GM Quader
Bangladesh may face Sri Lanka-like situation: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quade on Thursday warned that Bangladesh may face a Sri Lanka-like situation due to the implementation of mega projects with foreign loans.
“Sri Lanka has many similarities with Bangladesh. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka receive remittances from abroad, earn foreign currency from tourism and the garment industry,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion meeting, the Jatiya Party chief also said Sri Lanka did not become bankrupt because of the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war.
He said there was a civil war for almost ten years in the country, but Sri Lanka has not gone bankrupt for that reason. “Sri Lanka has become bankrupt by paying the foreign debts.”
Jatiya Party arranged the programme at its Kakrail central office in memory of party founder HM Ershad marking his third death anniversary.
GM Quader said the national budget for 2022-23 was formulated depending on debts. "So, we urged the government to reduce the management cost, but it had not taken any initiative in this regard.”
He alleged that thousands of crores of taka are being spent for merrymaking unnecessarily.
He said the government could not collect tax from people as per its target during the last fiscal year. “The situation would be worse this time if the common people could not pay the tax.”
Read: New budget ambitious: GM Quader
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said the government has been implementing mega projects with foreign loans. “When we have to repay the loan with interest, the situation of the country will become very bad.”
He said if a mega project is implemented with a loan of Tk 30,000 crore and earns Tk 365 crore in a year at a rate of Tk 1 crore per day, it will take 90 years to repay the original loan let alone the interests.
“Sri Lanka has become bankrupt while trying to repay the foreign debts with interests.”
The Jatiya Party chief said the banks in Bangladesh have been facing liquidity crisis due to debt dependence. “If the operation expenses are not reduced, the government will have to pay salary and allowance of the government employees by borrowing from the banks. That is why the situation in Bangladesh can be that of now in Sri Lanka.”
He also bemoaned that plundering of public money is going on in the country in the name of mega projects. “Thousands of crores of taka are being siphoned off abroad from the country every year.”
Quader said the government has now come up with a way to legalise the thousands of crores of laundered money earned illegally in exchange for taxes. “There’s no such precedent anywhere in the world. If the crime is forgiven by paying tax, then the murder and robbery can also be legalised through the tax.”
The leaders and activist of Jatiya Party and associate bodies observed the third death anniversary of former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Thursday amid various programmes.
HM Ershad, who was ousted in 1990 after his nine years of autocratic rule, died on July 14, 2019 at the age of 89 while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka.
Shinzo Abe was a true friend of Bangladesh: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday expressed deep shock over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In a condolence message, he said’ “The late Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was a true friend of Bangladesh.”
Under his leadership, the Jatiya Party chief said Japan became a unique development partner of Bangladesh.
Also read: Bangladesh observing state mourning paying respect to Abe
“The news of the death of such a genuine friend of Bangladesh can’t be accepted,” said GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament.
He also condemned the murder of the former Japanese Prime Minister.
The Jatiya Party chairman prayed for the peace of the departed soul of the late Prime Minister of Japan.
He also expressed his sympathy to the bereaved people of Japan.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Shinzo Abe.
Shinzo Abe, 67, died after being shot while giving a campaign speech in Japan on Friday.
Abe immediately collapsed and was seen bleeding before he was taken to hospital.
The attack on Abe and his subsequent death shocked the entire world.
Bangladesh is observing state mourning today (July 9) showing deep respect to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
GM Quader opposes scheme to whiten black money in budget
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday opposed the proposal to whiten black money, or legalising smuggled money by paying tax on it in the proposed budget.
"The finance minister has recognised money laundering as a good deed," he said.
Quader, also Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, said this while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal.
Quader said that The finance minister used to deny money laundering.
"But with this proposal, he has not only recognized money laundering, he has recognized this act as a good deed."
Criticizing the budget proposal to legalize money laundering through paying certain amount of tax, GM Quader said that Illegal money will be legalized only if taxes are paid.
"This will not eliminate bad people and nurture good ones. Rather it will encourage bad people and oppress good ones."
Also Read: New budget ambitious:GM Quader
He said that This is against good governance.
"We can never support it. I don't think money launderers will bring their money back [to the country].”
He said that the government rather should take measures to prevent money laundering and to bring the money launderers under punishment.
Referring to the proposed budget as a debt-based deficit budget, Quader said that This budget is as usual and ambitious.
"Expenditure has increased in all sectors of the budget but no vision has been seen.”
He mentioned that this huge budget is unusual given the instability and economic downturn caused by the Covi-19 and ongoing Ukraine war.
"I don't think it will be possible to materialize the development budget. The promise of controlling inflation does not seem to be possible, rather it may increase.”
He feared that it would not be possible to collect revenue as per the target.
He demanded the introduction of retirement allowance for MPs.
Meanwhile, opposing the proposal of giving scope to bring back the laundered money, Gono Forum MP Mokabbir Khan said that this proposal is immoral and illegal.
"Giving the traitors a chance to bring back the smuggled money cannot be supported in any way. Steps should have been taken to prevent money laundering abroad.”
New budget ambitious: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Thursday said the budget for FY-2022-2023 is ambitious in the context of instability in the world market caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Instability has been prevailing in the world market due to the Corona pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. That’s why the prices of various commodities and fuel oil are increasing. In such a reality, the huge budget has to be called an ambitious one,” he said.
Talking to reporters in the tunnel of the Jatiya Sangsad, the Jatiya Party chief also said a deficit of Tk 2.5 lakh crore has been shown in the budget which is above 5 per cent of the GDP.
Stating that 36 per cent of the budget revenue is dependent on domestic loans, he said it will hamper local investment by the businesses. “As a result, the path to create new employment may be shrunk.
Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, feared that the increase in the amount of foreign debt may lead to a catastrophe like Sri Lanka’s as the government has targeted 14.2 per cent foreign loans to implement the budget.
Also Read: Finance Minister starts unveiling Tk 678,064 cr national budget
Mentioning that the Bangladesh Bank has devalued taka against the US dollar, he said the lives of middle and lower-class people of the country may become miserable due to inflation.
GM Quader said there should have been an initiative to buy essential commodities, including rice, pulses, and oil from the world market and sell them to the poor at low prices with subsidies.
Besides, he said the tax collection target has been set at Tk42,000 crore more than last year. “The adverse impacts of extra tax collection will only increase the suffering of the common man.”
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal unveiled the Tk 678,064 crore national budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with a special focus on economic recovery from uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
This is the country’s 51st budget and the 23rd of the Awami League government in five terms.
The proposed expenditure for the new fiscal year is 14.24 per cent higher than the revised budget for the outgoing fiscal year (Tk 5,93,500 crore). That amount of money is equal to 15.23 per cent of the total GDP of Bangladesh.
The size of the budget given by Kamal in the outgoing fiscal year was 12 per cent more than the revised budget in the fiscal year 2020-21 and was equal to 16.4 per cent of GDP.
Sitakunda Fire: GM Quader demands judicial probe
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Sunday demanded a judicial investigation into the massive fire at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda to uncover the reason behind it.
In a statement, he said, “The nation has become shocked and stunned by such a terrible fire incident. Bangladesh's image in world trade has also been severely damaged.”
Also read: GM Quader expresses doubt about fair polls under ‘despotic’ govt
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said that it should be examined whether there is any negligence in the maintenance or the storage of the containers.
“Exemplary punishment should be ensured against those responsible for the blaze. A judicial inquiry committee should be formed to find out the real reasons behind the fire incident,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chairman suggested enhancing Bangladesh's capacity to prevent fire incidents.
He expressed deep shock and sorrow over the huge casualties in the fire.
GM Quader prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls of the victims and conveyed his profound sympathy to the bereaved families.
He wished speedy recovery to the injured and urged the authorities concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured.
Also read: Bangladesh has become a paradise for money launderers: GM Quader
The Jatiya Party chief also called upon the government to provide families of the injured and the dead with judicious compensation.
A deadly fire that broke out at BM Container Depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda on Saturday night killed at least 49 people and injured more than 300 others.
GM Quader expresses doubt about fair polls under ‘despotic’ govt
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday expressed doubt about a fair general election under an authoritarian government.
“The administration or the constitutional institutions are helpless before an authoritarian government. “So there’re concerns about a fair election under an authoritarian government,” he said.
GM Quader, also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, made the comments while speaking at a programme at the Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office.
A group of women entrepreneurs, led by Nazmin Sultana, the founding president of the voluntary organization 'Alokito Manush Foundation', joined Jatiya Party at the programme.
Also read: Bangladesh has become a paradise for money launderers: GM Quader
Welcoming those who joined the party, GM Quader said the Prime Minister has already announced that the next national election will be held using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“If the EVM is not used in all the constituencies, it would be used in the constituencies where the ruling party candidates are unable to openly establish their influence,” he observed.
GM Quader said Jatiya Party does not want a farcical election in the country.
He said if the Election Commission invited their party to join a dialogue with it they will take a positive decision through discussions in their party forum.
The Jatiya Party chief said Awami League and BNP have introduced a colonial rule in the country. “Administrators were appointed to exploit the people during the colonial period. Administrators were accountable only to the government, not to the common people.”
He alleged that there is no iota of democracy now in the country and administrators have been appointed in all cases. “Politicians have now no authority. So no one is now accountable to the country’s people.”
Also read: EVMs in national election won't be logical: GM Quader
Replying to a question, GM Quader said Jatiya Party will take the decision on joining any alliance in the next election by understanding the pre-polls situation and the expectations of the common people.
He, however, said their party is moving ahead in the field of politics with the preparations for contesting the elections in 300 seats.
Bangladesh has become a paradise for money launderers: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday bemoaned that Bangladesh seems to have become a paradise for the money launderers.
In a statement, he also demanded that a list of those who are siphoning off money abroad be published as people want to see exemplary punishment against them.
“A vested quarter is making money illegally and again siphoning off it abroad. As if Bangladesh is now a paradise for the money launderers,” he said
Referring to a report of Global Financial Integrity (GFI), the Jatiya Party chief said Tk64,000 crore is being siphoned off on an average every year from the country.
According to the data of the GFI, he said Tk320,000 crore has been maundered from the country in five years from 2009 to 2015 while Tk4.5 lakh crore in just six years. “Of this, more than Tk1 lakh crore has been siphoned off in 2015 alone.”
READ: EVMs in national election won't be logical: GM Quader
As per media reports, GM Quader said thousands of crores of takas are being laundered from the country every year to 10 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the US, the UK, Switzerland, the UAE and Thailand.
“The people of the country want to know how the country's money is being siphoned off abroad by dodging the eyes of the authorities concerned. They also want to know who are abetting the money launderers of the country,” he observed.
GM Quader also said it should also be investigated whether the authorities concerned are reluctant to play their role in containing money laundering.
He said strict penalties should be ensured against the money launderers and their abettors. “It’ll never be possible to prevent money laundering if those involved in siphoning off the country’s money abroad are not punished.”
EVMs in national election won't be logical: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has said the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next parliamentary election will not be logical.
"Voting by EVMs will be illogical in a country where symbols are used next to the candidates' names as many voters can't read," he said.
GM Quader was addressing a meeting of the Jatiya Party Dhaka North unit at the party chairman's Banani office auditorium.
The JP chief said no candidate can challenge the results of the election that is held using EVMs for lack of ballot papers. "The results that the voting machines give will be announced. It is like the government wants to send the people of the country to the Mars, but a living environment has not been created there."
Also Read: Deaths on roads on the rise for lack of effective steps: GM Quader
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in Parliament, said: "The way the country is being run will end the dream for democracy."
He urged the leaders and activists of the JP to get ready to carry out a struggle for their survival.
The JP leader said there is no democracy in the country as an one-party dictatorship has been introduced. "Autocracy has been given legitimacy by amending the constitution. The country has been under a constitutional dictatorship since 1991."
Deaths on roads on the rise for lack of effective steps: GM Quader
Voicing deep concerns over the loss of huge lives in different road accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday said no effective step has been taken to reduce road crashes.
In a statement, he said though 50 years have elapsed since the independence of Bangladesh, roads are still not safe for people.
“Countless people are dying on the roads every day. There is almost no effective measure to prevent accidents. Deaths of the country’s people on roads every day seem to be a normal affair now,” the Jatiya Party chief observed.
Also Read: Nothing is more shameful than attacking journalists: GM Quader
Referring to the statistics of the Road Safety Foundation, he said 139 people died in 112 road accidents in five days from May 1 to 5.
Of them, GM Quader said 56 were motorcyclists.
He also said 249 people, including 97 motorcyclists, died in 178 road accidents from April 25 to May 5.
Besides, the Jatiya Party chief said many people were injured in these accidents.
He said people lost their lives in road accidents on their way to homes to share the joy of Eid with their loved ones.
Also Read: Rabiul's death in police custody must be probed: GM Quader
“Eid-ul-Fitr has become mournful for the families of the victims due to unsafe roads. The people of the country do not want to hear the news of such tragic accidents every day,” GM Quader said.
Stating that the authorities concerned need to be more proactive in ensuring road safety, he demanded legal action against those responsible for the road accidents.
Nothing is more shameful than attacking journalists: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday strongly denounced the attacks on newsmen during clashes between shop employees and Dhaka College students in New Market area, and sought legal action against the perpetrators.
“Attacks on media workers are tantamount to clamping down on free press,” he said.
Read: Violent clashes erupt again between Dhaka College students, traders; over 30 hurt
GM Quader, also the Deputy Opposition Leader in Parliament, came up with the comment while addressing a views-exchange meeting with Sylhet divisional Jatiya Party leaders at the party chairman’s Banani office.
He bemoaned that media workers are coming under attacks repeatedly while collecting information and performing their duties. “Nothing can be more shameful than this.”
The Jatiya Party chief urged the law enforcement agencies to take stern action against those who are indulging terrorism and anarchy violating the sanctity of Ramadan.
Read: Depression peaking in university students over future job prospects: SUST study
Earlier in the day, over 30 people, including at least seven journalists, were injured as a group of students of Dhaka College locked into a series of clashes with shop employees in New Market in the capital.
The injured journalists alleged that both the rowdy students and shop employees beat them up when they were discharging their professional duties.