BD\\\'s parliamentary democracy still far away from expectations: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said the expectations raised by the restoration of parliamentary form of government in the wake of anti-Ershad movement have remained far from fully realised. “Ironically enough, as if to chop off the head for headache, the 10th parliament has been transformed into a House without an opposition bench in true sense of the term,” TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman told Dhaka Courier, a sister concern of UNB. Notwithstanding its constitutional and legal correctness, a politically and morally tormented parliament already appears to have lost a few opportunities, he said. Dr Zaman said the party (Jatiya Party) that is claiming to be the main opposition party in Parliament has a crisis of self-identity. “Its chief being a special envoy to the Prime Minister and a number of its other leaders being in the cabinet the so-called opposition party is in an uphill task of demonstrating that it can play the dual role,” he said, according to a news agency.