Worst People Become MPs and Ministers, Most Corrupt Lead Society: Speaker Hafiz Uddin in Bhola

The worst people in society become members of parliament and ministers, while the most corrupt rise to leadership, National Parliament Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has said. He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon as chief guest at a reception in Tajumuddin, Bhola. In his view, the social system has become such that good people get no chance to contest elections, and an environment for honest people to do politics has yet to be created.

The Speaker said, look where we have gone compared even with Ethiopia. Here the biggest corrupt figures have become the big leaders of society. I do not blame you for this. The social system itself has become like this, good people have no opportunity to stand in elections. We have failed to create an environment in which honest people can do politics.

He also expressed hope that the country will not remain this way. Now that the nation has been freed from the Awami League's misrule, he said, Allah will surely show mercy to the people of Bangladesh in the days ahead, and a beautiful society can be built in the country.

The Speaker spoke as chief guest on Wednesday (October 21) afternoon at a reception organised by the Tajumuddin upazila BNP and its affiliated organisations at the upazila parishad hall in Bhola. Leaders and activists of the BNP and its various affiliated organisations were present.

Referring to repression under the Awami League, the Speaker said there was a thing called Aynaghar, the mirror house, that nobody even knew about. After the Awami League's fall, its torture cells came to light, where many people were held and tortured. Many people were killed extrajudicially. The Awami League created disorder across society and ruined the administration and the military, he said. In the end, God's wrath fell upon them. The people protested against their misrule, and they fell in the mass uprising of 2024.

He said politicians were unjustly tortured and sent to jail on false cases during the Awami League's rule, and people had prayed to Allah for liberation from that state. God was kind, he said, and drove the architects of misrule from the country. Allah gives respite but does not abandon altogether, which is why the Awami League, with its followers and thousands of crores of taka in assets left abroad, fled the country. Sheikh Hasina had boasted loudly that the Awami League does not flee, where are they now, the Speaker asked.

Citing his own honesty as an example, the Speaker said he has always stood for truth and justice. If anyone oppresses you, grabs your land and homes and harasses you, he said, first inform the local leaders. And if the leaders themselves do such things, inform me. I will take action, God willing.

He said he has resigned as a member of the BNP standing committee and now remains a general member, running parliament impartially. He also warned that no wrongdoing, hooliganism or extortion will be allowed in Tajumuddin.

The reception was chaired by Tajumuddin upazila BNP president Golam Mostofa Mintu and conducted by general secretary Omar Asad Rintu.

After the reception, Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, exchanged Sharodiya Durga Puja greetings with members of the Hindu community.

Such candid remarks by the Speaker of Parliament about the quality of political leadership and corruption have sparked discussion in political circles. The central message of his speech was that creating an environment in which good and honest people can enter politics is now the main challenge.