JS body for cancelling TIB registration
STAFF REPORTER
The Standing Committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs yesterday recommended canceling the registration of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) as it had not regretted yet after making derogatory remarks over the national parliament of the country.
Suranjit Sengupta, chief of the committee said that TIB was asked to apologise before the nation within three days for its derogatory comments on the parliament and the constitution.
But out of arrogance, TIB authorities did not do so within the deadline, he added.
Therefore, we had no alternative to making the recommendation to scrap its registration, he said during a briefing at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre after committee meeting yesterday. Suranjit said the committee also recommended incorporating a provision to scrap registration of any NGO if it makes any indecent comment on the country, parliament and the constitution in the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act.
The bill is likely to be passed in the parliament during the ongoing session which is scheduled to prorogue on November 23.
On October 25, the TIB in a study said lawmakers participation in question-answer sessions and discussions on important notices was less in the current parliament.
The study also said the main opposition, the Jatiya Party, failed to play its due role in the present parliament. Terming the JP a so-called opposition, the TIB said the party was working as B-team of the government.
It also said observed only six percent of 388 working hours had been spent on formulation and passage of 30 laws in 14 months, said the study based on the current parliaments second to sixth session from June 2014 to July this year.
Talking to reporters on the same day, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman termed the present parliament a puppet theatre.
Later on November 9, speaking on a point of order in the House, Suranjit insisted that the TIB apologised to the nation within three days.
