Ruling party lawmaker and former information minister Abul Kalam Azad has vented his anger in the parliament as the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan shifted a question and demanded Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury’s ruling.
Participating in an unscheduled discussion, Azad said: “We have formulated Right to Information Act so that people can get information.”
“People are now getting information. But we do not get answers on starred questions. In last three consecutive parliament sessions, I posed question to the Home Minister. He was sitting beside me but he shifted the question for the next day. We want to ensure the accountability but how long the question will be shifted,” he said.
Azad, however, did not mention about the question.
After Azad’s speech, Speaker said, she will look into the matter.
On Tuesday’s parliament session was fixed for planning ministry, home ministry, foreign ministry and CHT ministry for answering the questions.
Analysing the Monday’s question and answer papers, it was found that 18 starred questions and nine written questions were shifted.
In Ninth parliament, home ministry and foreign ministry shifted the highest number of questions and most of the questions were related to killing, abduction, extra-judicial killings and border killings.
Generally, lawmakers placed questions and ministers are supposed to answer those questions. But in some cases ministers request speaker to shift question to avoid answer to those questions.