Ninety-seven percent of the 149 meeting of legislators of Bangladesh were found involved in "negative activities" while 70 percent of them in "criminal activities were concerned", a survey of transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found.
The negative activities include involvement in or support of criminal activities, abuse of public money and influence on decisions of the Government.
The criminal activities include killing, land and river grabbing, extortion, registration manipulation and deception, says the research report published yesterday.
Contacted by The Daily Star, two members of the Awami League-led ruling Alliance blasted the TIB survey, describes it as a national and international conspiracy against the democracy of the country.
But two opposition MPs called the report a "appropriate reflection" of what the Alliance ruling had done.
According to the study conducted 53.5% of the 149 MPs criminal activities in person. Of them, 24 percent were sued by the victims and in the rest of the cases either the victims dared not any case file or, if they did, the police refused to accept.
Of those involved in "negative activities", more than 80 percent were involved in the control of the decision making process of local authorities, and appointments and transfers in different national and local organisations. Seventy percent of the members were involved in the tenders of the Government, using licenses of their family members or other people.
The lawmakers are surveyed 141 male and eight female while 136 Treasury Bank legislators (27 ministers or State) and 13 opposition lawmakers. The members surveyed, however, were not mentioned in the report.
More than eight percent of the 149 legislators that Government have plots or flats in Dhaka have taken plots in their names or their women, or apartments for a second time by submitting false statements.
Under the title "Analysis of positive and negative role of legislators of the ninth Parliament," the survey data were collected from, among other sources, 44 group discussions in 42 districts. These meetings were held between July and September, discussed with the participation of more than 600 discussants, out-of-House activities of the MEPs.
The participants included local teachers, lawyers, media persons and other professionals and those selected were apparently impartial. The survey was done on 149 MPs as they well known to participants. The report says that the legislators on who the participants had little or no information not at these meetings were discussed.
In its analysis the TIB said lack of intra-party democratic values, a tendency towards something to win elections and a culture of impunity to do could have inspired the lawmakers involved in negative activities.
On the right side had 53.7 percent of the surveyed members "positive contributions" outside Parliament.
These activities include their role in education, health and agriculture sector, keep cordial relations with the opposition and voters, building of infrastructure, solving local problems, ensure relief distribution on personal initiatives, maintaining order and the promotion of women's empowerment.
The opposition lawmakers are better connected with the electorate compared to their counterparts ruling party. But in the case of ' negative and immoral ' activities, the ratio of the judgment and the opposition MPs is almost the same.
The study reveals that the legislators time slightly more than nine percent of the total 254 meetings (up to the seventh session) for legislation that their main task.
"The reason is that the members spend most of their time interference in local administration work and local development projects. Recommends therefore the TIB a law to stop MPs from local development, create activities, ' told TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman a press conference in the capital of Brac Centre Inn.
According to him, the MPs will spend more time in the decision-making process if they are legally excluded from the provision of local affairs law.
The study shows that all of the 149 members secure 4 points at an average of the total 10 by the voters.
' Only 3.36 percent legislators score 7.6 out of 10 by the voters can protect and 68.45 scored less than 5, ' says the study report.
It shows that 27 percent of the time spent in legislative purpose was used to change accounts by reformulation of phrases instead of to treat core points.
Almost was 24 percent of the time of the plenary meetings of the Prime Minister in question answer sessions spent 254 and other ministers. While these sessions were important, ministers tend to avoid "embarrassing" questions.
By the lawmakers delay in attending the meeting, there was a regular quorum crisis of January 2009 to December 2011. The duration of this crisis quorum is 7,785 minutes (approximately 130 hours). MPs are late if they remain busy with out-of-House activities, the report said.
The financial value of this loss of time would 320.67 million taka, according to the report.
The TIB reiterates its recommendation for the ban on massive abstention from the House by reducing the maximum time for remaining absent from Parliament for up to 30 days and up to seven days in a row.
Also, Parliament called on the Government to choose a Deputy Speaker from the opposition and obligatory for the speaker and the vice-President resignation of party posts before Office.
In addition, recommended the anti-corruption watchdog amending article 70 of the Constitution, so members to vote against their party on issues other than impeachment of the president, the national budget and the national security.
TIB Senior Program Manager Shahajada m. Akram presented the study report. TIB President Sultana Kamal and Trustee Board of Directors member Hafizuddin Khan were also present on the occasion.
Reaction
Responding to the report, Abdul Matin Khasru said ALL legislators, "the study is unacceptable if the method unscientific."
Khasru, also a former law Minister, said: "the TIB published a similar study report just a few days before the transition from 1/11 in 2007. They [TIB] has conducted itself again in also conspiracy. We condemn such reprehensible step by the TIB. "
Hafizuddin Ahmed, a legislator of the Jatiya Party, an ally of the ALREADY doubted the accuracy of the statistics but said that the investigation was not "completely bogus".
Opposition Chief Whip Ainul Abdin Farroque said: "We [the opposition] are just a few. The opposition don't get each assignment. Thus arises the question of our involvement in irregularities. "
He said that most of the ruling Alliance lawmakers now after money were conducted, but added: "Not that that everything is bad."
Terming the report accurately, said legislator of the opposition Bangladesh nationalist party (BNP) Mahbub Uddin Khokon most politicians now used politics to earn money.
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