The two major political parties have to take the initiative to hold talks to resolve the prevailing political impasse over the election-time government, said Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Thursday. “Either the government or the opposition should take the initiative for talks to resolve the political crisis over holding the next parliamentary polls. If any party wants to hold a discussion in Parliament, as the Speaker I can facilitate it,” she said while talking to reporters after a workshop at the IPD Conference Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Asked whether she would take any initiative to hold discussions for resolving the political deadlock, the Speaker parried the answer, saying it is the government and the opposition who have to take the initiative.
Chaudhury, however, observed that the crisis — whatever its size — could be resolved through discussions. She also expressed her optimism that the opposition lawmakers would join the forthcoming session of Parliament, beginning on September 12, as they had participated in the previous session.
The political impasse surfaced in the political arena as the Awami League-led 18-party Grand Alliance government abolished the caretaker government system from the Constitution through an amendment to it in June 2011.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on the other hand, has been organising a movement demanding restoration of the non-party caretaker government to oversee the next general elections, scheduled to be held between October and January.
Earlier, addressing the workshop on ‘JS Bodies Under Media Scanner’ as the chief guest, the Speaker emphasised the need for strengthening the parliamentary standing committees to make the base of democracy stronger.
She also underlined the need for disseminating activities of the parliamentary standing committees to ensure the government’s transparency and accountability.
The Speaker said in the discussion of standing committee meetings, priority should be given to the matters related to public interest.
She also suggested that the chiefs of the standing committee should brief journalists over important recommendations of the meetings for ensuring better coverage.
Minister for information Hasanul Haque Inu said the people got free and fair elections after the 1990s, but stability was not restored. He opined that discussions on restoration of stability should have taken place instead of on the caretaker government system.
Inu said an alien culture has been created in the country, in which Parliament is being boycotted by the party which was defeated in the polls.
He said the time has come to decide whether the people would support Hefazat and re-emergence of militants, fundamentalists and terrorism. The Minister said about 257 laws were enacted in the present Parliament after they were examined by the standing committees concerned.
Inu alleged that the opposition did not lodge objections against any law when it was discussed at the standing committee stage, but opposed them during their passage.
He suggested that chiefs of standing committees should give written briefings after their committee meetings to prevent distortion of information.
Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) organized the workshop in assistance with USAID, UKAID and Asia Foundation. The function was moderated by the Editor-in-Chief and chief executive officer (CEO) of Boishakhi Television.
Deputy Editor of The Daily Star, Shahriar Khan, presented a keynote paper on the study report on the gap between the minutes of meetings of parliamentary standing committees and their coverage in the media.
The study report recommended formalizing media briefings by the chiefs of the respective committees to avoid information gaps and to protect the media from contempt of court proceedings in connection with parliamentary coverage.
Taking part in the discussion, chiefs of parliamentary standing committees and senior journalists emphasised the need to allow journalists to the committee meetings. They also suggested broadcasting the entire proceedings of the committee meeting through Sangsad TV and giving regular briefings by the chairpersons of the respective standing committees following the committee meetings.
Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of agriculture Shawkat Momen Shahjahan, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of disaster management and relief ABM Anwarul Haque, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, Shah Jikrul Ahmed, MP, Md Mujibul Haque, MP, USAID mission director Richard Greene, Prothom Alo Joint Editor Abdul Quaiyum, Manabkantha Editor Shajahan Sardar, Farid Hossain, Hasan M Manzur of Asian Foundation and Shaila Tasnim Haque were present.
-With The Independent input
