Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil told parliament Thursday that the Bangladesh Army was becoming a "commercial enterprise", and slated his own party for "stagnating".

Giving a speech on the proposed budget for 2009-10 fiscal, Jalil also demanded investigation of all unconstitutional actions of the previous military-installed caretaker government.

He came down hard on the military for its "commercial activities". "I see that the military has been given the task of collecting tolls for the Bangabandhu bridge. We don't know under which terms and conditions they got the contract."

"There should be an international tender for such contract." "Is the army a commercial enterprise? Why they were given charge to collect toll?" asked Jalil, a former commerce minister.

"We are allowing the army to set up banks, hotels? Are we relieving them of their main duties?" he questioned. He urged all to be cautious so that no unconstitutional government could emerge again.

Jalil said there were dual governments during the past caretaker tenure: one was headed by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and another headed by army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed.

"Fakhruddin Ahmed took charge of relief materials. At the same time, the army took charge of relief materials. Who authorised the army to be in charge of relief materials?"

"Government is the authority to collect and distribute relief materials," said Jalil. "We have ratified their actions, but their unconstitutional moves must be investigated".

He said cadet colleges eat up a big chunk of the education budget while a significant portion of funds go to the combined military hospitals from the health allocation.

"I do not oppose giving military more budget allocations. But there should not be any hide and seek in this regard," he said. Speaking of his own party, Jalil said the Awami League was in the doldrums.

"The party, which led all democratic movements, has become stagnant. The party should be roused," he said. He was also critical of the prime minister's advisers.

He demanded their removal from cabinet meetings since they had not sworn any oath of secrecy. "The prime minister can appoint advisers. But they cannot sit at cabinet meetings. The ministers have sworn secrecy, but they have not."

Jalil accused unnamed advisers of hampering the work of the government. "If they attemt to steer the cabinet, the proposed budget will not be implemented. Digital Bangladesh will never come true," said Jalil.

-bdnews