Online Voices
Readers' instant comments on The Daily Star Online reports.
Log on to thedailystar.net to leave your comments. Duty-free cars for MPs again (January 24, 2010)
This time MPs will be entitled to cars with engines measuring up to 1800cc, SUVs 3000cc and microbuses 2000cc.
This is deplorable in a poor county like Bangladesh. Where else in the world MPs get duty-free privilege? Imagine the cost to the public exchequer to maintain these MPs, many of whom even do not attend parliament! What national issues these MPs are discussing in parliament and what good they are bringing to the people? The government must stop this luxury with taxpayers' money.
Kantik Syed MPs are supposed to be the people upholding the highest levels of ethics as they are lawmakers, and ultimate mentors of the democratic Bangladesh. Yet, what they are doing to get duty-free cars is simply disgusting.
Mong Sano Marma They should never be allowed to import tax-free cars while millions of people remain extremely poor. Lawmakers are already rich people. Why should they be given this privilege? I am dead against this policy.
Dr Reaz Talukder This decision shows how our politicians love Bangladesh and its very poor people!
Badiuzzaman Khan This is Bangladesh. We will never learn!
MK Microbus for personal use? Or to run a transport company?!!
Mahmudul Amin Is this the democracy that we have been lured to by these very politicians? Who says Bangladesh is a third world country? Even mighty India is nowhere near us. Look at the privileges and perks enjoyed by our MPs. We have no shame left in us. When people are dying for want of warm clothes and when people in Sidr affected areas are still in dire distress, how can they ask for a luxury car each?
Khalid Hussain The MPs started to put themselves above all again slowly - getting plots, flats as special category applicants etc . Now they are telling us that 1,800cc cars are not a luxury!
Saleh-Rahim Ahmed Please don't use the term 'lawmaker'. Do they really know the term and its possible application? We the people gave them power and they are the people who misuse the power and our assets.
Shozib What a joke! We would like to know which countries allow duty free cars for MPs. Why should they get such privilege?
Hasan This is misuse of public money by the people's representatives of one of the poorest countries in the world. By allowing Tk. 40,000 per month for fuel etc, the finance minister is turning the public exchequer into 'Gouri Sen's' fund. This is simply unprecedented.
AKS Every job has its own set of privileges and I assume the salary and allowances of an MP in Bangladesh are reasonable and comparable to their counterparts in India, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
Salah They are asking people to save energy and forcing us to use lesser cc cars. Then why should they use heavy cars? They should set examples by using small ones.
Salim Our MPs can buy luxury cars from their own purse. Why did the speaker support this? Only the lawmakers who don't have any car can get this benefit. It is ludicrous that for car maintenance they will get Tk-40,000 every month.
Nasirullah Mridha The nation is simply shocked to know it. Everyone has to pay duty to the government when he wants to import anything, which is a legal obligation for him. Therefore, MPs , those who are responsible for making laws for the country, cannot evade it.
Mayen Uddin Tazim MPs are the leaders of the people. They have the money to buy a car, they also have the capability to pay taxes.
Ersadul Bari****
Mega dredging plan for over 300 rivers
Work to start with 4 major rivers; Tk 5,000cr projects on cards (January 20, 2010)
This government wants to spend $720 billion on river dredging! Be real... This will end up like the rest, party officials will devour all the money, work will get started in name only, and the whole thing will end up as the opposition's failure to co-operate. When will Bangladeshis wake up and make the politicians responsible for all their actions and promises?
Abul Azad Dredging is perhaps a technology intensive proposition. In addition to that, we must consider using indigenous labour force to excavate small rivers and canals.
Shafi Khan It's a very welcome move to save the rivers, their navigability, sites of aquatic life and sources of irrigation. Whatever the cost, it must be done and the govt. needs to monitor it, so that none comes to grab the river basin.
MAS Molla The Bangladesh government's plan to dredge 310 rivers is commendable. Many rivers in Bangladesh are dry, causing climate change and depriving the people of water for farming and other purposes. We hope that the plan will be well implemented without wastage of money.
Mobaidul Huq Do whatever you like, but please don't waste public money. We often see that a party govt's main aim behind all such expenditures is to distribute favour among the party men both in cash and kind. Had our top leaders been a bit more patriotic, honest and visionary, this country - with its enviable natural resources - would've gone decades ahead of where we are now.
S. Ali The government should do this work properly & immediately.
Sumon There is no doubt that this type of work is very much necessary for solving navigation problems of the major rivers of Bangladesh. But the real problem is corruption. There is lot of scope of corruption in this type of projects. Another problem is management capacity of the Water Development Board.
Md. Shahidul Islam Before talking much, the government should buy some Amphibious Dredgers.
Hasibur Rahman
Log on to thedailystar.net to leave your comments. Duty-free cars for MPs again (January 24, 2010)
This time MPs will be entitled to cars with engines measuring up to 1800cc, SUVs 3000cc and microbuses 2000cc.
This is deplorable in a poor county like Bangladesh. Where else in the world MPs get duty-free privilege? Imagine the cost to the public exchequer to maintain these MPs, many of whom even do not attend parliament! What national issues these MPs are discussing in parliament and what good they are bringing to the people? The government must stop this luxury with taxpayers' money.
Kantik Syed MPs are supposed to be the people upholding the highest levels of ethics as they are lawmakers, and ultimate mentors of the democratic Bangladesh. Yet, what they are doing to get duty-free cars is simply disgusting.
Mong Sano Marma They should never be allowed to import tax-free cars while millions of people remain extremely poor. Lawmakers are already rich people. Why should they be given this privilege? I am dead against this policy.
Dr Reaz Talukder This decision shows how our politicians love Bangladesh and its very poor people!
Badiuzzaman Khan This is Bangladesh. We will never learn!
MK Microbus for personal use? Or to run a transport company?!!
Mahmudul Amin Is this the democracy that we have been lured to by these very politicians? Who says Bangladesh is a third world country? Even mighty India is nowhere near us. Look at the privileges and perks enjoyed by our MPs. We have no shame left in us. When people are dying for want of warm clothes and when people in Sidr affected areas are still in dire distress, how can they ask for a luxury car each?
Khalid Hussain The MPs started to put themselves above all again slowly - getting plots, flats as special category applicants etc . Now they are telling us that 1,800cc cars are not a luxury!
Saleh-Rahim Ahmed Please don't use the term 'lawmaker'. Do they really know the term and its possible application? We the people gave them power and they are the people who misuse the power and our assets.
Shozib What a joke! We would like to know which countries allow duty free cars for MPs. Why should they get such privilege?
Hasan This is misuse of public money by the people's representatives of one of the poorest countries in the world. By allowing Tk. 40,000 per month for fuel etc, the finance minister is turning the public exchequer into 'Gouri Sen's' fund. This is simply unprecedented.
AKS Every job has its own set of privileges and I assume the salary and allowances of an MP in Bangladesh are reasonable and comparable to their counterparts in India, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
Salah They are asking people to save energy and forcing us to use lesser cc cars. Then why should they use heavy cars? They should set examples by using small ones.
Salim Our MPs can buy luxury cars from their own purse. Why did the speaker support this? Only the lawmakers who don't have any car can get this benefit. It is ludicrous that for car maintenance they will get Tk-40,000 every month.
Nasirullah Mridha The nation is simply shocked to know it. Everyone has to pay duty to the government when he wants to import anything, which is a legal obligation for him. Therefore, MPs , those who are responsible for making laws for the country, cannot evade it.
Mayen Uddin Tazim MPs are the leaders of the people. They have the money to buy a car, they also have the capability to pay taxes.
Ersadul Bari
Work to start with 4 major rivers; Tk 5,000cr projects on cards (January 20, 2010)
This government wants to spend $720 billion on river dredging! Be real... This will end up like the rest, party officials will devour all the money, work will get started in name only, and the whole thing will end up as the opposition's failure to co-operate. When will Bangladeshis wake up and make the politicians responsible for all their actions and promises?
Abul Azad Dredging is perhaps a technology intensive proposition. In addition to that, we must consider using indigenous labour force to excavate small rivers and canals.
Shafi Khan It's a very welcome move to save the rivers, their navigability, sites of aquatic life and sources of irrigation. Whatever the cost, it must be done and the govt. needs to monitor it, so that none comes to grab the river basin.
MAS Molla The Bangladesh government's plan to dredge 310 rivers is commendable. Many rivers in Bangladesh are dry, causing climate change and depriving the people of water for farming and other purposes. We hope that the plan will be well implemented without wastage of money.
Mobaidul Huq Do whatever you like, but please don't waste public money. We often see that a party govt's main aim behind all such expenditures is to distribute favour among the party men both in cash and kind. Had our top leaders been a bit more patriotic, honest and visionary, this country - with its enviable natural resources - would've gone decades ahead of where we are now.
S. Ali The government should do this work properly & immediately.
Sumon There is no doubt that this type of work is very much necessary for solving navigation problems of the major rivers of Bangladesh. But the real problem is corruption. There is lot of scope of corruption in this type of projects. Another problem is management capacity of the Water Development Board.
Md. Shahidul Islam Before talking much, the government should buy some Amphibious Dredgers.
Hasibur Rahman
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