Diagnosing a weak parliament

”Democracy is at stake if JS is not effective". This was the front page title of the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Sun covering a dialogue meeting in Dhaka on Thursday 13th of October. JS is the Jatiya Sangsad – the Parliament of Bangladesh.

At the meeting, the draft report “Parliament of Bangladesh, representation and accountability” with policy recommendations, was presented by the authors, Prof. Rounaq Jahan (CPD) and Dr Inge Amundsen (CMI). The two researchers have carried out the research project over the last year, as one out of seven projects of a three-year institutional cooperation between CMI and CPD (Center for Policy Dialogue).

The full, edited report is available here.
A short version, CMI Policy Brief 'Parliament of Bangladesh: Boycotts, business and change for the better' is available here.
Another short version, the CPD-CMI Policy Brief 'The Parliament of Bangladesh. Challenges and Way Forward' will be available soon at CPD's homepage.

Read more about the project here.

The CPD is a Bangladeshi think-tank and research institute focusing on economic and political developments in Bangladesh.

“A sick democracy cannot give a healthy parliament. We need decent politics for building institutions” said Suranjit Sengupta, chairman of the parliamentary committee on law, justice, and parliamentary affairs. He was with the deputy Speaker a chief guest at the event. Representatives of the two major political parties of Bangladesh were present, and took part in the – at times heated – debate.

The dialogue meeting was led by CPD Chairman Prof. Rehman Sobhan, and hosted by CPD at the BRAC conference centre in central Dhaka. It was attended by the former Speaker of the JS, several MPs, and some 80 invited guests. The event got extensive media coverage, including coverage from seven Bangladeshi TV stations.

See some of the media coverage here:

In English in Daily Star, Daily Sun, New Age, Financial Express

In Bangla in Daily Sangram, Prothom Alo, Samakal

On TV: RTV newshour