TIB expresses concern over present state of parliament

Transparency Inter-national Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep disappointment at the present state of national parliament with an ineffective opposition and unproductive discussions - the primary factors leading to citizens' disillusionment.
The concern was expressed at a press conference at the TIB office in Dhaka on Sunday, organised to reveal the findings of a study titled "Parliament Watch 11th National Parliament: 1st to 22nd Sessions (January 2019 - April 2023)".
The TIB study comprehensively monitored and analysed the parliamentary sessions over the past five years.
Key findings included several pressing issues like an ineffective opposition and often wearing dual hats within the greater political alliance under the ruling party.
The study found that the opposition struggled to take assertive positions and hold the government accountable while the debates consistently lacked substance, frequently pivoting towards applause for the government and criticism of the opposition, and diverting focus from pertinent issues.
A significant amount of time was dedicated to discussing non-substantive matters.
In contrast to previous parliaments, less emphasis was given on activities related to public representation.
The quality of constructive debates and member participation experienced a noticeable deterioration.
Only a fraction of the parliamentary agenda was dedicated to the budget-related discussions, with the remainder used for unrelated topics, lauding the ruling party, and denouncing the opposition.
On the other hand, the parliamentary standing committees displayed a lack of seriousness and punctuality, often failing to meet the required frequency. Breaches of parliamentary code of conduct were not uncommon.
A significant amount of time was lost in quorum crises, incurring substantial financial costs.
According to findings, the ruling Awami League lawmakers spent 19.8 per cent of their time praising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the parliamentary session.
It also said that 25 per cent of the time was spent on the discussion of motion of thanks on the President's speech and only 16.7 per cent of the time was spent on legislation.
The research found that the ruling party lawmakers spent most of their time praising the prime minister and various achievements of the government. The lawmakers spent 19.4 per cent of their time praising the government's achievements.
According to the TIB findings, quorum crunch in the 11th parliamentary sessions has caused an estimated loss of Tk 892.8 million.
Speaking at the press conference, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said the deficits of effectiveness of the parliament are attributed to a continued identity crisis of the main opposition party coupled with the absolute majority of the ruling party, which has monopolised the space for debate and deliberations.
As a result, he said, the key mandate of the parliament to ensure accountability of the government to the people remains far from delivered.
He said: "Time spent for law making continues to be much below the global parliamentary practice. We have observed instances where bills were passed in haste with minimal scrutiny and very little substantive debate. As a result, questions remain on the extent to which the enacted laws truly represent public interest."
Regarding the inactiveness of the standing committees, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said there is much to be desired about the effectiveness of the standing committees - all the committees failed to meet the mandatory requirement of holding at least one meeting a month.
In response to a question, he said one of the preconditions of an effective parliament is to ensure that the members are elected through a free, fair, inclusive and competitive election in a level-playing field.
For that matter, a neutral, non-partisan and conflict of interest-free role of the election time government, Election Commission, administration and law enforcement agencies is indispensable, he added.

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