Commissions and committees
Monday, 12 May 2008
No one knows about the outcome of numerous commissions and committees constituted since independence to investigate the causes of launch mishaps, lack of road safety, traumatic events in educational institutions, etc.
Could the commissions and committees complete their work ? Nothing, it seems. It is difficult to recall when anything substantive was done in the light of the findings or suggestions of such bodies.
The commissions and committees completed their tasks of duly establishing the responsibility or the lack of it and recommended courses of action. But the matters, it seems, ended there. Dusts collected on these reports and even their contents remain unknown to the public.
It is quite natural to ask: what is the use of setting up these committees and commissions, involving significant expenditures to the government? Manpower, offices and staff were required for the work of these bodies.The expenditures, in time and money, were entirely wasteful when no reformative, corrective or penal action was taken on the basis of the recommendations. Indeed, the committees and commissions are classic examples in Bangladesh today of wasting precious public resources.
It appears that the main motive behind the establishment of these bodies is to take pressure away from the government of the day.
A government can dissociate itself from direct responsibility for a certain happening by taking action against the offenders. But when even the findings of the commissions and committees are not disclosed, no one expects actions would be taken against the offenders.
All concerned should speak out louder to demand action on the basis of the reports of the commissions and committees and publication of the reports so that the people could know about them.
Nurul Amin
Baridhara,
Dhaka
Could the commissions and committees complete their work ? Nothing, it seems. It is difficult to recall when anything substantive was done in the light of the findings or suggestions of such bodies.
The commissions and committees completed their tasks of duly establishing the responsibility or the lack of it and recommended courses of action. But the matters, it seems, ended there. Dusts collected on these reports and even their contents remain unknown to the public.
It is quite natural to ask: what is the use of setting up these committees and commissions, involving significant expenditures to the government? Manpower, offices and staff were required for the work of these bodies.The expenditures, in time and money, were entirely wasteful when no reformative, corrective or penal action was taken on the basis of the recommendations. Indeed, the committees and commissions are classic examples in Bangladesh today of wasting precious public resources.
It appears that the main motive behind the establishment of these bodies is to take pressure away from the government of the day.
A government can dissociate itself from direct responsibility for a certain happening by taking action against the offenders. But when even the findings of the commissions and committees are not disclosed, no one expects actions would be taken against the offenders.
All concerned should speak out louder to demand action on the basis of the reports of the commissions and committees and publication of the reports so that the people could know about them.
Nurul Amin
Baridhara,
Dhaka