Parliamentary standing committees have failed to play their effective roles due mainly to party influence and conflict of personal interest, says the Transparency International of Bangladesh (TIB) yesterday.
In its latest findings on actions of parliamentary standing committee it found that the committees lacked transparency and accountability because of shortage of frankness, curbing access to information, limited involvement of people and absence of evaluation framework.
“Actions of parliamentary standing committees serve only for self-promotion and they feel no hesitation to do that even in broad day light,” said TIB’s Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman while unveiling TIB findings in its office in the city yesterday.
The survey was carried out on the 9th parliament (from January 2009 to December 2013) and 10th parliament (from January 2014 to April 2015) on the basis of information and statistics from various sources, including committee reports made by parliament, government gazettes, published books and articles, newspaper and lawmakers oath-taking register.
The TIB also talked with members of the committees, experts, journalists, officials of parliament and many other stakeholders while making the report.
The committee was not effective as expected as it is bedevilled with political influence in the process of its forming, big part of its decisions goes without implementation, corruption related decisions and discussions is relatively meager and many members or ministries attach least importance to its activities.
It said committee members had their own business related interest and selecting members for a committee is not justified properly in line with guideline. “In some cases, committee members use it as a shield to protect their own interest.”
“The committees have taken only 4% decisions related to corruption and such decisions were found politically discriminatory and of which, 50% are previous government’s activities,” it said adding that if anybody was proved corrupt no action was taken.
“Rather, in many cases, the committees work for protecting the corrupt.”
Iftekharuzzaman said: “Many view that final decision was taken on the basis of opinion of leader of the parliament. Little heed was given to the decisions of the committees.”
The survey found that more than a member of six out of 51 committees under 9th parliament and five out of 50 committees under 10th parliament have been involved in business.
These business people and ministers by dint of their positions have allegedly exerted influence in taking decisions for protecting their interests, it said.
It found that 19 members of nine committees were involved in business, which is grossly contradictory to the rules.
Out of 1,891 decisions taken by 11 parliamentary standing committees under the 9th parliament, 41% was implemented, 39% unimplemented and 26% under implementation process, according to the findings.
No information about accused corrupt person summoned by the committee was not kept in record and in some cases accused persons remained absent despite summon notice, it said.