End parliament boycott culture to ensure good governance
Good governance still remains elusive because of boycott of parliament by the successive opposition parties and non-cooperation from the government, they said.
The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) and the Social Science Research Council of the Ministry of Planning, co-organised the workshop on 'Problems of governance and way out' in the city.
Bangladesh has all the pre-requisites for good governance but the challenge is how to establish it, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed said as chief guest at the inaugural session.
Political will and accountability of the government are a must for ensuring good governance, he said.
Referring to the opposition's role, Moudud said active participation of the opposition can make parliament effective but they have been boycotting it because they could not accept the defeat in the election.
About the independent anti-corruption commission, the minister said the head of the commission should be courageous and exercise his power properly to make it effective.
Speaking as special guest, Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily Star, said good governance is yet to be established as there is a lack of check and balance among legislature, judiciary and the executive.
Parliament has been non-functional since the inception of parliamentary democracy as both the BNP and the AL remain absent from the House whenever they are in the opposition, he said.
"Today bureaucracy is unfortunate victim of politicisation which is an impediment to normal functioning of the state mechanism," Anam said.
He said accountability of the government and internal democracy in the party are a must for establishing good governance.
Professor M Ataur Rahman, chairman of the CGS, presented a keynote paper at the workshop.
He said parliament has become almost irrelevant as a forum for political discourse and decision-making.
The opposition in Bangladesh always prefers to take streets rather than discuss the issues in parliament, he said.
Prof. Rahman also said the political leaders act mostly for personal and party interest.
Presided over by University Grants Commission Chairman Professor M Asaduzzaman, the inaugural session was also addressed by Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley, chairman of the Centre for Development Research Bangladesh, and Azizur Rahman, executive director of the CGS.
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