During Sunday’s budget discussion in the Bangladesh Parliament, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee posed a pointed question to Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, asking whether BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders would again go to jail together. The minister made the remark while criticizing the opposition and recalling past political struggles under Khaleda Zia’s leadership, emphasizing the importance of unity.

Chowdhury humorously responded to the opposition leader’s inaudible comment by saying, “Shall we go to jail again?” before asserting that such a situation would not recur because the people stand with Tarique Rahman and the legacy of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia. He further stated that the BNP-led government would not act out of vengeance, claiming that good governance and development projects would serve as their response.

The minister highlighted ongoing water resource initiatives, including dredging 20,000 kilometers of canals and addressing river erosion across major rivers. He also mentioned plans for the Padma Barrage and the Teesta Master Plan, noting China’s assurance of support for Bangladesh’s river management efforts.