PM asks secretaries to learn about basic parliamentary practices

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed her dismay over frequent absence of top bureaucrats in crucial parliamentary sittings and asked them to undergo a training course to learn about the constitution and parliamentary rules of procedure and practices. 

"I have noticed that concerned secretaries remain absent from the parliament at the time of question-answer sessions of the prime minister and other ministers in the parliament," she said in a meeting with secretaries of different ministries and divisions at Bangladesh Secretariat.

The premier said the secretaries concerned with the presence in parliament could help ministers with necessary information to reply the questions by lawmakers.

Sheikh Hasina said she found concerned secretaries absent even during passage of bills related to their ministries when their presence was crucially important.

Sheikh Hasina said only three or four secretaries were present at parliament when this year's budget was passed and many of the top bureaucrats did not witness the days of lively discussions on budget, no secretary except three or four was present in the parliament, she said.

Presence of secretaries is also important at the time of passage of a bill as they prepare the document, the prime minister said. 

"Every country follows the practice," the prime minister said sharing her experience from question answer session in the House of Commons. 

So, she said, secretaries have to learn about the constitution, parliament practice, rules of procedure, the prime minister said asking the cabinet secretary to arrange a basic training course for them so that such situation doesn't arise in future.

Source: bss