Deputy Speaker Md Fazle Rabbi Miah has slammed Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) for their report on parliament expenditure.
He made the comment at the handover ceremony, and consultation meeting on the draft of comprehensive “Sexual Harassment Prevention and Protection Law 2019” on Monday.
The program was organized by Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights and National Girl Child Advocacy Forum at IPD auditorium media centre at the National Parliament Building.
While talking about the ideal process for passing any law, the speaker said: “We will complete the process inside the parliament.”
On August 28, TIB published a report, which mentioned the quorum crisis during the 10th national parliament that led to a financial loss of more than Tk163.57 crore.
The deputy speaker said: “Recently, I came to know about a TIB report regarding the parliament’s expenditure.
What I wonder is, we also know about their (TIB’s) work as well, and if we are to tell people about it, they will be in trouble.”
The deputy speaker added: “How much money (around thousand crore taka) did they take from foreigners, while sitting inside air conditioned rooms, and out of that how much are they spending on people who work for them?
“We do pass laws sitting inside air conditioned rooms, but unlike them, we do not take donations or anyone’s mercy, and this is a fact. I am sitting in this post because of my qualifications, and I got elected by the people’s mandate.”
“If I were to specify, your (TIB) rights, and mine are not the same. My rights mean my people’s rights. I have come here to represent my people, and you (TIB), you are speaking on behalf of foreigners as you have been instructed,” Rabbi further said.
He added: “I don’t want to demean anyone. Please make remarks wisely.”
When contacted, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman told Dhaka Tribune: “I don’t want to comment on the deputy speaker’s statement as I was not there. But what I can say is that TIB has documents of all of its expenditure”.
“Also, the prime minister is well aware about TIB’s expenditure,” he added.
