Raushan Ershad has said her Jatiya Party wants to assist the government being in the Opposition.
File Photo
But, the Leader of the Opposition admitted in Parliament on Thursday that many saw her party’s role with suspicion.
The position of her husband HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party to play the dual role in parliament has come in for widespread criticism.
After the Jan 5 parliamentary elections boycotted by the BNP, the Jatiya Party’s decision to sit in Opposition despite three of its MPs being inducted in the Awami League-led government sparked intense debate.
Raushan said: “No opposition party had ever helped the government in Bangladesh. But we want (to do) it. But when we are trying to help the government, the move is viewed with suspicion.”
She said many were facing problems accepting it since no other opposition party had ever been seen playing a dual role.
“We believe in the Westminster form of democracy where both the ruling party and the Opposition party are complementary to each other.”
“We believe in Westminster, but we’re firmly entrenched in our own idealism. Then what’s the problem if we assist the government?”
She said that the pace of the country’s development is hampered if the Opposition always criticises the government.
“We’ll never boycott Parliament. Neither will we utter indecent words in Parliament nor throw files away,” she added.
The treasury bench members, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, supported the Opposition Leader by thumping the table.
About the party’s participation in Jan 5 general polls, Jatiya Party chief Ershad’s wife Raushan said: “It was necessary to take part in the election so that no one could come to power through unconstitutional means.”
She said it was necessary to discuss the election system. “One party does not believe another. How can people believe them, if they don’t have faith on each other?”
In her speech on Thursday in Parliament, Raushan also urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take steps to stop food adulteration.
She also criticised river pollution and suggested necessary steps to prevent all kinds of pollutions and food and medicine adulterations.
The Opposition Leader also suggested decentralisation of the administration.
Source: BD news24