Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah has expressed frustration over the decision to table answers to important parliamentary questions instead of responding to them orally.
“Members of parliament are being deprived of their rights as questions raised in the House are not being discussed, and this is creating an opportunity for ministers to evade accountability,” he said while speaking on a point of order during the session in parliament today (19 April).
Hasnat Abdullah stressed that a functional parliament requires ministers to face direct questioning and provide answers in person.
“However, for the past two weeks, we have seen that starred questions are being answered only through tabling. Ministries prepare written responses, and ministers give those to us. This denies us the opportunity to ask supplementary questions,” he added.
Questioning the current practice, he said, “Will parliament then turn into merely a scripted monologue session?”
He also noted that MPs already have very limited time to speak – around one to one-and-a-half minutes – during which they raise issues of public importance.
“With this process halted, we are being deprived of our rights,” he added.
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