Ruling party used majority to pass bills without meaningful scrutiny: TIB

Highlights:

• TIB alleges procedural violations in passage of key bills.
• Watchdog questions formation of parliamentary standing committees.
• Calls for new law to strengthen committee oversight.
• Urges reconstitution of controversial standing committees.

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has accused the ruling party of abusing its parliamentary majority by passing legislation without meaningful scrutiny and deviating from established parliamentary practices in forming standing committees.

In a statement issued today (21 July), the anti-corruption watchdog also called for a new law, drafted in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to strengthen the authority and effectiveness of parliamentary standing committees.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said several other bills were also passed swiftly using the ruling party’s numerical majority while overlooking the opposition’s objections.

“The unilateral passage of bills, in violation of constitutional principles and parliamentary rules governing the legislative process, raises the question of how the present Parliament differs from that of the authoritarian era,” he said.

The TIB director also stated that the government had violated the Rules of Procedure by introducing bills as supplementary business and rushing them through Parliament without adequate debate or scrutiny.

Referring to the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, he said Rule 77 of the Rules of Procedure allows bills to be referred to a standing committee, a select committee or circulated for public opinion before consideration. However, he alleged that none of these procedures was followed in the case of the law.

According to TIB, the government also rejected the opposition’s proposal to refer the bill to public opinion or a select committee and did not allow opposition lawmakers to move amendments.

The organisation further alleged that copies of the bill were distributed to lawmakers only moments before it was tabled, depriving members of sufficient time to examine its contents despite the longstanding parliamentary practice of providing copies several days in advance.

TIB also criticised the introduction of the Bangladesh Medical University (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Public Examinations (Offences) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 as supplementary business without prior notice.

The watchdog further questioned the formation of parliamentary standing committees in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.

Citing Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure, Iftekharuzzaman said appointing the state minister for rural development and cooperatives to the standing committees on the ministries of finance and home affairs created potential conflicts of interest and undermined the committees’ oversight role.

“If committees are constituted by appointing individuals with conflicts of interest or controversial backgrounds as members or chairpersons, their ability and effectiveness to ensure government transparency and accountability will inevitably be called into question,” he said.

TIB also referred to Clause 24 of the July National Charter, under which 30 political parties and alliances committed to allowing opposition lawmakers to chair key parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee, the Committee on Privileges, the Committee on Estimates and the Public Undertakings Committee.

The charter also envisaged opposition members chairing ministry-related standing committees in proportion to their representation in parliament, the statement added.

Based on the opposition’s current representation in the parliament, TIB said opposition lawmakers should chair about 26% of the standing committees.

“What has already happened in the formation of these committees not only confines the commitments of the July National Charter to paper but also threatens to render the ruling party’s 31-point reform agenda and election manifesto meaningless,” Iftekharuzzaman said.

The organisation urged the government to reconstitute the committees it considers controversial and follow its declared commitments while forming the remaining standing committees.

Invoking Article 78(5) of the Constitution, TIB also called for a new law to strengthen the authority and effectiveness of parliamentary standing committees by consulting political parties and other stakeholders.

The anti-corruption watchdog further recommended ensuring that each of the four key parliamentary committees specified in the July National Charter includes at least one woman member and that every woman directly elected to parliament is appointed to at least one standing committee.