Editorial
Performance of the 8th parliament
Left a lot more to be desired
The curtain on the 8th Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) came down on Wednesday, 4 October, keeping the nation wondering about its efficacy in solving some of the major national problems and bolstering the democratic process and institutions. The JS faced quorum crisis for a record number of times since the very outset, and the two-thirds majority of the ruling alliance in the House did not help in solving the crisis as most of the MPs and cabinet members remained absent despite words of caution from the prime minister. The series of boycott of parliament by the opposition did little to solve the burning issues.Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar handled the JS with a conspicuous partisan inclination, which belied the supposed neutrality of the chair. This did not help create a congenial environment for the participation of the opposition members. The opposition was audible enough throughout the full tenure of the government about the way Jamiruddin Sircar handled the proceedings of the JS but nothing could change his heart. Till the very last day he demonstrated his personal preference in full view of the nation, thereby failing to win the confidence of the opposition. The functioning of the various parliamentary committees and sub-committees also came under severe criticism from time to time for their collective failure in solving some key issues like corruption and irregularities and ensuring accountability and transparency in administration. The failure to elect a deputy leader of the House in five years is again a mystery that will generate many debates in the days to come. On the last day of the last session however there were claims of success in the speech of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in which she termed the completion of the 5-year tenure as a milestone for parliamentary democracy. Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar was quick to follow in announcing that the current parliament has passed 185 bills. On the other hand the leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina said that none of the 2,511 notices served by the opposition for holding discussion on important national issues was accepted. She labeled the just concluded parliament as a failure. All said and done, perhaps the tangible plus points of the 8th parliament are: it has been able to complete the full tenure of five years and that the opposition law makers including the leader of the opposition in parliament attended the last session. This no doubt gave the House a full look but how much democracy has been served by a parliament with the opposition remaining outside for a major part of the tenure remains a nagging question in everyone's mind.
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