Body on foreign ministry worst performing among 51.
The performance of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of foreign affairs was the poorest among 51 such panels. Records show that the standing committee could only hold 20 meetings in 57 months of the Ninth Parliament, secretariat sources said. In stark contrast, the standing committee on public accounts held the highest numberof 128 meetings during the same period.
As of October 31, only four parliamentary standing committees could on an average hold one meeting a month. The committees are: public undertakings, assurance, ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs and ministry of finance. According to records, three standing committees headed by the Speaker held no meeting during the time. The committee are: special privilege, rules of procedures and petition. Six standing committees, including the one on the ministry of public administration, ministry of textile and jute and the ministry of defence on an average held one or less than one meeting in two months.
Besides, the business advisory committee held 24 meetings while the abolished standing committee on the ministry of food and disaster management 42 and the special committee on the Constitution held 27 meetings. Talking to The Independent, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury claimed that the standing committees had played important roles in making parliamentary democracy effective. She hoped that the committees would be more serious in holding meetings regularly in future. The Speaker mentioned
that formation of standing committees during the first session of the Ninth Parliament and providing chairmanship to lawmakers were epoch-making decisions of the government.
MA Mannan, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of foreign affairs, said the committee succeeded in holding the highest number of meetings by taking the support of all concerned.
“I have followed my predecessor (the former chairman of the committee) to hold meetings regularly. The quality of the meetings was also remarkable,” he said.
The chairman specially mentioned the logistic support given under “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight.”
He said it is expected that a committee would hold at least one meeting in a month.
The chairman of the standing committee on the ministry of foreign affairs, Nilufar Zafrullah, could not be reached over the phone for her comments on the poor performance of her committee.
It may be mentioned that though Opposition lawmakers boycotted Parliament sessions, they attended committee meetings.
-With The Independent input
