Opposition slams amnesty to bringing back black money
Opposition parliamentarians on the first day of the budget debate in the Jatiya Sangsad criticised the government's amnesty to bring back black money from abroad.
Jatiya Party's Shamim Haider Patwary vehemently opposed the impunity to bringing back laundered money.
Through corruption and robbing banks, some people earned money and siphoned off the money abroad, he said.
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"Will no legal action be taken against them? There are specific allegations and criminal cases against some of them. They should not be allowed to enjoy this privilege," he added.
Pir Fazlur Rahman, another Jatiya Party lawmaker, said if there was an opportunity in the budget for money launderers to enjoy impunity, then these "thieves" would become the top taxpayers.
"I do not support it. Legal action should be taken against those who have laundered money, those who have embezzled money illegally and smuggled abroad. If not, there is no need for money laundering law in Bangladesh," he said.
Criticising the government for taking more loans, he also said that was why the purchasing power of people had not increased despite so much development in the country.
Mukabbir Khan of Gonoforum demanded that like the war crime tribunal, a special tribunal be set up to prosecute money launderers and corrupt people.
He said if the highest punishment could be ensured by arresting a big corrupt person in the country, then corruption in the country would be reduced by 50 per cent in one day.
However, mentioning people's queue at the trucks of TCB, BNP's Rumeen Farhana said the budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022 had not improved the living standards of the people.
She also said though it was supposed to increase the number of ministries and departments to 27 in the supplementary budget, only 58 per cent ADP had been implemented in the first 11 months of the current financial year.
Although the budget for the health care department had increased, only 41 per cent of the allocation had been spent in the first 11 months, she added.
