Three lawmakers on Tuesday in Jatiya Sangsad blasted the government for the sorry state of the banking and financial sector.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and two independent lawmakers Pankaj Nath and Hamidul Haque Khandker said that when it came to financial institutions and banks, panic gripped everyone.
Interest waivers were being given to big companies on lame excuses and the Bangladesh Bank could not exercise its powers in this regard, they said.
The lawmakers came down hard on the government while participating in the discussion during the passage of the 鈥楶ayment and Settlement Bill-2024鈥� in the Jatiya Sangsad.
Finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, however, did not respond to the criticism of the lawmakers.
Participating in the debate on the bill, Pankaj Nath highlighted the report of a national daily on the interest waiver of four industrial establishments.
鈥楾k 6,497 crore in interest has been waived for four institutions. Special approval of Bangladesh Bank was required. I will not go into details, I will not say the names of the organisations,鈥� he said.
鈥楾his special approval is given by Bangladesh Bank. State owned bank Janata Bank is dying. I also know the status of private bank NBL [National Bank],鈥� Pankaj Nath continued.
Criticising the interest waiver, he further said that interest can be waived for the situations like natural calamities and death of borrowers but here no such situation arose to allow the interest waivers.
The interest was waived for these companies only for lame excuses, the lawmaker said.
Without mentioning the name of NBR official Matiur Rahman, Pankaj Nath said that a controversial person鈥檚 name had become a household topic because of the rampant corruption that person committed.
One person held 3-4 important positions in the state bureaucracy鈥攖he director positions of a state owned bank and the National Board of Revenue along with the chairman post of an appellate tribunal, he said.
He asked who recommended his name for these crucial positions.
鈥楾he ghost remains within the mustard,鈥� Pankaj Nath said referring to a Bangla proverb, adding that none but the prime minister would be able to remove this ghost.
In the discussion of the bill, Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that PK Halder had left for India with the smuggled money. Many companies went bankrupt.
Hafiz Uddin said also alleged that the Bangladesh Bank could not exercise its power.
Today 10鈥�20 banks were closed. Their financial condition became fragile, he said.