone to remain calm.

Noting that most members of this parliament are known as loan defaulters, she said it is their old culture to go to the High Court seeking a writ to get their names removed before elections, adding that they have seen this many times before, where names are quickly removed from the loan defaulters' list ahead of elections. After this, when Rumeen Farhana's allotted two minutes ended, her microphone was switched off, but she continued speaking without a microphone, at which point uproar was heard in parliament again.

The deputy speaker subsequently tried to restore order in parliament by repeatedly calling for order, after which he drew the attention of the ruling party's chief whip.

Addressing the chief whip, the deputy speaker said an honourable member was speaking and she has every liberty to speak, but other honourable members obstructing her from speaking is against democratic norms. He said, as chief whip of the treasury bench, he would request that every honourable member of parliament has liberty here, and they should present their statements, adding that when their turn comes, they can rebut it then, but obstructing someone from speaking is not desirable under any circumstances.