Quorum crisis costs JS Tk 8 crore

Only 1.8 percent of the total working hours of the first session of the 10th Jatiya Sangsad was spent for making laws, a research report of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) revealed on Monday.
On the contrary, it said, the first session of India’s 15th Lok Sabha spent 8 percent of its total duration in legislation.
The report also found that a total of 17 hours and seven minutes were wasted due to quorum crisis which outlaid Tk 8 crore of public money. An average of 28 minutes was wasted in the first session of the 10th JS.
The Jatiya Sangsad costs Tk 78,000 per minute to run.
The representative, the lawmaking and the monitoring are principal works of the parliament, the research report said.
TIB Research and Policy Department Programme Manager Juiet Rogette and Deputy Programme Manager Morsheda Akhter read out the study report titled ‘Parliament Watch’ in a formally press conference at BRAC Centre Inn at Mohakhali in the city on Monday.
TIB Trustee Board Chairperson Advocate Sultana Kamal, Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Deputy Executive Director Dr Sumiya Khayer and Research Department Director Mohammad Rafiq Hasan were present, among others.
In the first session of the 10th Jatiya Sangsad praised of their own parties for 856 times, which was 251 in the first session of the 9th parliament, the report added.
The Awami League-led government and the main opposition, Jatiya Party, jointly criticised BNP for 531 times during the period whereas it was 342 times during the previous Jatiya Sangsad.
The report says, only two government bills were passed in the Jatiya Sangsad during first session while no unsettled bill of the Ninth parliament placed before it.
The national parliamentary standing committee drafted a bill for Testimony Receipt and Documentary Submission Act-2011 but it was not placed in the House, states the study.
The walked out by the main opposition party protesting electricity price hike was taken place one time. No incident of parliament boycott was recorded.
Some 224 members of parliament [64 percent] were present in the House, the study said and added the leader of the House presented 32 days and the leader of the prime opposition 14 days. The ministers attended 51 percent in 51-75 percent working days.
A total of 59.30 hours [52.3 percent] was spent for discussion on President’s Speech. Some 228 MPs spoke.
The criticism on the activists and leaders of the previous parliament opposition parties, agriculture, electricity, health, present government’s steps on fulfillment of food, development of roads and bridges were the speech of the House Leader, the report went on. In addition, steps on stoppage of river encroachment and adulterated food, abstain from criticism over and liberation war and its decelerator, decentralisation of administration proposal, removing of traffic jam from the capital city, project for garment and manpower sectors were the chief speech of the leader of the opposition in the House.
The first session of the current House witnessed the talks on 71 public interest notices, including question paper leak and gold medal scam. The highest was 12 percent on the activities of the Communication Ministry.
Indefinite discussion was recorded 9.13 hours [Eight percent] in 23 working days on 40 subjects. Some 19 MPs from the ruling and opposition took part in such discussion using ‘ill language’. A total 6.3 percent member was present on Prime Minister’s question-answer session, 39.1 percent on ministers, 4.9 percent on decision proposal, 2.3 percent on public interest article No-71, 16.6 percent on public interest article 71(Ka), 2.3 percent on lawmaking, 8.3 percent on indefinite discussion and 65.1 percent on President’s Speech. Some 83 MPs did not take part any session, the survey report said.
There are 69 female members in the parliament. A total of 65.7 percent was present on 26-50 percent working days.
A total of 51 parliamentary committees were formed during the first session of the current Sangsad. No main opposition party MP was made as the chief of any committee though it was found in the previous parliament.
The 43 committees held 65 meetings while eight committees did not hold any meeting. The average attendance of the committee members was 78 percent.
The Speaker maintained her duty 77.31 hours, Deputy Speaker 34.25 hours and president panel members 1.55 hours.
The report questioned over the roll of the speaker while some MPs held illogical speech.
The reports went on saying that 77 percent MPs passed degree, honours and master while eight percent belongs to SSC or under it. The 10th parliament found 59 percent businessmen MPs, 13 percent lawyers, six percent politicians and journalists, teachers and housewives.
Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Sultana Kamal said, the main activity of the parliament is lawmaking but its percentage is found less than two.
The main reason behind the less lawmaking goes to huge number of MPs from the trading sector, she said, adding, “So the matters for the public interest does not get space and it takes long time to make any law for the interest of the people”.
But the law for the business sector gets momentum, she said.
Iftekharuzzaman said the parliament would be more functioned through making it the centre of accountability. He urged the main opposition party to keep apparent role in the House.
TIB came up with 18-point recommendation for the salvation of the ongoing crisis in the Jatiya Sangsad.