DHAKA: Veteran leader of the ruling Awami League Suranjit Sengupta MP stood against the government decisions on closing car-refueling stations, mill-factories and educational institutions during the month of Ramadan as remedies for gas crunch and traffic tailback.
“The government should run the country keeping everything open since ‘closing’ cannot be a political philosophy,” he said at a discussion meeting arranged Friday to commemorate the party’s slain paramount leader, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangladesh Enterprise for Development and Security Studies organised the discussion on the occasion of the ‘National Mourning Day’ at the National Press Club, where the Awami League Advisory Council member also spoke on the scrapping of the constitution fifth amendment, military regimes since the August 15, 1975 changeover and the ongoing war-crime trial.
Regarding the Supreme Court verdict canceling out the Fifth Amendment he said it is time to go back to the ‘72 Constitution, as the court declared the Mostaq-Sayem-Zia regime illegal and unconstitutional through proscribing the ratifications.
“Now we will decide what law is to be made as per the verdict,” Sengupta, co-chair of the parliamentary special committee assigned to the national task of recasting the constitution based on the apex court’s judgment.
He observed that the government ought to mobilize people if to complete the major tasks like execution of the fugitive murderers of Bangabandhu and trial of Jail killings, war crimes, 21 August grenade attack and ten-truck arms haul.
AB Tazul Islam, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs, at the discussion meet said, “As there was instigation of Ziaur Rahman behind the Bangabandhu killing, he should be brought under trial (posthumously).”
Suranjit Sengupta came up with the criticism of the government’s contingency measures as the government decided to shut down CNG stations at peak hours of the day in view of the Ramadan rush. Under the rationing recipe to make do with the limited output of the gas, the refueling stations in and around the capital will have to close for six hours from 3pm to 9pm from August 16.
The government has already suspended gas supply to all fertilizer-manufacturing factories, including Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company (KAFCO), under the gas-rationing plan prepared to gear up power plants to tackle electricity shortages in the country.
Besides, all the educational institutions across the country will be sent into a month-long vacation for Eid-ul-Fitr from August 14 as per government initiative to ease traffic congestions in the capital.
BDST: 1510 HRS, AUG 13, 2010
