Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has termed loan defaulting and rescheduling as regular processes within the business and banking sectors.
Participating in the discussion on the thanks motion for the President’s speech in the Parliament on Thursday, he said many have become loan defaulters as a result of the planned obstructions created against BNP-affiliated businessmen over the last 17 years.
The session was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
Adding that loan defaulting or rescheduling was not an invention of the BNP, Khosru noted that as long as the global banking system exists, these processes will remain, citing the worldwide practice of rescheduling loans when businessmen are affected by crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic or political movements.
Alleging discrimination during the previous government’s tenure, he claimed that BNP businessmen could not operate in peace for 17 years, facing hurdles such as the withholding of sanctioned loans, refusal of extension periods, and the disconnection of gas and electricity lines to their commercial establishments.
Khosru further remarked that many of those currently labeled as defaulters were unable to stay at their homes for long periods or were forced into hiding. He highlighted that some remained in prison for years, posing the rhetorical question of how easy it is to repay bank loans while incarcerated.
Pointing towards the bank ownership of other political parties, the finance minister stated that the BNP does not own any banks, whereas the people of Bangladesh are well aware of who does.
He argued that members of parties with their own banks do not face the risk of becoming defaulters because they appoint their preferred individuals as Chairmen and Managing Directors, a facility the BNP does not possess.
He added that while the bank-client relationship should be a professional matter, the banking sector was used as a weapon to create obstacles for BNP leaders and activists.
‘President an institution, not an individual’
Responding to negative remarks from the opposition regarding President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the finance minister emphasised that the President is not merely an individual but an institution.
He said it is the moral responsibility of everyone who believes in constitutional democracy to show respect toward this institution.
Criticising the statements made by the Opposition Chief Whip, Nahid Islam, the Minister noted that while personal affection for the President is not the primary issue, the “President is an institution, not a person.”
He reminded Nahid Islam that he had taken his oath of office from the President and questioned why he did so if he did not respect the office.
The Minister remarked that when the opposition members took their oaths as ministers, he had credited them for respecting the institution of the Presidency rather than the individual, but now that they are in the opposition, they are attempting to deprive the President of his due honour.
Recalling the inauguration day of the interim government, Amir Khosru mentioned that the current opposition members were present in the front rows while others had to sit at the back due to lack of space.
He concluded by stating that those who believe in constitutional democracy must respect constitutional institutions, asserting that “You have to respect the institution.”
