Tipaimukh Dam

Indian decision denounced at JS

Oli gets flak from treasury bench for his 'derogatory' remark

20 November 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim yesterday in parliament denounced the Indian government for the recent move to implement the much controversial Tipaimukh dam project, but ruling Awami League-led alliance deputies kept mum on the issue. Speaking on Tipaimukh project, Azim said the Indian government had been assuring Bangladesh of not implementing the project for last one and half a year. But now they have moved to implement the project, Azim said citing newspapers reports published in last two days. He said the vast areas under Sylhet and Mymensingh will turn into desert if the project is implemented. “The foreign minister returned home from India two days ago. What the messages she brought home from there," said the lone independent lawmaker amid absence of the main opposition BNP's lawmakers. He also criticised the foreign minister for holding talks with West Bengal's chief minister and the chief minister's remarks on signing Teesta water sharing treaty. “We have to rewrite our foreign policy in light of our relation with India,” Azim continued. Ruling AL lawmakers Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Tarana Halim, and Meher Afroz and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal took floor on point of order and blasted Oli Ahmed for his "derogatory" comments against the prime minister and a ruling party's woman lawmaker. On November 18, Oli made the "derogatory" comment while addressing a conference on Kashem Mahbub High school playground in Chandnaish upazila. A case statement quoted Oli said, “Problems of thousands of young people of Chandanaish cannot be solved by only one female lawmaker. So many more beautiful women should be brought from Tungipara to Chandanaish for the welfare of young people.” A businessman if Chittagong city Aftab Mahmud Shimul filed the case yesterday morning saying that such comment has tarnished the image of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chemon Ara Taiyab, elected lawmaker to the women reserved seat. In response, a Chittagong court yesterday summoned Oli to appear before it with seven days in the case. Taking floor, the ruling alliance lawmakers demanded that Oli must seek "unconditional apology" for his remarks. “By making such remarks, he has undermined all the lawmakers and the parliament,” said Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim. He demanded holding a discussion in the House condemning Oli for the remark. Selim also demanded taking punitive measures against Oli.