Lawmaker rails against excessive use of mobile phones in rural areas

Ruling Awami League lawmaker and noted ENT specialist Pran Gopal Datta on Saturday in Parliament feared that the new generation will become disabled due to excessive use of mobile phones.

He made the remarks while participating in the general discussions on the proposed national budget for 2024-2025 fiscal in the House, UNB reports. 

The Cumilla-7 lawmaker suggested whether the government can disable mobile towers in remote rural areas by creating an app from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.

“Or we should look into ways where the mobile tower is not used for any other purpose than freelancing or as an alternative way of earning foreign currency,” he said.

Otherwise, the number of his patients is increasing, starting from 10 years, everyone is complaining about listening in their ears, said Pran Gopal Datta..

People are complaining that they can't listen, and can't focus on studying. So something should be invented so that our young generation will stay away from this technology from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am, he added.

The lawmaker said the health sector is the most expensive sector where the cost of tests, research, medical equipment is sky high.

Quoting Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, Datta said education and healthcare should be in the hands of the public sector. 

“Now it (education and healthcare) has become a commodity all over the world. In that case, if you have money, you will get treatment, if you don't have money, you will not get treatment. There is no one to look after the lower middle-class people of Bangladesh,” said the AL lawmaker.

He proposed to increase the salaries and allowances of doctors as well as research, accommodation and other facilities to improve medical services.