It is rare to see members of parliament (MPs) of the ruling party and the opposition be so united in their agreement on anything. The announcement by the state minister for Local Government that MPs would get their own rooms at upazila parishads has been unanimously welcomed. But granting such a facility would revert to the old practice of MPs exercising undue influence over upazila parishad affairs, which are meant to be handled by local administrators.
An MP from NCP (National Citizen Party) had raised the demand on March 31 for allocating sitting spaces for MPs within their constituencies; it was agreed upon in less than a month by the government. When it comes to facilities granted to MPs, there is little disagreement in the parliament.
We, however, would like to know why MPs need separate rooms in the upazila parishad buildings in the first place. An MP’s main role is to deliberate on and pass legislation in the parliament. They are not required to go to the upazila and have an office to meet members of the public. Curiously, as there is no provision in existing regulations for allocating rooms in the name of individual MPs, these rooms have been labelled “Inspection Rooms”. We can only imagine the huge cost to the government exchequer, not to mention taxpayers’ money, to build such rooms for each MP. What happens when a constituency has more than one upazila parishad—will there be a designated room for the MP in each? According to the law, MPs get a monthly allowance for maintaining an office in each of their constituencies, which negates the need for a separate office in the upazila parishad premises. Furthermore, having such an office will conspicuously diminish the local government's authority.
We remember only too well how MPs of the previous elected government interfered with upazila parishad administrators’ work, hogging the district development funds for projects that would make them popular. Instead of being the advisers to district bodies as they are supposed to be, MPs have in the past undermined the authority of the local administrators and hampered the normal functioning of these local government bodies. We do not want to see the same syndrome repeat itself in a post-uprising Bangladesh that demands real change in political culture. Empowering local government is crucial for rural development and decentralisation of power. The local government reform commission also recommended de-linking MPs from local government administration, allowing the upazila parishads to function independently.
While we appreciate that Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman also issued directives stating that MPs shall not take any additional privileges beyond public expectations and that no member should take a duty-free vehicle, the order concerning dedicated rooms for MPs in upazila parishads seems to contradict the spirit of good governance. Thus, we urge that lawmakers and the government revisit this decision.
