Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal has said the opposition party can form a shadow parliament to make the Jatiya Sangsad effective and strong.
Kamal mentioned that a constructive role by the opposition is vital to consolidate parliamentary democracy, review government policies and activities, identify flaws, and ensure executive accountability.
He made these remarks at the Autumn Festival and freshers’ reception for 31st batch of Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Dhaka University on Tuesday.
The deputy speaker noted that having an effective shadow parliament modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system would provide opportunities to scrutinise government policies, cabinet activities, and key decisions.
It would also enable the opposition to highlight government mistakes, present alternative proposals, and ensure parliamentary accountability.
Pointing out that if the parliament remains ineffective, there is a risk of the country straying off course again, he stressed that both the ruling and opposition parties must perform their respective duties properly to strengthen parliamentary democracy.
Highlighting the need to reform state institutions, the deputy speaker emphasised that there is no alternative to institutional reforms to guarantee desired development.
He cautioned that without effective reforms across state institutions, including the bureaucracy and civil administration, the benefits of government development initiatives will not properly reach the people.
The deputy speaker said state institutions must be made transparent, accountable, effective, and people-friendly, urging the government to bolster necessary institutional reform activities towards this end.
Underscoring the protection of democratic achievements and civic rights, Kamal said guaranteeing the right to speak and write freely, freedom of expression, and fundamental human rights is a core duty of a democratic state, calling on everyone to stay vigilant in safeguarding these rights.
He added, “It is irrelevant who amongst us belongs to the ruling party or the opposition party. We are all Bangladesh’s party, Bangladeshis. Each of us will step forward and work from our respective positions to build the nation.”
