Opposition MP brands health minister ‘supermodel’ of corruption
The lawmaker criticised the minister following his remark “Talking about the health ministry’s corruption has become a fashion”
Taking part in a general discussion on the proposed budget in the National Parliament on Tuesday, BNP lawmaker Gulam Mohammad Siraj from Bogura-6 constituency branded Health Minister Zahid Maleque as the 'supermodel' of corruption.
The opposition lawmaker criticised the minister following his remark in parliament "Talking about the health ministry's corruption has become a fashion".
"If corruption is not stopped, the budget will flop, and will never succeed," Siraj also said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
On Covid vaccine, he said the decision to get the vaccine from a single source was wrong.
Hasnul Haque Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said, "Everyone knows what happened in procurement in the health sector. There is no minimum good governance in the sector. It is only known for news of corruption."
"They failed to spend the budgetary allocation for the sector, even though it is insufficient. With the amount spent, the ministry has tarnish its image for corruption. "
He also said there has been terrible news of corruption recently. They made arrangements to purchase radar at a cost of Tk1,755 crore. With the intervention of the Prime Minister, the radar was bought for only Tk630 crore. That means the dominance of the syndicate of corrupt-looters exists in all stages of expenditure, project formulation and implementation.
Barrister Rumeen Farhana, BNP MP in the reserved women's seat, said the health ministry could not spend even half of the allocation that was allocated to the sector last financial year.
On Covid vaccination, she said the finance minister in the budget speech had pledged to give Covid vaccines to 25 lakh people a month, but it is not yet certain from which country the vaccines will come from.
Asking why the finance minister seeks the names of money launderers abroad in Parliament, Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu said the minister himself should trace out those names.
The Jatiya Party MP said, "BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid has asked why the ACC is not looking for our resources. When we go to our electoral areas, people there demand lakhs of taka. If we say where can we get so much money?"
They say, "Do MP-ministers lack money?"
"If the ACC gets more than what I mentioned in the affidavit during the election, I will return it. Let's take information about the wealth of those who are in administrative charge. The government should issue an order in this regard," he boldly said.
