Legal action against extra-judicial killings
Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government would publish ‘whitepaper’ on corruption committed during the erstwhile Army-backed Caretaker Government and BNP-led four party alliance government regimes.
During the ‘Question and Answer Session’ in the Parliament on Wednesday, the leader of the House said, “All extra-judicial killings committed across the country earlier would be brought under the trial process and legal action would be taken against members of law enforcing agencies involved in such killings.”
Sheikh Hasina was very critical about the BNP-led opposition’s boycotting the House proceedings centering the row over seating arrangement in the ninth Parliament.
She also accused the outgoing Speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar of creating
problems by arranging the seat-plan for opposition on the front side violating the proportionate seat-distribution system in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS).
“As per the electoral seats that the BNP-led opposition got in the December 29 general election, they would get at most only three seats in the front on the
opposition bench, but the incumbent Speaker allocated four seats which is more than 10 percent according to their electoral seats in the parliament,” the Premier said questioning the opposition, “What did you do for us (AL) while you (BNP) were in the Treasury Bench? Why are you demanding more than what you did for the opposition earlier?”
Hasina compared the walk-out of BNP with the behaviour of school boys who lock into brawl in classes over sitting on the first bench and called upon the BNP to provide all-out cooperation for making the ninth parliament effective.
Asked by MP Mujibul Haque about the list of the corrupt individuals of the BNP-Jamaat government regime and progress of the incumbent government’s initiatives to bring back the siphoned off money, the Prime Minister said, “I have enough information in this connection but for the sake of proper investigation, I’m quite unable to disclose it in the House at present but the government would take steps to bring back those siphoned off money.”
Referring to the widespread corruption during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, she blasted the former Prime Minster, her sons and her Finance Minister and said, “People are well-known for their corruption where the PM herself and Finance Minister whitened black money during the interim government.”
Replying to a query of Rashed Khan Menon about the violation of Human Rights by extra-judicial killing, Sheikh Hasina vehemently protested such type of killings saying, “The BNP-Jamaat government started such type of human rights violation by introducing a sector of killers for their narrow political interest. I admit that some accused had been murdered but many innocent people were become the victims of anti-terrorist drive. The criminal, whoever he or she may be, has right to get legal assistances.”
“Since the very beginning, I was against the extra-judicial killings, however popular it might be. Legal action must be taken against persons found involved in those killings,” the Premier continued, “The government has already formed a Human Rights Commission to ensure the rights of the people and special care would be taken so that no incidence of breaching human right occurs across the country.”
Responding to a query of Anisul Islam Mandol MP (Rangpur-2 constituency), the Prime Minister said her government would take necessary steps to upgrade Rangpur to a division. “Our government has a plan to establish two universities in Rangpur. A women university will be established in the name of Begum Rokeya at Pairaband of Rangpur,” she added.
Answering to another question raised by of lawmaker Mohammad Tajul Islam of Comilla-9 constituency, the Prime Minister said, “The AL government has taken steps to introduce ‘Digital Telephone System’ at every upazila. Till date digital telephone exchanges were set up at 384 out of 420 upazilas across the country. Besides, all upazilas would be brought in the Internet system in phases.”
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
