Badruddoza lambasts Nahid, Muhith for 'destroying' education, banking sectors

Bikalpadhara Bangladesh President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury has torn into Nurul Islam Islam Nahid and AMA Muhith for ‘destroying’ the education sector through question paper leaks and the banking sector through loan scams, respectively.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 Feb 2018, 05:16 PM
Updated : 16 Feb 2018, 09:27 PM

The former Bangladesh president says Nahid is a ‘good person’ and Muhith was a ‘bright student’ but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should remove them from the education and finance ministries for their ‘failure in saving the sectors’.

Speaking at a discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Friday afternoon, he said, “Question papers are being leaked one after another, but the minister doesn’t know who the main culprits are. You (Nahid) have failed to fulfil your duty. Now, do you have the right to continue on the office?”   

"You don't want to resign, that's fine. But, it was the prime minister’s responsibilities not to make such an inefficient person a minister. He is a nice person, educated, but not efficient enough to run the education ministry.

"Since he is a good person, I don't want his resignation. There are some dud ministries such as children affairs and religion affairs ...send him there," the veteran politician added.

Nurul Islam Nahid

Besides criticising the minister, the ex-president who also had the education portfolio for a brief period in his political career put forward a set of recommendations.

"There should be 33 percent questions which anyone can answer so that the students will not have any problem passing the test. There should be another 33 percent for the students who took proper preparation for the exam while another 33 percent should be for testing students' merit.

"Education sector needs an overhaul; It needs a surgery as it is rotten," Badruddoza, who is a physician by training, told the audience.

Aiming his jibe at Finance Minister Muhith, the Bikalpadhara chief said, "He thinks the bankers are responsible for the banks like the thieves are 'responsible' for stealing things. You are the finance minister, you will one day have to stand in the dock...for destroying the country's economy...over the plundering of millions of taka (from the banks)."

AMA Muhith

"He was a bright student, but uses language like 'stupid', 'rubbish'. For some reasons, he has failed to run the administration.

“Not a single bank is functioning properly; he has failed to monitor properly or punish anyone for the misdeeds. He could not take any step against the anomalies," Badruddoza said.

“If the prime minister forgives him even after these, then it’s fine. Forgiveness is a great virtue. But please check whether our economy is getting totally destroyed.”

Turning his attention to the general elections, the ex-president said "the atmosphere of a participatory election must be created”.

"Only 5 percent people are die-hard Awami League supporters, another 5 percent are BNP adherents while a further 5 percent are staunch Jamaat-e-Islami supporters. The rest 85 percent wants an environment for a free and fair election," he said.

He urged Hasina to help create such an atmosphere in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections.

Speaking at the same programme, Nagorik Oikkya convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the conviction and jailing of the Khaleda has cast a shadow over the next elections.

Organised by the Sonar Bangla Party, the programme titled 'State language Bangla and the future of Bangladesh' was addressed by among others Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, BaSad General Secretary  Khalequzzaman, Sonar Bangla Party President Sheikh Abdun Nur and General Secretary Syed Harun Ur Rashid.