How can govt officials afford Tk50/60 lakh club memberships?, MP asks

A senior lawmaker yesterday questioned how government employees can afford the memberships of elite clubs in the capital like the Uttara Boat Club.

"I have heard one has to spend Tk50-60 lakh to become a member of the [Uttara Boat Club]. How do government officials obtain a membership here? Where does all this money come from?" Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Haque Chunnu said in a session in parliament.

Lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties in the parliament session engaged in a heated debate over alcohol consumption and gambling in different elite clubs.

They raised questions over the membership of government officials in different elite clubs and the legitimacy of the amount of liquor sold there.

Corruption by government officials, money laundering abroad, the lack of measures to curb money laundering, embezzlement of money from banks and financial institutions, a lack of proper supervision, irregularities and incompetence of health officials, transgression of project director in various projects, elite clubs, liquor, gambling, etc have been in the centre of the discussion for the past few days.

In November 2020, the foreign minister said – on the basis of information he had about the corruption of government officials – that government employees smuggled more money abroad.

"I thought the number of politicians would be higher. But, I was surprised by the information that came to me. In terms of numbers, many of our government employees have more homes in Canada and their children live there."

According to a March report by the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based research institute in the United States, an average of $753.37 million or about Tk64,000 crore is smuggled from Bangladesh through international trade every year.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has been criticised in parliament for seeking information from opposition lawmakers about money laundering abroad.

Chunnu, who is also the Jatiya Party co-chairperson, sought the prime minister's intervention to stop "DJ parties" in the posh areas of the capital.

"I will request the prime minister to instruct the home minister to look into why all this is happening. Why won't these be stopped? Who are the members of those clubs?" he said.

Following his speech, Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Selim blamed BNP founder Ziaur Rahman for first issuing liquor and gambling licences in Bangladesh.

"This is just a boat club. Ziaur Rahman launched steamer clubs. Bangabandhu had stopped licensing liquor and gambling, but Ziaur Rahman started to issue such licences again.

"Those who started the crime should be tried first," he added.

BNP's senior leader and lawmaker Harunur Rashid challenged Selim and noted that the licensing applied to foreigners and people belonging to other religions apart from Islam.

"Many foreigners live in Bangladesh. Alcohol is legal for people of other religions. The law does not allow for any Muslim. If he [Selim] can prove that Ziaur Rahman had given liquor licences to Muslims, I will give up my parliament membership," he added.

Harun also claimed that government officials are involved in liquor business run in these clubs and police take money from them.

He urged the PM to investigate the matter.

In response to Harun's statement, Sheikh Selim took the floor again and said, "Did you forget about Lucky Khan's dance? Hezbul Bahar? Ziaur Rahman did these things. The BNP is responsible for all this. We have to accept the truth."

After that, Tariqat Federation MP Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary took the floor and said, "Mr Harun should give up his [parliament] membership today.

"Ziaur Rahman did not give permission to Muslims to drink alcohol. I ask him [Harun] to show me where the law says Muslims cannot drink alcohol."

Later, Jatiya Party member and Chief Whip of the Opposition Mashiur Rahman Ranga, however, mentioned that the law is being misused.

"In these clubs, people obtain certificates with the help of a doctor that they have to drink alcohol every day. Then the license is issued. The BNP gave this licence. Now, if a Muslim drinks alcohol, the government has nothing to do with it," he said.

He also called upon the authorities to find out Abu Twa-haa Muhammad Adnan, an Islamic speaker from Rangpur.

About Jatiya Party Presidium Member Nasir Uddin Mahmud who has been arrested in a case filed by actor Pori Moni, Ranga said, "One person has been arrested. There will be justice. If found guilty, he will be punished."

Golam Kibria Tipu, another Jatiya Party MP, however, demanded the release of Nasir Uddin.

"I have known Nasir Uddin for about 35 years. He is a decent man and a reputable businessman," he added after participating in a general discussion on the proposed budget for the 2021-22 financial year in Parliament on Thursday.

Regarding Pori Moni, Tipu said, "The heroine who went to that club knows how to act. On social media, I saw her being carried in a car in one's lap."

He also mentioned the alleged misbehaviour of Pori Moni at a club in Gulshan recently.

Besides, the lawmaker from Barishal 3 constituency demanded that social media platform TikTok be banned.