As farmer Ashraf Hossain sat at a tea stall in Deluabari village, within Jashore’s Monirampur upazila, parliamentary proceedings were being broadcast on a small television set. Watching the screen, Ashraf reflected bitterly on the disconnect between the government and the governed.
“This year, prices of Boro paddy fail to meet the production cost. Farmers are not being benefited from the government’s paddy procurement scheme,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh. “Every day on television, I see MPs arguing over their own privileges. How does any of that help people like us?”
His frustration echoes a growing public sentiment that Bangladesh’s parliament is failing to address the pressing issues affecting ordinary citizens.
Almost two years after the 2024 mass uprising and the subsequent national election, the legislature is holding its second session to debate the national budget.
While expectations were high that parliament would become the centre of policymaking and accountability, critics argue that discussions on public welfare have been completely overshadowed by political sparring and personal grievances.
From rural tea stalls to urban workplaces, citizens are increasingly questioning why critical challenges – such as low crop prices, unemployment, inflation, law and order, healthcare, and education – receive so little attention.
Political observers note that in a legislature funded entirely by taxpayers, members of parliament appear far more focused on partisan interests than on the daily struggles of the population.
This criticism has intensified since the budget session began on 7 June, with observers noting a distinct scarcity of detailed scrutiny regarding economic reforms, commodity prices, or job creation. This lack of engagement is particularly jarring given the staggering cost of running the institution.
According to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), proceedings during the previous parliament cost an average of Tk 2,72,364 per minute, and sources at the Parliament Secretariat indicate that current expenditure remains at a similarly high level.
“There were enormous expectations from the Jatiya Sangsad formed after the mass uprising,” said Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (Shujan). “The uprising was driven by the aspiration to build a new Bangladesh. Yet, we are seeing personal issues receive greater attention than people’s problems. That is unfortunate.”
He added that debates on strengthening the rule of law have been equally inadequate. Similar disillusionment was voiced by Akhtarul Islam, a resident of Bhadiali village near the Satkhira border.
Sitting at a local marketplace, he lamented, “No one speaks for us in parliament. We rarely hear meaningful discussions about how ordinary people will survive if prices continue to rise.”
Observers point out that this detachment is a persistent issue. Even when the country grappled with severe power shortages during the first session, the crisis failed to generate sustained debate. Today, as public anxiety intensifies over a breakdown in law and order, the political elite often appear indifferent.
In one telling exchange, when an MP raised concerns about electrocutions during power outages, Energy Minister Iqbal Mahmud Tuku reportedly laughed and asked, “If there is load shedding, how did these people get electrocuted?”
