TIB findings baseless

The recent TIB findings regarding the quorum crisis in the first session of the current parliament were “baseless and motivated”, Chief Whip ASM Feroz claimed yesterday.
Most of the other findings of the study, including the assertion that the Jatiya Party could not play its due role as the main opposition in parliament, is also unfounded, he told a press conference at the Parliament Members Club.
He was responding to the study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), which was made public on July 7.
The study by the anti-graft watchdog said each sitting of the first session of current parliament witnessed a 28-minute quorum crisis on average, causing a loss of around Tk 8 crore in public funds.
Feroz, however, did not reject outright the total study, saying that there were some good recommendations in it for the lawmakers.
In its study “Parliament Watch”, TIB said ruling party legislators who were ministers in Sheikh Hasina's previous government (2009-13) should not be appointed as chiefs of parliamentary standing committees on their respective ministries to avoid any conflict of interest.
But the chief whip defended the government's decision in this regard. “They [former ministers] are fully aware of the problems and weaknesses of the ministries. It will enable them to ensure accountability and transparency in different ministries.”
Asked about conflict of interest of the former ministers in discharging their duties as heads of parliamentary bodies, Feroz said truth could not be concealed forever as it would eventually come to light someday.
“Besides, all suppressed issues must be unearthed through the writings of journalists,” added the Awami League lawmaker.
The maiden session of the 10th parliament had 36 sittings, where 191 MPs did not participate in any of the House proceedings, according to the study.
On the TIB's observation that lawmakers spent just 1.8 percent of the total number of 114 hours for lawmaking in the first session, Feroz said MPs enact laws in parliament on what they think necessary for people.
“But if you [journalists] and civil society members feel that we should enact a particular law, make suggestions to this end we would do accordingly,” he mentioned.
About TIB's criticism of the Jatiya Party's role as the main opposition, Feroz said it was totally unfounded as the JP participated in all parliamentary activities spontaneously and made the House effective.
“The opposition played an effective role by raising questions on the activities of different ministries, putting enquiries before the prime minister during her question-answer sessions in parliament and thus ensured parliamentary accountability,” he noted.
On the waste of public money due to the quorum crisis, the chief whip said he did not understand on what basis the TIB had calculated the loss from the quorum crisis.
“Activities of the parliament secretariats go on all the year round, no matter if the House was in session or not,” said Feroz, adding that parliament has a specific amount of money to run its activities. “Therefore, TIB's claim of wasting money due to quorum crisis is motivated,” he claimed.
Three whips were present at the press conference.
Contacted, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said their only aim behind the study was to strengthen the country's parliamentary democracy.
About the method of calculating the loss from the quorum crisis, he said TIB summed up the amount from the total budget of parliament for a certain year.
The study estimated that when the House is in session, it costs about Tk 78,000 per minute.
“The cost includes the salaries and benefits of parliament officials and maintenance charges of the parliament building and utility services,” he told The Daily Star.