Privileges for the privileged
THE speaker of the Parliament, Abdul Hamid, said that lawmakers would see a rise in their remuneration and allowances as they are not drawing much. The speaker said this at a function at the Jatiya Sangsad Media centre on June 21, while handing over keys of their offices to the MPs.
The speaker informed the nation a few days back that all MPs wiould be given offices before the year was out. He handed over offices to 92 MPs in the first phase at the old MP's hostel in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises. The offices for the rest will be allocated gradually as the parliament secretariat is readying them. The speaker also said that MPs would also be provided with offices in the upazilas so that they could perform their duties properly.
MPs across the world enjoy special perks and facilities so that they can serve their people as best as they can. So it makes sense that perks and privileges to our MPs should also be increased to make them enable to perform their public responsibilities more effectively and also to serve their constituents in full measure. But a pertinent question remains, are the perks and privileges they enjoy commensurate with the services they render?
It is disappointing to see that the persons who have been elected to speak for 150 million people in the parliament are not taking their jobs seriously. It is a very sorry state of affairs when the speaker is compelled to adjourn the parliament session because of the lack of quorum. Public expectation is that the MPs will perform their parliamentary jobs seriously, while they come by their new perks.
The perks and privileges of the MPs had been increased several times in the past. All possible assistance, including office and two assistants, had also been provided to them so that they could contribute to the law making process and enrich the proceedings of the House.
Naturally, the people of the country expected better performance from their representatives in the parliament. But most of the MPs had failed to fulfill the aspiration, and the huge amount of public money spent for their capacity building was a sheer waste.
To realise outstanding telephone bills of Tk.6 crores from 427 defaulting MPs of the 5th and 7th parliaments, the High Court issued a verdict on a public interest litigation writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, seeking the court's directive for realisation of arrear telephone bills from the MPs. The court's ruling also said that, if the defaulting MPs failed to pay the arrear bills, the BTTB would take appropriate action against them.
The government provided the MPs with duty-free luxurious cars, which was abused by many of them. The duty-free car privilege was a chance to plunder the public exchequer. Many MPs of the previous parliaments brought in 275 luxury cars from abroad, costing the NBR over Tk.280 crore in tax.
Now the government has decided to provide the MPs with new vehicles, creating a pool for them, though there is no such example in any other country. MPs all over the world get traveling allowances for their official tours, but no vehicles from the government.
The speaker recently said that MPs would get government vehicles, which they would be able to own in exchange for a token price after their five-year tenure. Such an act of propitiating the MPs with tax-payers' money is sure to create a bad public impression.
The government may instruct the banks to give low-interest loan to MPs for buying a vehicle, if anyone of them does not have one.
It is quite unfortunate that the parliament has failed to set up an institution for parliamentary studies for promoting parliamentary culture, norms, manners and practices, despite the passing of a law for the purpose more than eight years back.
A move for promulgation of the law, called "The Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies Act-2001," was taken, and the law was enacted at the fag end of the 1996-2001 Awami League government. But their successor, the BNP-led alliance government, ignored it.
The Institute of Parliamentary Studies should be set up immediately to assist the MPs in capacity building and to increase their skills for improving their standard of parliamentary jobs. Only increases in perks and privileges of the MPs will never improve their professional quality.
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