Responding to the allegations, the parliamentary standing committee on LGRD ministry yesterday asked the ministry to furnish it with the information regarding development funds allocated in last eight years, including five years of the last Awami League government, sources said.

Both the opposition parties, Awami League and Jatiya Party, alleged that the Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Ministry discriminates while allocating the development funds.

They said the ministry allocates more funds in favour of the ruling parties' lawmakers depriving the opposition held constituencies.

Lawmakers of Jatiya Party, the second largest opposition in parliament, raising the allegations boycotted the House on last Thursday. They, however, joined the parliament session yesterday after the ruling party leaders gave assurance that the government would allocate funds appropriate to the needs of their constituencies, sources said.

The main opposition Awami League lawmakers made the same allegation against the government at a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on LGRD ministry yesterday.

Committee member and opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid raised the issue and demanded equal allocation of development funds.

When Ziaul Haque Zia, state minister for LGRD ministry, tried to defend his ministry, opposition lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta proposed preparing a report on development funds allocated in last three years.

The state minister countered that another report detailing funds allocation during the rule of last Awami League government be prepared. As the opposition lawmakers supported the state minister's proposal, Abdul Mannan Talukdar, the committee chairman, asked the ministry to submit a report at the next meeting on funds allocation in last eight years.

Independent lawmaker MM Shahin during the question-answer session in parliament alleged that there has not been any development work in his constituency for the last two and half years.

Assuring him of funds, LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said, "We will examine why there hasn't been any development work in your constituency."