Elected representatives should have a bigger role in financial management

Law Minister, Anisul Huq, said that democratically elected representatives should have a bigger role in the financial management of the government to ensure development and rule of law at all levels of the country.

He said, "Bangabandhu had created a separate chapter so that elected representatives could play a major role in financial management for the development of the country. He had inserted that issue in the constitution. 

"Bangabandhu had also given the main responsibility of imposing local taxes to the Law Department so that the people's representatives can play a key role in financial management."

Anisul Huq said that a well-functioning legal framework plays a key regulatory role in the socio-economic development of any state.

He said that the dream of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was to build a prosperous Bangladesh by fulfilling people's basic needs through a democratic state system, and to develop socio-economic and political spheres by building an integrated legal framework and fostering economic growth, establishing the rule of law and protecting human rights.

The Law Minister made the remarks while addressing a virtual seminar titled "Public Financial Management in the Context of Constitutional Framework" at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Saturday.

The seminar was organized by the Legislative Research and Reform Project under the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Anisul Huq said that the quality of life of the people of Bangladesh had improved thanks to the current government's politics of development, and that Bangladesh has been globally recognised as a role model in that regard.

Mentioning that the rule of law has been established in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, the Minister said that the state's financial discipline falls under the rule of law. Therefore, financial management of the government has a key role to play in the establishment of the rule of law.

The seminar was chaired by Md Moinul Kabir, secretary to the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division. Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, comptroller and auditor general, presented the keynote address and Dr Mohammad Mohiuddin, project director, delivered the welcome address.