The ruling Awami League is embarrassed by remarks some ministers often make in public over different national issues causing uproar and undermining the image of the government.
The AL high command and the government feel that the persons holding responsible positions should be cautious while speaking in public. It has already instructed two of the ministers concerned to refrain from making irresponsible remarks that cause embarrassment to the government, sources in the government and AL said.
Admitting that some ministries have shortcomings, they hoped that those would be addressed soon.
Finance minister AMA Muhith, communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, commerce minister Faruk Khan and home minister Sahara Khatun made some statements in recent weeks that caused uproar and drew criticism from various quarters.
'Persons holding important and responsible positions should speak less in public,' senior cabinet member Matia Chowdhury told New Age on Saturday.
Matia, also a presidium member of the AL, said that the government could not avoid responsibility of its failures in some sectors and it was aware of that and trying to address the problems.
'Ministers should avoid remarks that hurt the people. Their statements should be accepted by at least 70 percent of the people,' AL presidium member Kazi Zafar Ullah told New Age on Saturday.
He said that the party had already summoned the commerce and communications ministers and asked them to be cautious that their remarks did not cause resentment among the people.
About the commerce minister's 'eat less' advice to the people, Zafar Ullah, however, said that what the minister had said should not be taken literally. 'He [Faruk Khan] did not ask people to eat less; he actually urged the people to avoid taking more adulterated food,' Zafar Ullah explained and accused the media of misquoting the minister.
AL presidium member Obaidul Quader said that the ministers often make such statements to hide their failures in different sectors under their respective jurisdictions. 'But such utterances cause a negative impression of the government and the party among the people,' he said.
'I hope they will stop making such irresponsible remarks after parliament gave them a bashing on Thursday,' he told New Age, adding that no one in the government or in the party liked such remarks that embarrassed them.
The remarks of the ministers drew fire from parliament on Thursday when the lawmakers censured the finance and communications ministers for the appalling condition of roads and the ministers accused each other for the situation.
'It is unfortunate that the ministers advised the people to eat less and refrain from shopping one day a week,' AL lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said in parliament.
The communications minister recently said that the roads could not be repaired for want of money with the finance minister contradicting the claim saying he had already disbursed the fund.
'How BRTC [Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation] buses are plying the roads, if the roads are not usable,' he said.
The finance minister on another occasion advised people not to shop one day a week because of the price hike of essential commodities.
He also came under fire from lawmakers in parliament in early February when he termed the investors in capital market fatkabaz or speculators.
The 'eat less' advice of the commerce minister stunned the people and drew widespread criticism from the media.
Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan did not fall far behind when he said on Thursday that a driver did not need education to have a driving licence.
'If a driver can sign his name, can understand traffic signs and signals, can differentiate between a cow and a goat and has good driving skills, what is the problem in giving him a licence,'he said at a press conference while trying to clarify his position on recommending 24,000 people for driving licence without tests.
The home minister, Sahara Khatun quite often claims that the law and order is far better than any other time in the past.
Source : New Age
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