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MP privilege may lead to graft Roundtable told

Staff Correspondent
Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali yesterday said there is no need to have special parliamentary privileges and immunities for lawmakers since these privileges provide them with opportunities to get involved in corruption.
"I do not think there should be any parliamentary privilege for the members of parliament. If there are parliamentary privileges, they will become corrupt because of such special privileges," he said at a roundtable styled "Parliamentary privileges, power and immunities of parliament and members of parliament".
"Immunity is applicable only when lawmakers are inside parliament. If they are found involved in any offence outside parliament, law enforcement agencies of the government can arrest them." he said at the discussion organised by SHUJAN at the latiya Press Club.
MPs cannot stay beyond
FROM PAGE 16 liability and to ensure their accountability a rule must be formulated soon determining matters concerning privileges, power and immunities, other speakers at the discussion said. This would also ensure independent functioning of institutions like the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC), they added.
General Secretary of Shushashoner Janney Nagarik (SHUJAN) Badiul Alam Majumder in his keynote paper said, "The AntiCorruption Commission has been constituted through a special law to combat corruption and institutions established under special law do not fall within tne jurisdiction of the Public Undertakings Committee."
Referring to the repeated summoning of the anti-graft body by the parliamentary standing committee on public undertakings, the keynote paper said the committee that summoned the ACC is led by a corruption case convict. MK Alamgir, which is neither justifiable nor ethical. The ACC did not announce its own independence; it was made independent by the law to ensure flawless and fearless functioning, it added.
In his paper, Badiul also demanded expulsion of former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar from parliament if the allegations of corruption against him are proven.
Speaking at the discussion, Prof Muzaffer Ahmad of Transparency International Bangladesh said, "A parliament watch committee should be established so that a change comes in the attitude of the lawmakers. Political, parties also should practise democracy to bring such changes in their lawmakers' attitude."
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said, “Immunity and democracy are contradictory to each other. Democracy cannot exist if there is immunity because democracy requires accountability."
Dr Tofael Ahmed and M Hamid also spoke at the : roundtable, among others.