AL MP wears placard to parliament for dam
Patuakhali MP says all the government’s development works in his area will be washed away if there is not a permanent embankment
An Awami League (AL) lawmaker of the coastal area addressed the parliament Wednesday with a placard hanging from the neck that said, "We do not want relief; we want an embankment".
While taking part in a general discussion on the proposed budget, ruling party lawmaker from Patuakhali's Dasmina-Galachipa SM Shahjada told the House that he had to face the wrath of the people for not having a solid embankment.
He said he met the disappointed people of his constituency as he went to visit them after the cyclone Yaas.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"Not only me, many coastal MPs also fell into such situations. Locals do not want relief, they want permanent embankments," he told the House.
The lawmaker said, "I found the locals with such placards. As I am not isolated from those people, I have worn it like this."
Later Shahjada told The Business Standard that there are three rivers on three sides of his constituency.
"I repeatedly placed demand orders for dam construction to protect my areas from river erosion and other natural calamities. I requested the authorities, but to no avail," he added.
"The government has developed every sector in my area. But if there are no solid embankments, all those developmental projects will be washed away."
"As the representative of the people, my prime duty is to protect them. I had to wear the placard in protest of the inaction of the authorities since I had no other option to communicate better," SM Shahjada told TBS.
He said he needs 50 kilometres of embankment in his area.
