Opposition constituencies left out from PM's Eid relief

The Prime Minister's Relief Fund has allocated Eid-ul-Fitr relief items exclusively to 215 constituencies held by the ruling BNP and its coalition partners, leaving out the remaining 85 seats represented by opposition Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) lawmakers and independents.

According to an allocation letter signed by PM's Assignment Officer-2 SM Parvez, each of the 215 ruling alliance constituencies will receive 700 synthetic sarees, 100 three-piece outfits and 50 Hajj scarves for distribution among the underprivileged ahead of the festival. 

The letter states the allocation was made with the PM's consent.

The exclusion of opposition-held constituencies has drawn sharp criticism. Dr Atiq Mujahid, MP from Kurigram-2 and central joint convener of NCP, expressed his frustration on Facebook. 

"Are we moving from 'Bangladesh First' to 'BNP First' policy? Is the slogan just rhetoric? Is the PM only for 50 percent of the people? Do the people in our constituencies not pay taxes and VAT? The nation will remember this discrimination," he wrote.

The allocation letter instructs deputy commissioners to collect the relief items from the PM's Relief Warehouse in  Dhaka's Tejgaon, and distribute them among the poor and destitute in consultation with the local MP. 

In special circumstances where deputy commissioners may face delays, the concerned MPs may collect the items directly and arrange distribution through the district administration.

A BNP lawmaker, when contacted, clarified that the relief items do not come directly to MPs but are managed through the upazila administration.

The decision has raised questions about equity in government relief distribution, with opposition members accusing the administration of discriminating against citizens based on their representatives' political affiliation.