Editorial
A matter of 80 gold-plated gifts, for a lawmaker
The maverick should be disciplined
A newly elected lawmaker from the Awami League was presented with eighty gold-plated miniature boats at a civic reception in Natore the other day. The lawmaker in question, Abdul Quddus, a former minister of state elected from Natore-4 constituency, later defended his acceptance of the gifts as a response to the love of the people. That was as untenable a statement as anyone can imagine, for there was something grossly wrong about the ethics behind the gifts. While those who took the initiative of making those presents to the MP (and they included businessmen and school teachers) should have realised that they were not doing the right thing, it should have been for the MP to dissuade his well-wishers from indulging in such an effusive and eyebrow-raising act.
Indeed, only a few days earlier, another newly elected lawmaker from the ruling party made a good gesture of turning down a similar gift in his constituency and clearly letting everyone know that it was something he did not appreciate. In other words, what he said was simple: that citizens could certainly show affection towards a political personality but such affection must not be marred by a needless and ostentatious display as coming up with expensive gifts. In this connection, one recalls only too well the shocking incident of a lawmaker elected to the Jatiya Sangsad in 2001 and subsequently being presented with a gold crown in his constituency. That incident remains a scandal and it should have been a lesson for future lawmakers and indeed for everyone else in the country. The entire point behind our return to democratic government at the December 29 elections was to steer the country towards economic progress and social justice. Every one of our MPs must therefore put in his or her efforts into attaining these goals.
We think that the top leadership in both the ruling and opposition parties must make it clear to their elected MPs that under no circumstances are they to accept or encourage the giving out of gifts in any manner whatsoever. Those who do or have done so already should be reprimanded and warned that such action will not be accepted or tolerated in future. No wrong signals should be given out to the nation by those it has elected to Parliament.
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