Bangladesh News

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday came down heavily on Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) for its recent report saying that it was ill motivated and a machination to undermine the parliament.

“Conspiracy is going on against the parliament. TIB’s report is very much biased and ill-motivated,” Hasina, also leader of the House, said at the windup of the second session of the ninth parliament.

Hasina, also Awami League chief, called upon the opposition to return to parliament and make it effective in the greater interest of the nation and democracy so that any unconstitutional clique cannot usurp the state power.

TIB in its report titled ‘Parliament Watch-2009′ last Saturday said like the previous eighth parliament, the ninth parliament also faced quorum crisis on almost every working day.

The report also said about Tk 5.41 crore got wasted due to the quorum crisis in the inaugural session of the new parliament and every sitting of the first session was delayed by 40 minutes on an average.

Referring to the TIB’s report the premier said, “There is no doubt that it had ill motive in making such a report public”.

In an oblique reference to Prof Mozaffer Ahmed, the immediate past chief of TIB, Hasina blasted him saying he enjoyed minister’s status during the military rule of Ziaur Rahman and it is clear that he leans towards unconstitutional government.

She said many of those who are with him have whitened black money; he should talk against corruption only after taking their corruption into account,” the premier added.

“They wanted to undermine political leaderships and failed to rally people’s support behind them but hanker after for the power,” Hasina said, adding that they are still smouldering with resentment.

“They still cherish that desire for the power through unconstitutional means,” she added.

“The way they are trying to devalue the House, it is clear that they want to undermine the democratic government and they have nexus with the unconstitutional government,” Hasina said.

The premier urged people to be cautious about them, adding that TIB may oversee the activities of parliament but it does not mean that they have any right to mislead people feeding them with wrong information.

She said that opposition lawmakers have remained absent from the parliament proceedings for an issue, which doesn’t involve people’s interest.

Saying that the House is running effectively, Hasina said, her government wants to make parliament and its standing committees stronger. “We want to make the parliament stronger and the center of all activities,” she said.

Hasina refuted TIB’s observations that standing committees are not working properly. “Where did they (TIB) get such information, I don’t know?” the premier asked.

Pointing to former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar’s graft allegation, the AL president warned all to keep cautious about committing corruption.

Earlier on Tuesday TIB came under fire in parliament for its report. Speaker Abdul Hamid and Chief Whip Abdus Shahid lambasted the report and lawmakers present in the House seconded their views.

BUDGET SESSION PROROGUED
The second session of the ninth parliament was prorogued last night passing 25 working days amid absent of the BNP-led opposition lawmakers.

The session that began on June 4 has passed national budget for the current fiscal year and enacted 19 laws.

The ninth parliament that started journey on January 25 had 39 working days. The opposition lawmakers joined the inaugural sitting of the ninth parliament, but they remained absent from it for 22 working days while Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia were present in parliament only for three days.