State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan called upon the Members of Parliament (MPs) on Sunday in parliament to be vocal against police extortion, reports UNB.
He also urged the MPs to give information of any sort of extortion that comes to their knowledge.
The junior minister made the call while responding to harsh criticism from some MPs during their statement on cut motion proposals against the allocation for the Home Ministry in the Appropriation Bill 2014.
Asaduzzaman said the proposed allocation is needed for the ministry as the government has decided to restructure the police force.
Speaking on his cut motion, Tahzeeb Alam Siddiqui (Jhenidah-2) strongly criticised the home ministry saying that the law enforcing agencies have become a symbol of fear and sufferings, not a symbol of confidence.
He said there are allegations that police realise billions of taka as tolls. "The allegation is true, at least to some extent."
Tahzeeb proposed not to give the proposed allocation for the home ministry arguing that the "salary of the police can be paid from tolls collected by them."
Raising his cut motion, Rustom Ali Farazi (Pirojpur-3) said that the law and order situation is not good due to killing, terrorism and false cases. If the public security can not be ensured, the allocation should not be given.
MPs need to oversee rural hospitals: Nasim
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said on Sunday it is the responsibility of local MPs to monitor public hospitals in their respective constituencies to ensure the presence of errant doctors, reports UNB.
"I'll implement 100 per cent the suggestions to be given by MPs over the hospitals in their respective areas after monitoring," he said in parliament.
Responding to criticisms by some MPs during their statements on cut-motion proposals against the allocation for the Health Ministry in the Appropriation Bill 2014, Nasim said, "It's the local MPs who should watch whether the doctors are present in upazila hospitals."
