There is isolation between the government and the general people, says the noted human rights activist
Noted human rights activist advocat Sultana Kamal on Sunday criticized the current budget for ‘not having clear support plan’ for the disadvantaged community in this Covid pandemic, saying that the government feels self-complacency protecting the interest of some people.
“I would like to share my analysis that isolation has occurred between the government and the common people, which we’ve seen more acutely in this coronavirus situation,” she said at a media briefing.
Citizen's Platform for SDGs Bangladesh arranged the media briefing over “Implementation of National Budget 2021-22: What benefit will the disadvantaged people get?” through a virtual platform.
Sultana Kamal, also a member of the Citizen’s Platform, said, “Though we say that we are living in a democratic society….But we have many words [questions] over the election, which is the first and foremost step for democracy.”
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“Questions can also be raised over how much we think those who govern the state as our men or how much they [the government] think us as their men,” she said.
If the budget is evaluated from this perspective, there is isolation between the government and the common people or community particularly the disadvantaged people, she said adding that the government may have relations of interest with the people who are surrounding it or who assist it politically and socially or any other ways.
“We’re in such a political system that if those of us who are in charge of governing the State can protect the interests of some people, they feel self-complacency. They get praises from them [the particular section of people] and can understand that what they [government] did is a very wonderful job,” said Sultana Kamal.
Noting that the national budget for 2020-21 had to be adopted last year amid unknown and sudden Covid-19 situation, she said this time the government got a full year before the preparation of the budget, but the new problems caused by the pandemic were not recognized there.
She said it is as usual budget having nothing for the recovery from the Covid-19 fallout.
“Some ad-hoc based steps were taken and works have been done, but the steps, which are very essential to rebound from this distress, unfortunately, remain missing here,” she said.
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