JS body wants end of TIB

A parliamentary committee will recommend to the NGO Affairs Bureau that the registration of Transparency International Bangladesh be scrapped for not apologising yet for making "derogatory comments" on parliament.

"I have no alternative to making the recommendation," Suranjit Sengupta, chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the law ministry, said during a briefing at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre yesterday.

"We had given TIB three days to apologise to the nation for its derogatory comments on parliament. But it hasn't done it yet, which is tantamount to arrogance," he told reporters. 

The Bangladesh chapter of Germany-based anti-graft watchdog in a study on October 25 pointed to a "low-level of participation" of MPs in lawmaking, question-answer sessions and discussions on important notices in the current parliament.

Only six percent of 388 working hours had been spent on formulation and passage of 30 laws in 14 months, said the TIB study based on the Jatiya Sangsad's second to sixth session from June 2014 to July this year.

The watchdog also called the Jatiya Party a "so-called opposition" in parliament and said the party was working as the "B-team of the government".

In the wake of reactions to the study, TIB Board of Trustees in a media statement on November 11 said the Board firmly believes that its "Parliament Watch" report, like the previous ones in the series, has been prepared based on information drawn from sources like in the Parliament Secretariat and after observing JS sessions directly and live on Bangladesh Television.

"… if some members of parliament are aggrieved by any part of the report or comment of the Executive Director, this has happened, we believe, only due to misunderstanding," the statement reads.

"TIB's work is not in any manner intended to undermine the institutional dignity and credibility of the National Parliament. Rather, studies in this series and related advocacy are aimed at contributing towards measures that would meet expectations of the people of Bangladesh to whom belong all powers of the Republic and thereby towards increasingly higher levels of public trust and respect to this highest body of public representation."

At the briefing yesterday, Suranjit further said the parliamentary committee recommended introducing a provision in the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act to scrap registration of any NGO for any "indecent comment" on the country, parliament or the constitution.

The briefing was organised to inform the media about Tuesday's meeting of a parliamentary sub-committee at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Suranjit, also a senior Awami League MP, heads the sub-committee formed to scrutinise Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act.

Contacted, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said they are embarrassed at the JS committee's move.

On November 9, several lawmakers from treasury and opposition bench in parliament demanded that the Speaker summon TIB officials immediately before the Jatiya Sangsad Privilege Committee to question them for "derogatory remarks" on parliament.

On the same day, Suranjit in parliament insisted that the TIB apologise to the nation within three days.

"Otherwise, parliament will suspend TIB's name from the list of non-governmental organisations during the passage of the Foreign Donations Act," he said.

On November 10, Suranjit at a briefing once again asked TIB to apologise for "humiliating" the House, constitution and the state.

The same day, TIB in a release said it is ready to cooperate with parliament on any initiative regarding the "Parliament Watch" report.

The release also said TIB welcomes lawmakers' discussions about its study, saying such debate recognises the importance of its works.