Committee formed to investigate sound disruption in parliament

A parliamentary committee has been formed to investigate whether the sound disruption during the opening day of the 13th Parliament was a mere technical fault or an act of sabotage.

Led by the sergeant-at-arms, the committee has been instructed to submit its report by Apr 3, the panel’s head and Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said on Saturday, reports media. The meeting commenced at 11am in the Level-2 Cabinet Room of the Parliament Complex, addressing MPs’ housing, sound systems, medical facilities, and the formation of different parliamentary committees.

Committee members include Rakibul Islam, Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, Kaisar Ahmed, Shahidul Islam, Nayab Yusuf Ahmed, Jahangir Hossain, Oli Ullah, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Saiful Alam, and Abul Hasnat.

On Mar 12, the first day of the parliament’s session, proceedings had to be briefly halted due to the sound system malfunction.

Complaints over the headphones and sound system continued the following day, with Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury raising concerns.

Moni said, “We suspect sabotage may have occurred. Expert opinions are being sought to determine whether it was only a technical fault.”

Specialists from BUET have been invited to assess and properly calibrate the system.

On what the committee will examine, Moni said: “We are looking at two aspects — security, to see if sabotage occurred, and the real sound system issues, to find solutions.”

He also voiced personal frustration over the headphones: “Everyone has complained. The huge headphones get unbearably hot; they simply don’t work properly.”