Three lawmakers on Tuesday decried the absence of three important ministers in parliament, demanding that cabinet members should be present in house sittings.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Fakhrul Imam drew the attention of the house to the absence of industries minister Amir Hossain Amu, health minister Mohammad Nasim and state minister for home affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal while in a notice on issues of public importance.
Independent lawmaker and Dhaka city Awami League leader Hazi Mohammad Selim and Awami League lawmaker Abul Kalam Azad, also a former minister, joined the discussion censuring the ministers for being absent.
`The full minister is absent and the half-minister, who happens to be my friend, is present. I want to draw the attention of the house to my notice,’
Imam told the house, referring to LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam and state minister for the same ministry Mashiur Rahman Ranga – after the former left the sitting midway while the latter was present.
According to the rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure, the lawmakers read out notice on issues of public importance. The minister in charge of the ministry concerned makes a statement addressing the issues raised by the lawmakers.
Imam raised the issue concerning the local government ministry.
`We raised important notices in the house, but the ministers remain absent. But one newly married minister is present,’ Hazi Selim quipped, referring apparently to railway minister Mazibul Haque, prompting deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, who was chairing Tuesday’s sitting, to warn him not to use ‘unparliamentary’ language.
Hazi Selim tried to continue.
`Your statement will be expunged from the proceedings,’ the deputy speaker said.
The 67-year old Mazibul Haque married a 30-year old woman recently.
While reading out his notice of public importance on food security, former minister Abul Kalam Azad pointed out that the ministers in-charge of home, health, and industries were absent.
He said the house should form a special committee to look into the food security issues as the ministers were absent.
Source: Newage