They rear their head as polls near

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament a vested quarter has once again become active ahead of the next election and it wants to go to power through unconstitutional means.

“There is a section of people who are the real problem for the country and its people,” she said responding to a supplementary question from opposition lawmaker Fakhrul Imam.

“As they do not have the ability to come to power through elections, they always look for unconstitutional ways. … They don't see any development work done by the government,” she added.

Referring to the last army-backed caretaker government, the PM said those people were glad when the army-backed government assumed office in 2007.

“They had a desire to form a political party to go to power. But when the elections were held, we came to power.”

Recalling the January 5, 2014 polls, Hasina said the same quarter also tried to foil that election.

“As their plan to go to power was foiled with the resistance of the people, many of them were deeply frustrated ... .”

The PM also said that when democracy is practised in the country and it moves towards development, a section of people are not happy about that.

She said such people refuse to see any development work even after being informed about it and were blind and deaf to it despite having eyes and ears.

“If you carry out huge development activities, they won't see this. Their research never sees Bangladesh's development,” she said, raising questions over the source of the money they spend on their research activities.

Earlier on Saturday, the Centre for Policy Dialogue, a civil society think-tank, termed 2017 “the year of banking scam”.

The CPD believes the scams had a very negative impact on the overall economy and that the banking sector may face more such crises soon because of the government's inaction.

In a supplementary question, Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam first lauded the PM for getting so many awards, including the World Humanity Champion, and asked whether it was necessary to construct the coal-based Rampal Thermal Power Plant in the southern region.

In reply, Hasina said the Rampal power plant was necessary for the country's development.

She also said she does not think about awards and only thinks of serving the people and the nation.

Responding to another supplementary question on the inclusion of educational institutions in the monthly pay order (MPO), Hasina said the government would make a decision in this regard in the next budget.

“We have been nationalising educational institutions based on a guideline. We must consider the issue in the next budget.”

She then described her government's development activities, and specifically mentioned Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, and projects in road and rail communications, power and education sectors.