BNP Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid has said that while everyone aspires to become a Member of Parliament (MP), none is interested in positions such as Union Parishad (UP) chairman, member, or Upazila chairman.
She made these remarks on Thursday while speaking at a Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) meeting held at a hotel in the capital.
“You take away the power from MPs, and no one will want to be an MP anymore,” she observed.
She further said that if you walk through the streets today, you’ll only see posters of people declaring their intention to contest for MP. Everyone’s ambition is to become an MP.
Highlighting the need to reassess the extent of authority given to MPs, the BNP organizing secretary added, “For the past 17 years, those who entered parliament without a real vote have acted as if it is their birthright to do whatever they please. Why should MPs receive cars for parliament, why are they allowed to import vehicles from abroad, and why should local administration officials be bound to obey their instructions?”
The meeting was attended by European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, National Consensus Commission Member Badiul Alam Majumdar, and representatives from various political parties, with CPD Distinguished Fellow Rounaq Jahan chairing the session.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
