MPs’ unusual unity to exercise power

Empowerment in local bodies remains still unresolved
MPs’ unusual unity to exercise power
Conspiracy against local development: UZ Chairmen
When the country’s two top political leaders-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia – are draggersdrawn with each other over various issues, their followers are in an unusual unity at Parliament and local level.
Upazila chairmen belonging to ruling Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are united against their MPs to resist their dominance at Upazila Parishad councils.
The Prime Minister on Friday’s at Paltan rally hoped that the united efforts of lawmakers, upazila chairmen and union parishad chairmen would ensure local development and also assured to provide her government’s all-out cooperation but the tug of war between the legislature and upazila parisahd council over their empowerment remained still unresolved.
Some upazila chairmen expressed their dissatisfaction over the issue as they have not yet got PM’s appointment to discuss the issue.
They also apprehended some stray incidents like that of Banaripara in Barisal where AL lawmaker for the Barisal-2 Constituency Monirul Islam Moni and his followers reportedly locked into clashes with Banaripara UZ Chairman Golam Faruk on Friday morning, might take place in some other areas across the country centering respective local issues.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, Convener of Bangladesh Upazila Parishad Association (ABUP) Harun-Or-Rashid termed Banaripara incident as very unfortunate and unexpected.
He said both the people’s representatives should show tolerable attitude, due respect to each other while discharging their respective duties honouring the requirements and aspirations of the common folk as well as voters.
Harun-Or-Rashid, Upazila Chairman of Dumki of Patuakhali district, directly disagreed about further repetition of such untoward incidents but simultaneously he sought PM’s direct intervention to settle troubles in the newly enacted Upazila Act -2009.
AL sources said if the controversial issue is not resolved immediately, intolerances between the MP and UZ Chairman may further increase throughout the country. Besides, there are good numbers of elected Upazila Chairmen who are welknown in their localities as ‘AL’s rebellious candidates who participated in the January 22 elections and won.
Party insiders also claimed Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) and Officer-in- Charge (OCs) are reportedly not happy over the empowerment of Upzaila Chairmen rather they are satisfied with the incumbent decision of the House that empowered the Parliament members over the UZ chairmen.
Meanwhile, another Upazila chairman of Barisal division wishing anonymity told this correspondent that the Premier is very cordial about their legitimate demands as she wants local development.
He said, “People of the country and Hasina’s government wants to decentralize power but parliament members irrespective of party affiliations don’t think so. Both the treasury and opposition benches unanimously voted for the amendment of the Upazila Ordinance. A quarter wants to destroy the process of development of the incumbent government. The Parliamentary Standing Committee apparently dishonoured the decision of the cabinet meeting chaired by PM Sheikh Hasina. Some provisions of the amended Act went against Article of 65 and 59 of the Constitution. But we don’t want to create an unrest centering this”

Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today