National Parliament Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni has said that everything signed in the July Charter will be implemented, and that constitutional amendments will be made wherever necessary to carry them out.
He said: “Our position on the July Charter is completely clear. We will implement everything that was signed, down to every comma and semicolon. To implement it, the constitution must be amended. There is no alternative path without amending the constitution.”
The chief whip made the comments at a press briefing at the Parliament building Friday (September 11), following the third session of the National Parliament. Whips M Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Md Akhtaruzzaman Mia and A B M Ashraf Uddin (Nizan) were also present.
The chief whip said the government wants to work together with the opposition to implement the July Charter. He said everyone needs to come forward unitedly on constitutional amendments. Noting that the constitution has been amended on various occasions since it was adopted, he said amendments can be made as needed, and the current government also wants to proceed along that path to implement the July Charter.
He said the third session ran for just nine working days, beginning August 27 and ending September 10. During this period, six bills were tabled and six bills passed. Notices and discussions took place under various rules of parliamentary procedure — discussions were held on two notices under Rule 68, on 14 matters under Rule 71, and on 124 notices under the two-minute statement rule.
The chief whip said that of 144 questions submitted to the prime minister, the prime minister himself answered 15. Cabinet members together answered 1,678 of a total of 2,676 questions.
He said among the significant laws passed in the third session was one concerning property transfer and lifetime usufruct rights over property. He said this law would ensure protection for elderly parents.
The chief whip said that in many cases, parents become helpless in old age after transferring property to their children, with some forced to live in old-age homes. Under the new law, he said, arrangements have been made to ensure parents retain the right to use that property during their lifetime, even after transferring it.
Criticising opposition to the law, he said ensuring responsibility and respect toward parents should never be overlooked. Addressing those invoking religious provisions, he said honouring and protecting parents is also an important part of religious values.
The chief whip also spoke about laws on preventing enforced disappearances and human rights. He said that before drafting these laws, opinions were taken from ambassadors of various countries, relevant stakeholders, lawyers, judges and journalists. He said efforts were made to further strengthen the laws with consideration that human rights must not be violated in any way.
On the electricity and gas crisis, he said protests or long marches cannot instantly resolve power and gas problems. Setting up a power plant requires at least two to three years, he said, calling for the government to be given time to work on solving this long-standing problem.
The chief whip alleged that huge sums were spent on the power sector under the previous government due to various agreements and capacity charges. He alleged that arrangements were made to pay capacity charges even when power plants were not in production. He said the current government is reviewing these matters.
He added that changes were also made to how electricity and gas prices were set under the previous government. He said the current government is reviewing the situation on these issues and taking necessary steps.
On agriculture and fertiliser, he said agricultural loans and farmer cards were among the government’s early decisions aimed at supporting farmers. He said a large number of farming families would benefit under this programme.
Claiming the country has adequate fertiliser stock, the chief whip said the country currently has a surplus of 1.6 million metric tonnes of fertiliser. He said there may be some flaws in fertiliser management, but the government is working to deliver fertiliser to farmers.
Responding to a question, the chief whip said the government is discussing and reviewing 101 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that Bangladesh signed with various foreign countries. He said results on these matters would come quickly, adding that the financial aspects of the agreements are also being considered.
He said the government wants to advance relations with various countries while giving top priority to protecting Bangladesh’s interests. While no country is viewed as an enemy and all are considered friends, national interest will be given priority, he said.
On opposition representation in parliamentary standing committees, the chief whip said that of 39 ministry-related standing committees, 22 committees include three opposition members each, while the remaining committees include two opposition members each.
The chief whip said examples of opposition members chairing standing committees have been very limited in the past. However, the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee — the most important committee overseeing government spending — has been given to opposition member Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
Asked about the relationship between the government and the opposition in parliament, he said differences between the two parties have not widened; rather, relations have grown closer. He also remarked that the opposition leader is trying to construct a different political narrative.
On the opposition’s long march over the power crisis, the chief whip said the prime minister has already said that if long marches could solve the power problem, the government itself would have marched first.
Calling on journalists to report news objectively, the chief whip said that if the government makes mistakes, that must also be written about, and if the government does the right thing, that must also be highlighted.
He said that if there is any shortfall in the government’s sincerity, journalists will bring it to light. He claimed that Prime Minister Tareque Rahman is working to protect the country’s development, democracy, independence and sovereignty.
The chief whip said that with a parliamentary majority, the government could pass laws if it wished. But instead, he said, the government wants to move the country forward by taking everyone along. He said the prime minister has repeatedly said he is not the prime minister of one party, but the prime minister of Bangladesh.
Saying the government wants cooperation from everyone, including the opposition, to build the country into a self-reliant, democratic state, the chief whip said the government will take all necessary steps to protect independence and sovereignty and improve people’s standard of living.
He said: “Together, the government and the opposition, we want to move this country forward unitedly. We want to make the country self-reliant. We want to protect the country’s independence. We want to build a democratic environment. We will do whatever is needed for that.”